Join WYSE Travel Confederation Director General David Chapman as he moderates two sessions at this year’s WTM London.
David Chapman
Director General
WYSE Travel Confederation
Having trained with a top London and International hotel group, David worked at some of the best hotels in Europe including Grosvenor House, The Waldorf and the George V in Paris before becoming General Manager of a number of the UK’s top country house hotels.
In 2007, David was appointed Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Director of International Students House in London. ISH is a self-funding charity that runs a large social centre with accommodation for students studying in London. During his time at ISH, David was an active board member of STAY WYSE. In January 2013, David was appointed as WYSE Travel Confederation’s Director General.
David is also a Chartered Manager and Fellow of the Chartered Managers Institute as well as a Member of the Institute of Hospitality.
Session: From Y to Z: Are you ready for Generation Z?
Dates: Tuesday, 3 November 2015
Venue: South Gallery 13 – 14
Time: 12:00 – 13:00
Maria Eilersen
Global PR and Communications Manager
Topdeck Travel
Maria Eilersen is Senior PR and Communications Executive at Topdeck Travel in London. With a background in online journalism, she has worked as a digital marketing strategist and writer in London and New York. She is a self- described lexophile who soothes her American nostalgia with spoonfuls of peanut butter.
Topdeck Travel designs epic trips across the globe for 18 to 30-somethings. Started by friends in 1973 who shared a passion for adventure, Topdeck has a long history of delivering authentic and fun group travel to the hottest new travel destinations.
Stephen Lane
Head of Sales and Marketing
Hostelling International (HI)
Stephen joined HI in 2013 and has nearly 20 years of experience in the tourism industry. He has held a variety of roles, most notably at the mainstream division of TUI Travel where he led a pan-European innovation programme and helped design the brand portfolio.
Stephen serves as a member of the board of STAY WYSE. He speaks Spanish and French, as well as a little Swedish, and likes to spend his spare time with family, running or playing tennis.
Alte Skalleberg
Chief Executive Officer
StudentUniverse
Atle currently serves as the CEO of StudentUniverse – the world’s largest student travel portal. During his eight years with the company he has managed marketing, business development and product development. With more than a decade of e-commerce leadership experience Atle brings extensive knowledge of online marketplaces, product and team development to the company. Under his leadership the company has grown substantially and it now has 170+ employees across 5 countries.
Mr. Skalleberg grew up in Norway, where he attended a private business high school and received his B.Sc. from the Norwegian School of Management. After graduate school at Boston University and prior to his roles at StudentUniverse, Atle had a short stint as a management consultant in Boston, before he joined an MIT Media Lab startup that was developing cutting edge software.
Session: Hostels: Dirty word or revolutionary lodging segment?
Dates: Wednesday, 4 November 2015
Venue: South Gallery 13 – 14
Time: 14:00 – 15:00
Eric van Dijk
Chief Operating Officer
MEININGER Hotels
Eric joined MEININGER in 2013 as head of Sales and Operations – COO. He is responsible for all operations and sales at MEININGER Hotels located in Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Cologne, Munich, Salzburg, Vienna, Amsterdam and soon Brussels.
Prior to joining MEININGER, Eric gained a wealth of experience from Generator Hostels, another leading hostel chain in Europe. Starting in 2000 as Operations Manager, he advanced several career steps and eventually became Managing Director in August 2007, significantly growing Generator Hostel’s capacities. In August 2012 he was promoted Director of Business Development and also became a member of the board of Generator Hostels. Eric has also served on the board of STAYWYSE, an industry association serving the youth travel accommodation sector.
Anne Dolan
Co-Founder
Clink Hostels
Clink Hostels offer affordable, sociable places to stay in unique buildings in Central London and most recently, Amsterdam. Anne found her calling in the youth travel industry as a result of backpacking around the world at a time when intrepid explorers used Lonely Planet guidebooks and poste restante for correspondence.
When she and her sister had the opportunity to open a 170-bed hostel and then a 700 bed hostel in the King’s Cross area of London, they jumped at the chance. “Clink combines all the things I enjoy; meeting people, travelling, and creating a sense of community – a social hub,” she has said.
Heather Forshaw
Product General Manager
Topdeck Travel
Heather’s passion for delivering epic European travel experiences began when she joined the Topdeck team as a European Trip Leader in 2008, and then later joining the UK sales and marketing division of the business. Since 2011, she’s been constructing epic trips for a global youth audience, firstly as Product Manager for European Festivals and Events, and then moving to take charge of the entire European product range.
In her current role as Product General Manager, she drives product innovation and quality across Topdeck’s portfolio of trips and travel experiences for 18-39’s.
Sabine Ranft
General Manager
Prenzlauer Berg – Berlin Generator Hostels
Sabine is the General Manager of Generator’s Prenzlauer Berg property in Berlin. She has worked in various positions at Generator since 2002.
Generator is the fastest growing hostel brand in Europe with a plan to reach 12,500 beds spread across 15 properties by 2018. They are also pioneers of affordable luxury and masters of social experience.