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Executives
WILLEM NIEMEIJER
CEO AND CO-FOUNDER, KHIRI TRAVEL GROUP  | Willem Niemeijer co-founded Khiri Travel in 1994 with Frans Betgem, with the vision of creating a travel company specialized in creating innovative itineraries in Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia.
Born in 1963 and educated in his native country, the Netherlands, Willem showed an innate interest in both travel and entrepreneurial activity from an early age. Cycling solo around the Netherlands at age 11, he earned his first trip to Asia at age 17 by selling hi-fi and electronics after school.
Willem started his career in the tourism sector in the mid-1980s at NBBS Travel, a large travel agency in the Netherlands, combining his work there with several more trips to Southeast Asia. He moved to Bangkok, where he joined the Thai ground handler for NBBS Travel in 1987, the year of the successful Amazing Thailand campaign.
The early 1990s saw the careful opening of Laos for tourists, the UN-led elections in Cambodia and the lifting of the US trade embargo on Vietnam.
Willem Niemeijer used this time to forge contacts in the region, while the idea for Khiri Travel as an Indochina-area travel specialist took shape.
Starting Khiri Travel in a hotel room in Bangkok in 1994, Willem spent long days building the business. It quickly expanded from Thailand into Laos, Cambodia and finally, Vietnam.
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FRANS BETGEM
PRODUCT DIRECTOR AND CO-FOUNDER, KHIRI TRAVEL GROUP
 | Frans Betgem co-founded Khiri Travel in 1994 with Willem Niemeijer. Their aim was to create a travel company specialized in delivering innovative and socially responsible tours in Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia.
Frans was born in 1959 in Amstelveen, the Netherlands. From his childhood years he was fascinated by travel and many times cycled to Schiphol Airport to see the planes leaving for exotic destinations. Frans graduated in Contemporary History at the University of Amsterdam, and subsequently made his first trip to Southeast Asia in 1987. Subsequently, he has led over fifty small group tours through Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia and Australia.
Frans officially joined Khiri Travel in 1998, when he set up the Chiang Mai office. Since then he has been a resident of Chiang Mai. He is now responsible for developing new products and itineraries. He is often seen in remote corners of the Mekong Region. Frans is a key driving force behind Khiri Reach, the not-for profit division of Khiri Travel.
When not working, Frans takes care of a small private zoo with his wife Kai. He is a keen cyclist and hiker. |
ASHOK KAPUR
CEO, KHIRI DESTINATION MANAGEMENT COMPANY [Khiri DMC]
 | Ashok Kapur joined Khiri Travel in May 2008. He was born in India and has 16 years of hospitality industry experience behind him in various countries. As the CEO for Khiri DMC, Ashok is responsible for the inbound business development of its dedicated teams Naga, Lotus, Gold and Asia. Ashok has a Diploma in Hotel Management and an MBA. He started his career in 1993 with Taj Group of Hotels and had successful stints with Hyatt Hotels, Virgin Atlantic Airlines, American Express Bank of Canada and Radisson Hotels. Prior to joining the Khiri Travel Group, he was Group Director of Sales & Marketing at Compass Hospitality in Bangkok.
Ashok is an avid cricketer and does not miss an opportunity to play the game whenever possible. |
JEFF ROBERS
MANAGING DIRECTOR AND CO-FOUNDER
AMERICAN PURSUITS LLC 
| After attending the University of Central Florida, Orlando, Jeff Robers began his tourism career by leading young Europeans, Israelis and Australians across the USA in the summer of 1984. In 1985 Jeff moved to Europe to start leading tours for Top Deck Travel, London. For five years his schedule consisted of tours to Russia/Scandinavia/Eastern Europe in the summers and Southeast Asia in the winters. In 1990 Jeff started doing six month African expeditions, London to Harare, until accepting the position of operations manager at Kumuka Expeditions, London. After two years he moved to Australia where he worked in marketing for Intrepid Travel, Melbourne before moving to Hanoi, Vietnam to open up the Indochina region for Intrepid, a position that spanned for three years. In 1996 Jeff, with his Belgian wife, Pascale, moved to Boulder, Colorado to join the sales team of Asia Transpacific Journeys (ATJ), specializing in customized, high end Asia programs to the American market. He founded the affinity division, catering to travel programs specifically for non-profit groups such as alumni associations, museums and conservation groups. His list of clients include Harvard Alumni Association, Princeton, Yale, Smith College, Williams College, Brown University, etc. Other clients include the American Museum of Natural History, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, World Affairs Council, The Nature Conservancy and World Wildlife Foundation. In May 2009, Jeff joined the Khiri Travel Group as the Managing Director of American Pursuits LLC, at its head quarters in Boulder, Colorado. American Pursuits LLC is part of the Khiri Travel Group. For more information, visit www.khiri.com |
WANVISA CHANTRASMI
DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING
KHIRI VOYAGES
 | Ms Wanvisa 'Sandy' Chantrasmi has been appointed Director of Sales & Marketing at Khiri Voyages, Khiri Travel Group's Thai outbound travel division, which launched in October.
As Director of Sales & Marketing, Sandy is responsible for all aspects of marketing, product development, brand building and sales for Khiri Voyages.
Khiri Voyages specializes in overseas trips to Korea, Bhutan, Kenya, Laos, Vietnam, Bali, USA, Sri Lanka and New Zealand. Sandy is recognized by Tourism New Zealand as a 'Kiwi Specialist'.
Prior to joining Khiri Voyages, Sandy worked Holiday Inn Darling Harbour in Sydney, the Novotel on Siam Square, Sukhothai Residences and Travel Technology Services, all in Bangkok.
She has a Masters Degree in Marketing from the University of Western Sydney, Australia, and a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from Thammasat University in Bangkok.
Sandy cites scuba diving, dining and traveling as her main hobbies. |
MARC ALBERT
COUNTRY MANAGER - KHIRI LAOS
| Marc Albert is the Country Manager for Khiri Travel Lao. He is responsible for all operational aspects of Khiri's entity in Laos. Marc was born in Switzerland, where he worked 12 years in information technology as a network and systems engineer. He was working as a Technology trainer for well known educational institutes, banks and universities in St. Gallen, Switzerland. After extensive travels in Asia, Africa and Europe countries, Marc followed his passion for scuba diving and became a dive instructor. He relocated to Southern Thailand in 2003, where he worked as a Cruise Director on liveaboards and day trip boats and later as General Manager of a Dive Centre in Phuket, Khao Lak and in the Gulf of Thailand. In May 2008, Marc Albert joined Khiri Travel as Regional Manager – Indochina. His training background provided him with the necessary tools to further strengthen the growing teams in Khiri Travel's Indochina Joint Venture offices. In May 2009 Marc assumed his current position. |
RYAN A. ROGERS, Esq., JD, MBA
COUNTRY MANAGER - KHIRI VIETNAM
| Mr. Rogers joins the Khiri team as Country Manager of Khiri Vietnam. Mr. Rogers comes to Khiri from a very diverse business and legal services background, bringing with him a wealth management and business development experience. Having relocated to Vietnam from the United States nearly a year ago, Mr. Rogers has since worked as a corporate trainer and management consultant to some of the largest businesses and universities in Ho Chi Minh City. As such, Mr. Rogers will be tasked with growing and developing our current supplier relationships within Vietnam, as well as helping to develop new business relationships with Vietnam travel and tour operators from the U.S.
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