Volker Dankers is a seasoned leader in international education and exchange, with senior operational and executive experience across Europe, the United Kingdom and South Africa since 1989. As Managing Director of the Hamburg‑based EXPLORE Foundation, he and his team run national and international soccer and sports camps (www.ferienfussball.de / www.move-it-sportcamps.de), intercultural training programs, and high‑school exchanges (www.explorefoundation.de).

Volker’s recent work centers on strengthening civil society and advancing political education, with a particular focus on combating antisemitism. He advises executive teams on strategy and program development and currently serves as operational partner and consultant to the German Red Cross for the initiative “High School Exchange – Education Without Borders,” supported by a multi‑year academic study at LMU Munich.

For more than three decades, Volker has contributed to the CBYX program for young professionals as a coach and evaluator. His expertise spans international program design, intercultural training, institutional partnerships, and fundraising with foundations and corporate partners. He was recently honored with the Award for Outstanding Service / Cooperation by the Red Cross Berlin. Volker lives near Hamburg with his wife and two children.

Ellen Hoggard has been working in the field of international educational exchange for over 35 years. Her passion for exchange was forged by her own lived experience as a high school exchange student to Romania and England followed by a degree in Political Science from Duke University.

During her career she has implemented programs across the exchange industry that have provided an opportunity for thousands of high school students, au pairs, interns, adult learners, and American host families to engage in exchanges. She was a pioneer in creating the first exchanges between the USA and the former Soviet Union.

Ms. Hoggard was one of the founders of the Alliance, participated in the CSIET Review Committee process and represented the US high school exchange industry at the US-EU Department of State Summit.   She has received the Award for Distinguished Service from Sister Cities as well as the Exemplary Leadership Award from the Alliance for International Exchange where she served as Treasurer for 3 consecutive terms and has been an Alliance board member for many terms since its inception.

Maja Van Grasdorff has been Director of GLS Outbound since 2007, overseeing the programs High School, Language Travel, College, and International Internships at GLS Sprachenzentrum. As a student, she attended a high school in California, went on to study in the UK, Germany, and Chile, and subsequently worked as a lecturer at the University of Potsdam before joining GLS. Morever, she has been chairwoman of the Deutsche Fachverband High School since 2011.

After spending a high school year abroad in the US, Fenja Heisig fell in love with the English language and studied to become a high school teacher. She pursued her interest in education further, focusing on English and History and graduated with a Master of Education from University of Hamburg. Afterwards she focused on both adult education and the humanities, working as a researcher and lecturer at Osnabrück University while pursuing a PhD in American Studies. Her dissertation received summa cum laude as well as the Wissenschaftspreis 2026 of the Osnabrücker Wissenschaftliche Gesellschaft and will be published in May of this year with De Gruyter Brill. Fenja Heisig currently works as Project Manager and Counseling Specialist at Youth for Understanding Germany and continues to pursue her passion for education as a lecturer for university students and within the field of political education.

Founded GLS in 1983 and today leads the company alongside her daughters. Her entrepreneurial spirit turned a historic, derelict Berlin site into a world-class educational campus. What began as a one-woman venture has grown into a global educational hub. She was honored by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy as a role model for women  in business. Today she focuses on international partnerships and the long-term vision for GLS.

Ralf Köhler is the co-founder and managing director of (AustauschKompass.de), a German platform network for the high school exchange market. AustauschKompass connects students and parents with exchange organizations and operates Germany’s leading student exchange comparison portal, (Schueleraustausch.net), as well as the country’s leading review portal for high school exchange, one of the largest parent forums in the field, and youth-focused media formats through the X-CHANGE Community, including a leading exchange student podcast. His work focuses on understanding how families research exchange programs, compare destinations and organizations, and discuss concerns before and after enrollment. He is also developing an AI suite for exchange organizations, including always-on AI information sessions and voice-based FAQ tools that answer questions, qualify interest, and provide insights into the mindset and needs of prospective families. At the CSIET International Symposium, Ralf will share aggregated insights from the German market, including destination preference trends, early demand signals, and parent and student sentiment around high school exchange.

Maria is director and co-founder of InterStudy, a study abroad agency based in Bratislava, Slovakia. Since its founding in 1998, InterStudy has dedicated itself to fostering international education and cultural exchange programs, collaborating with exchange organizations, schools and higher education institutions across 17 countries.

As a strong believer in the potential of today’s youth as tomorrow’s leaders and the driving force behind positive societal change, Maria is passionate about high school exchange programs. With a dedicated team of high school exchange enthusiasts, InterStudy has been promoting cultural exchange programs and inspiring teenagers to seize the enriching opportunities of international experience, empowering them to become global citizens and ambassadors of intercultural understanding.

Maria holds a master’s degree in English Language & Literature and German Language & Literature from Masaryk University, Czech Republic, and has studied at the University of Regensburg in Germany as a DAAD scholarship holder.

Enrique is a senior executive with more than 20 years of experience in international education, executive training, and business development. He currently serves as Managing Director of Aston Herencia, a leading organization in international education, where he is responsible for strategic direction, program development, and international partnerships.

Throughout his career, Enrique has specialized in designing academic programs aligned with market needs, building strong relationships with educational institutions and corporate partners, and driving sustainable growth in educational projects. He has extensive experience in institutional representation and has participated in numerous international education events and forums.

He holds an Executive MBA from IE Business School and a degree in Media Studies from CEU Cardenal Herrera University.

James Manning has worked in international education for over 20 years. Most of that time has been spent focused on High School programs, with roles in sales, operations and IT at companies including STS, ICES, and Zapp. He is currently the Regional Director of Recruitment (Western Europe) for Amerigo Education.

Brenda Padilla Ericksen has prepared thousands of J-1 and F-1 students for high school programs in the USA.  She is the founder of GAP Academy, serving teens around the world. Originally from Seattle, Washington, she graduated from Western Washington University with a Spanish degree. She has lived in Spain for nearly 30 years working as a journalist and cross-cultural trainer. Brenda has experienced study abroad and cultural exchange as an international student (Spain/Norway), an agent (Training/Student Supervision/Family & International Liaison), a host mother (USA/Thailand/France/Austria) and as the sending mother of her four daughters (France, Canada, USA, South Korea, Nepal). Visit her on LinkedIn.

Óscar Porras is the director of Midleton School. 20 years ago he had an idea and today that idea has become one of the most specialized organizations in language immersion abroad in Spain, now part of the Educatius Group. He has a degree in English Literature and Applied Linguistics. He also holds a Master’s degree in Teaching English as a Foreign Language.

For 8 years, he was also the president of ASEPROCE (the Spanish Association of Promoters of Language Courses Abroad). Promoting and improving the sector, as well as the professionalism of its associated businesses.

He is a born communicator and in his day-to-day work he combines the improvement of the company’s internal processes with the development of Midleton School and Grupo Educatius in new fields.

Mareike von Raepke is Executive Director of Youth For Understanding (YFU) Germany, a leading nonprofit organization in intercultural student exchange. She holds a degree in Business Administration, and with nearly 20 years of experience in international education, she combines strategic leadership with deep personal engagement in exchange programs.

An alumna of a high school exchange herself, Mareike has been involved with YFU as a volunteer, senior staff leader, and host parent. She believes student exchange is a powerful educational experience that fosters empathy, global responsibility, and lasting intercultural understanding—for students, families, and communities alike.

Through her work, Mareike advocates for inclusive, high-quality exchange programs that contribute to a more connected and compassionate world

Amy leads a team that administers the Exchange Visitor Program for the Teacher, Physician, and Secondary School Student categories. She also oversees compliance reviews to help sponsors adhere to program regulations. Both roles support the Department of State’s mission as well as the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ work in sustaining the mutual understanding with other countries necessary to advance United States foreign policy goals. With over 16 years of service at the Department of State, Amy has held several positions, including Chief of Bilateral Affairs in the Office of Russian Affairs and assignments in the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons. She began her State Department career as a Presidential Management Fellow in the Office of Inspector General and previously served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine.

Constanze is Managing Director of TravelWorks, based in Münster, Germany. She has been with the company since 2005, holding various roles across sales and service, product management, and program leadership, and now oversees the full portfolio of programs, including Work & Travel, High School, Internships, Language Travel, Au Pair, and Volunteer programs.

She also currently serves as Vice Chair of the German High School Agency Association (DFH). As an alumna of the J-1 program, she spent a year near Wilmington, North Carolina—an experience that continues to shape her commitment to international exchange.

Inspired by his own high school exchange year, Martin Vogt joined the AYUSA Germany team in 1994 and quickly advanced to the position of the Executive Director. He made use of his previous work experience at one of the largest German Banks and his educational background in finances and economics to continuously grow the Intrax programs in Germany. Relocated in Berlin, the German office soon became starting base for further expansion within Europe. Three years as Director of Program Development in the San Francisco office allowed Martin to further pursue his passion for new developments including the start of the Intern & Trainee program, a Teacher exchange program, as well as new partnerships. Since then, a central task of Martin has been to enable growth and international expansion of Intrax, especially in Europe and Latin America through Intrax owned offices and partners. His desire to enable young people to immerse in a different culture fuels his passion to grow Intrax in Europe and beyond. Martin is also member of the Board of Directors for Ayusa in the U.S..