Our TeamAn organization such as SDT requires a well-functioning and dynamic team. We work with a variety of dedicated young people who bring together a wide range of professional and academic experiences.
Michael has gained expertise in the areas of tourism and sustainable development through his studies, his professional experiences and travels to more than 55 countries. His university background is in Law (Münster, Paris), International Relations (Toulouse) and Responsible Tourism Management (London). He is currently lecturing a course on tourism and poverty alleviation at the German University of Münster, where he also undertakes his Ph.D. research on maximizing the poverty-reducing effects of tourism in Rwanda. As an independent tourism consultant since 2003, Michael coordinated project teams in Rwanda and Ghana, and advised tourism operations in a variety of countries. He is currently the Managing Director of New Dawn Associates in Rwanda, a company that works at the crossroads of tourism and development.
Michael finished his studies in Business Administration in Münster with a German Diploma in 2004. Since then, he worked for UPS where his main duties consisted of controlling and accounting, and where he was responsible for a staff of 30. Wanderlust and a great interest in new countries and, particularly, spectacular nature have always drawn him to use his holidays for extensive traveling. Until now, he visited more than 30 countries. Through his work with SDT in Zimbabwe, Malawi and Rwanda, he decided to change his career and is now the Director of Operations of New Dawn Associates in Rwanda. With regards to his position in SDT, he can particularly benefit from his desire to optimize processes and from his insatiable curiosity.
Isabel, a German student of geography, business studies, communication sciences and political sciences has had the chance to gain far-reaching knowledge in tourism and development studies. Besides her academic background, she has picked up extensive work experience as well as travel experiences to more than 35 countries. For instance, she worked with the Ministries of Tourism and of Urban Development in Yucatan, Mexico. In Tanzania and Kenya, she conducted an investigation on the activities of national and international organizations that are working in the area of HIV/Aids in East Africa. Additionally, she is working for the Central American Parliament as coordinator and assistant of the Representative in Europe. Currently, she is writing a thesis on "Tourism Crisis in Nepal".
Susy holds experience and expertise in tourism, sustainable development and development work. After two years of travel agency work in Frankfurt, Susy moved to London to obtain a Bachelor in Tourism and Planning at University of Westminster and a Master of Science in Tourism, Environment and Development at King’s College (London). Susy worked almost 2 years for Lufthansa in Marketing & Sales in Frankfurt, London and Mexico City. Afterwards Susy lectured the Tourism, Development and Planning module at University of Westminster. Since 2003 Susy works at the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) as an independent tourism consultant. Susy focuses in her work especially on: social standards in tourism, improvement of linkages between tourism industry and local economies to increase pro-poor-growth potentials in tourism.
Cage is of Cameroonian origin, and is presently a University Lecturer, specializing in African international relations and development. He has studied and worked both in his native home, and in many countries in Europe. He is at home with many languages including English, French, German, Spanish, Pidgin English, and several other African languages. Cage has gained much experience through consultancy and secondment in important policy organizations, and joined SDT out of conviction, and in keeping with his commitment to sustainable development, especially in post-conflict situations. The managerial and research experience he brings from other projects in which he is engaged have helped in the acquisition of an international reputation and stature for SDT.
Marcus is doing his Master's in Sustainable Tourism Management at the University of Applied Sciences, Eberswalde. He graduated in Business Administration of Travel and Tourism at the University of Applied Sciences in Worms. Marcus visited several countries especially in Western, Middle- and Eastern Europe as well as South- and South East Asia. Last year he worked as a consultant and researcher in several community tourism initiatives in India in cooperation with a local tour operator and the NGO ACT (Association for Conservation and Tourism). Currently he is staying in Vienna as an intern with respect, the Institute for Integrative Tourism and Development. His main fields of interest are international tourism policy, sustainable regional development, cooperation models for community-, public- and private stakeholders and trans-border conservation tourism.
Iris studied Applied Geography and Tourism at the universities of Trier and Lisbon. During her studies and through numerous journeys through Africa, Asia and Europe she developed her interest in international development cooperation. In preparation of her Master's thesis she worked in a rural development project of the German Technical Co-operation (GTZ) in Kenya where she gained precious practical experience in the field of community-based ecotourism. Afterwards, Iris worked in the sector project "Tourism and Sustainable Development" at the GTZ headquarters near Frankfurt. Currently, she is engaged in a tourism-related DED-project in Lesotho, and she supports the SDT-team in project management and marketing issues.
Jonas is studying geography, sociology and political sciences at the Westphalian Wilhelms-University in Münster. He is also working for German NGOs with the focus on human rights and humanitarian aid. On a lot of journeys all around the world, he discovered his interests for sustainable tourism in LDCs. His last practical training was in Zimbabwe in summer 2005. There, he had the opportunity to make a lot of experiences in a country with many problems including random rule and abuse of power. Jonas just finished a visit to our completed project in Ghana, and he will spend the summer of 2006 in our project in Rwanda. His main role is the improvement of quality standards.
Responsible, among others, for ensuring the overall functioning of SDT, Birgit contributes her vast experiences in developmental, humanitarian and organizational work to our undertakings. Her university background is in Medicine and Anthropology (with a special focus on Medical Anthropology). However, developmental projects and humanitarian work have become her real passions. Since 1995 she has been an active member of a leading international human rights organization. Birgit feels most at home in international settings, and she repeatedly worked in a developmental context related to her profession in both Ghana and Tanzania. In the past decade, she helped to found several international initiatives, and it was she who, together with Michael, created the idea of SDT. She is based in Ghana where she currently works as a medical doctor.
Kristin has been a travel fanatic all her life. She just loves to be 'at home away', and started early with stays at the Humboldt School in Puebla, Mexico, or the San Simon Highschool in Arizona. A major turning point in her life was her first visit to Ecuador at the age of 17, where she worked for an ecotourism project. Since then, she has been fascinated by that country, and returned several times for different internships in sustainable tourism. More recently, she had the chance to get to know Tanzania in the context of her participation in a special program called "Specific Peace Services" by the former Carl-Duisberg-Gesellschaft. She taught English at an agriculture school near Bukoba and also worked at the Igabiro Farm. In Münster, she joined an event management agency that, among others, supports Latin American artists. She is in the process of finishing her studies with a Master in Spanish, Cultural Sciences and English, and she will try to find a job in ecotourism - her great passion.
Annika is in the final year of her geography studies with minor subjects political science and sociology at the Westphalian Wilhelms-University of Münster. During her study abroad in New Zealand she focused on "business of tourism management". Back in Germany she got more interested in development cooperation in tourism and thus decided to write her diploma thesis on this topic in Rwanda in summer 2006. During her travels in Europe and different developing countries she learned more about the conditions of the tourism infrastructure. In Summer 2005 she did a practical course in Zimbabwe where she got experiences in development cooperation.
Claudia is responsible for our internship program in our various projects, and she also supports our work particularly with regards to marketing and public relations issues. She has recently obtained a Bachelor of Engineering in Facility Management and worked for the city of Zurich in Switzerland. Now, she is undertaking her final exams in German legal studies in Münster. In her academic career, she focused on International and French law, language studies, business education, project management and human resources management. She developed a keen interest in tourism and intercultural exchanges through her traveling experiences in various European, American, and Asian countries. The vision of SDT convinced her to join our team.
Gisa just finished her studies at the University of Münster with an M.A. in Political Science, Economic Policy and Ethnology. Her main focus was on development politics with consideration of the needs of the local population. Apart from her studies she worked for La Tienda e.V., a Fair Trade association. Not only her numerous journeys in Europe, America and Asia aroused her interest in tourism, but also a seminar on intercultural competence in tourism. She joined SDT because she is committed to its objectives and policies. From October 2005, she was working for 10 weeks with the Amahoro Tourism Initiative in Rwanda as an external advisor, supervising the restructuring processes of the Initiative. Currently, she is engaged in the sector project "Tourism and Sustainable Development" at the GTZ headquarters near Frankfurt.
Swantje studied Law and Political Science at the universities of Münster and Paris and has recently passed her state exam. During her studies she gained experience both in the legal and the media sector. After a first stay in St Petersburg in 1998, she was drawn to Russia again and again, and worked as an assistant teacher for German language and culture at the Northwestern Academy for State Service in Kaluga and as an intern at a UN agency in Moscow. She also travelled through the country by train, by bus and on foot. Currently, Swantje is training as a journalist in Hamburg. She supports the SDT team in marketing issues. |
