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Executives
WILLEM NIEMEIJER
KHIRI GROUP CEO AND CO-FOUNDER
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Willem Niemeijer co-founded Khiri Travel in 1994, 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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CRAIG ROACH
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
KHIRI THAILAND
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Craig Roach, an Australian national, has responsibility for the performance of Khiri Operations in Thailand and for the overall Operations and Quality Control of tours that combine Thailand with other Khiri destinations.
Craig years of experience in operating procedures and the quality control of tour products is of great help in exceeding the expectations of our travelers' experiences.
Prior to joining Khiri Travel, Roach was General Manager (Consulting) for Fez Travel and Road Runner Travel, both in Istanbul.
He was also Destination Manager Southeast Asia, for Imaginative Traveller, a UK based adventure travel operator.
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JEFF ROBERS
MANAGING DIRECTOR AND CO-FOUNDER
AMERICAN PURSUITS LLC
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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.
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LEE SHERIDAN
MANAGING DIRECTOR - KHIRI LAOS
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Lee Sheridan is Managing Director for Khiri Travel Laos, where he has lived and worked for over 10 years. Lee, a UK national and the Khiri team will put an emphasis on offering authentic experiences to Khiri clients, in a manner that benefits the destinations and communities throughout the country.
Lee was a partner in developing the first ecotourism company in Laos. He has also worked for some of the leading tourism organizations in the country including the IFC and the Dutch Development Organisation (SNV). He has also worked with provincial tourism departments facilitating sustainable tourism development across Laos.
Lee originally travelled to Laos while backpacking. He fell in love with the country and its people and didn’t go home. He is also studying for a Masters in Responsible Tourism Management.
Lee is currently studying for his Masters in Responsible Tourism Management and is seeking to develop Khiri Laos into the leading operator in the country – offering authentic experiences to Khiri clients, in a manner that benefits the destinations in which we work.
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TERRY GORDON
JOINT COUNTRY MANAGER
KHIRI VIETNAM & CAMBODIA
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Terry Gordon joined Khiri Vietnam and Cambodia in January 2011. He is based at the Khiri Vietnam office in Ho Chi Minh City.
Mr Gordon has extensive Indochina travel industry experience. He was a tour leader and operations manager for Travel Indochina 2006-2009. Prior to that, he was an Indochina tour leader for Intrepid Travel. He has intimate first-hand experience of established and emerging destinations throughout Indochina and Thailand.
In addition, Mr Gordon, an Australian national, is a former Royal Australian Air Force member. He was with the air force for 14 years. While there he specialized in human resource management, logistics, recruitment and financial administration. Before joining Khiri he worked as an HR Operations Manager for the Supreme Group in Afghanistan and Dubai |
EDWIN BRIELS
MANAGING DIRECTOR
KHIRI MYANMAR
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Edwin Briels joined Khiri Travel in August 2011 as General Manager – Myanmar. Edwin, will be responsible for establishing and growing Khiri’s presence throughout the country.
Edwin, a Dutch national, has six years working experience in Myanmar. He joined Khiri Travel from Air Mandalay and previously worked for Exotissimo Travel in Myanmar as well as Balloons over Bagan. Between 2007 and 2010 Briels was general manager of Exotissimo Thailand.
In 2006, Briels was also project manager for the construction of Malikha lodge, a luxury eight-villa property in the remote Putao valley of northern Myanmar. The lodge looks out over the snow capped mountains of the eastern Himalayas.
Edwin is fluent in Dutch, English and French and conversant in German.
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