G Adventures hires apprentice ‘CEO’

G Adventures has recruited an apprentice chief experience officer to its team of more than 1,000 across the globe.

Hesti Rialita Elvandari is the latest “CEO” to join the adventure specialist on the apprenticeship scheme which began in 2014.

She will join the G Adventures team of Global Purpose Specialists (GPS) on the road across England, Scotland, Ireland and Europe, to provide in-depth training for travel agents on destinations including Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia.

Elvandari, from Indonesia, will also lead travellers on South East Asia tours and work at The Summit, G Adventures’ London office and their new European head office, The Gate, which opened in Berlin last month, offering destination training to partners and agents.

“The CEO Apprentice Programme is a great way to share knowledge and is always hugely well received by both our teams and our partners. This year alone we had applicants from all over the world, including Costa Rica, Myanmar, Morocco and Vietnam,” said Brian Young, managing director of G Adventures.

“Our CEOs are the front line of our business, leading our travellers and ensuring we deliver incredible experiences. Offering our partners, the opportunity to learn more about a location or tour from a CEO, can really bring a destination to life and is incredibly valuable, as no one knows these regions better.”

Elvandari will teach partners about local traditions, culture and food from Indonesia and travel with a Angklung, a traditional Indonesian musical instrument, and samples of Java coffee and spicy Indonesian sauce sambal oelek.

She said: “Having the chance to spend time with the offices in the UK and Europe is a great opportunity to learn more about the different sides of the travel industry.

“Travel and meeting people are two of my greatest passions and I’m excited to be able to share my culture and knowledge with our partners, while visiting the places I have always wanted to see in the UK and Europe.”