Our 700 full-time in-destination team members specialize in trip planning, product development, operations and everything else needed to ensure the highest service standards everywhere, supported by a dedicated network of professional guides, drivers and specialist ground operations people.
Join our teamWe believe that EXO's success stems from a unique symbiosis of pioneering spirit, dynamism, innovative ideas, and seizing opportunities. Our sustained success is down to our unwavering commitment to our foundational values and our sincere love, appreciation and passion for travel.
EXO Travel Group is privately owned and operated by its founders. CEO, Hamish Keith, and Chairman, Olivier Colomes, are both shareholders in the EXO Group holding company along with Eric and Jean Marc Merlin’s company Apple Tree Group, which has extensive holdings in Asia and is a backbone of financial stability. Meng Heng, Su Su Tin, Duangmala Phromwan, Trisna Agustini and Erik Meriot are working partners and shareholders in their destinations and all sit on our strategic advisory board.
Co-Founder
Launching his professional journey at the Walt Disney Company followed by a stint at an investment bank in Paris, Jean-Marc Merlin transitioned into the entrepreneurial realm alongside his brother Eric. The duo were co-founders of Exotissimo (now EXO Travel) in 1993 and, shortly thereafter, Appletree Group in 1994. Based in Singapore, Jean-Marc oversees the financing and M&A activities of the group.
Co-Founder
A self-described ‘serial entrepreneur’, Eric is one of the earliest foreign investors in Vietnam. He was captivated by VIetnam during his first visit in 1990 and returned in 1993 to co-found what would later become EXO Travel and also launched AppleTree Group with his brother, a venture that transformed service-oriented businesses across Asia. Today, with 4500 employees, Eric’s impact on Asian entrepreneurship remains indelible.
Co-Founder
Olivier became captivated with Asia during his travels to the region in 1988. Five years later, he returned to co-found 'Exotissimo', laying the groundwork for what is now EXO Travel. During the early years of the company, Olivier was based in France, focusing on business development. He moved back to Asia in 2003 to manage EXO Vietnam before taking the helm as CEO in 2003 and then as Chairman in 2019.
Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer
Hamish has lived and worked in Asia since 1990, working as a tour leader before establishing his first travel business in Bangkok in 1995. He then spent several years starting and growing travel companies as well as leading, operations and creating ground-breaking tours covering every corner of Thailand, Indonesia and Indochina. In 2002, he joined EXO to launch Exotissimo Thailand and, in 2007, became Group Managing Director and partner in EXO Travel.
Partner (EXO Myanmar)
Su Su joined EXO as a joint venture partner back in 1995 while helping to establish EXO Myanmar as our second destination. Her leadership, guidance and entrepreneurial spirit has been crucial to the success of the company. Su Su also has upper-management roles in a number of other hospitality and tourism ventures, bringing experience and knowledge to EXO and significantly boosting Myanmar as a tourist destination.
Partner (EXO Indonesia)
EXO Indonesia
Trisna's vision to have the best DMC in Indonesia led her to meet the founders of EXO in early 2009, who were then seeking a partner to expand operations into Indonesia with. Recognising the potential for growth and mutual benefits, Trisna merged her family travel business with EXO to give rise to EXO Indonesia. Since then she has worked tirelessly to achieve her vision.
Partner (EXO Indonesia)
EXO Indonesia
Erik's introduction to the travel industry began in France back in 1991, then in Greece and the USA before moving to Jakarta, Indonesia. He joined EXO in 1999 as the general manager of Myanmar where he stayed until 2003. He then moved back to France to serve as Director of Sales at EXO Paris before launching EXO Indonesia in 2009.
Partner (EXO Cambodia)
EXO Cambodia
Meng has more than 20 years of experience working in the travel industry. After gaining invaluable experience with his own travel company, Meng became part of the EXO family in 2000, as well as becoming the Chairman of the Cambodian Association of Travel Agents (CATA) and Chairman of the regional travel body, ASEAN Tourism Association.
Managing Director
Duangmala has been an integral partner of EXO Travel since our expansion to Laos in 2002. She has a deep passion for Laos development, having served as the Chairwoman for PATA Laos chapter, Vice-President of the Vientiane Chamber of Commerce and Board Member of Laos National Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Her multifaceted roles underscore her commitment to both EXO Travel's success and the advancement of the Lao tourism sector.
Our head office leadership team provides strategic management and operational direction along with a broad range of support functions including marketing, systems, product management, finance and HR. We work hard to ensure we can deliver consistently excellent services everywhere and have developed a unique One EXO culture based on shared values and very high standards.
Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer
Hamish has lived and worked in Asia since 1990, working as a tour leader before establishing his first travel business in Bangkok in 1995. He then spent several years starting and growing travel companies as well as leading, operations and creating ground-breaking tours covering every corner of Thailand, Indonesia and Indochina. In 2002, he joined EXO to launch Exotissimo Thailand and, in 2007, became Group Managing Director and partner in EXO Travel.
Chief Operating Officer
George’s passion for travel in Asia took root after moving to Kuala Lumpur and then Borneo in 1996. After opening EXO Cambodia in 2000, he became the General Manager of EXO Laos, EXO Myanmar,and then, our biggest operation, EXO Vietnam where he remained from 2007 until 2014. He is now based in the Bangkok headquarters as the COO.
Chief Technology Officer
Thierry is responsible for the design, maintenance and future trajectory of all technological systems related to reservations, operations, accounting, and our proprietary database system.
Chief Purpose Officer
EXO Travel Group
Born in France, Alexandra first stepped foot in Asia in 2011 and soon fell in love with the region. Alexandra has professional expertise with social enterprises and non profit organisations working towards local development. Her deep passion for sustainability brought her to join EXO Hanoi, first as Vietnam's sustainability coordinator before rising up to her current position as EXO's lead in sustainability in 2018.
Chief Financial Officer
Originally from the UK, Mike has spent the last 20 years working outside the UK in Europe, the Middle East and now Asia. While in Dubai Mike found his true home in the Travel industry, leading Finance teams throughout the Middle East & Asia. 12 years later Mike joined EXO, bringing with him a wealth of international finance experience.
Chief Digital Officer
Rusell leads digital innovation across EXO. Bringing two decades of industry experience, he ensures we remain a leader in providing best-in-class travel technology to partners.
Global Director of Sales
Having spent much of his childhood between Southeast Asia and the UK, Nick has the passion and destination knowledge of a true local. After teaching English at Shanghai University in 2006, Nick returned to the UK to work for a top tour operator for ten years. Serving as a Southeast Asia Product Manager prior to joining EXO, Nick became our UK Sales Director in 2016 and since August 2018 our Global Sales Director ...
Product Director, EXO Group
Ruben has lived in Asia for over 20 years and has spent the majority of his career working for leading DMCs in management, marketing, operations and finance. Ruben is responsible for setting and executing the overall product strategies for EXO.
Director of Marketing
Moving to Singapore in 2010 as a science researcher, Alex traveled extensively throughout Asia before shifting to a career in travel photography. During this time he worked for a number of travel companies which led to a career in travel marketing. Working first with a major DMC based in Hanoi, Vietnam, Alex moved to Bangkok and joined EXO Travel in 2016.
EXO Adventure Director
In addition to his love of trekking and outdoors, Matt brings tonnes of experience and know-how to EXO Adventure. He is responsible for the overall success of EXO Adventure, managing each destination and helping to grow and develop the business.
Product Manager, French Market
An avid traveller, Camille earned a master's degree in Tourism and Development then launched her tourism career with EXO. With her passion for discovering new places around Asia, she ensures that all of our French Products are exciting and bespoke.
Dedicated Sales Managers are in place to provide in-market support to partners from around the world. These Sales Managers are your go-to point of contact to ensure that the process of working with us as smooth as possible.
Global Director of Sales
Having spent much of his childhood between Southeast Asia and the UK, Nick has the passion and destination knowledge of a true local. After teaching English at Shanghai University in 2006, Nick returned to the UK to work for a top tour operator for ten years. Serving as a Southeast Asia Product Manager prior to joining EXO, Nick became our UK Sales Director in 2016 and since August 2018 our Global Sales Director ...
Sales Manager, Latin America
Hailing from Brazil, Lucas leverages a deep well of professional experience, destination knowledge and love of travel to his role as Sales Manager for Latin America. He initially joined EXO in our China offices, gaining a strong understanding of EXO services and products, which he brings to this new role.
Sales Manager UK & Ireland
Sophie's passion for travel began when she was young, joining her parents for trips abroad. Captivated by the allure of new destinations and diverse cultures, she went on to pursue a degree in International Tourism and Hospitality Management. After a decade working for a renowned UK travel agent, she transitioned to her role as EXO’s Sales Manager for the UK & Ireland.
General Manager German Market
Born in Bangkok, Pantanida began her career in the travel industry in the early 2000's. After travelling around Southeast Asia for a period of time, she moved to Ho Chi Minh City to help start up the German department for EXO Travel. She has been based in Germany since 2008, where she looks after our German-speaking clients.
Sales Director - North America
Amanda is a graduate in Hospitality and Tourism Management and calls Boston home. She first fell in love with Asia in 2012 then worked as a travel specialist creating bespoke luxury journeys to Asia for a leading US tour operator. Her passion to bring unforgettable travel experiences for all clients ensures she brings the best in terms of support for our trade partners in North America.
Sales Manager, North America
Kate joined EXO Travel in 2023 as North American Sales Manager. With a history of extensive travel in Asia and a proven track record as a Virtuoso advisor, she enriches the travel planning process and promotes EXO's diverse destinations with a fresh perspective. Her passion for unique journeys is a boon for both EXO and our partners.
Sales Manager Australia and New Zealand
As a former Olympic-qualifying athlete and lifelong travel industry professional, Nadine combines a wealth of experience with a competitive mindset to deliver top shelf services to our partners in Australia and New Zealand.
Sales Manager - France
Alice caught the travel bug early, accompanying her parents on cultural and architectural trips as a young child. She went on to study tourism and work for a well-known tour operator before taking a solo trip across three continents. In 2017, Alice joined EXO Malaysia as Inbound & Product Manager and, in 2023, returned to Paris as Sales Manager to support EXO's partners in the French-speaking market.
Every destination is headed by an experienced general manager who ensures that our operations on the ground are handled as smoothly as possible and that the concerns of our partners are addressed expeditiously.
GM EXO Thailand
Having lived and worked in Thailand as a travel professional for more than a decade, Kim's knowledge of the country is extraordinary. While working in a variety of roles from operations and sales to product, he has not only explored every corner of Thailand, but also the travel industry as a whole.
GM EXO Malaysia & Singapore
Peter Lawrence's journey in tourism ignited in 2007 with a transformative visit to Hanoi, sparking a deep passion for Asia. Over the ensuing 15 years before joining EXO, he has distinguished himself through a commitment to sustainability and leadership in both adventure and luxury travel sectors. As General Manager, his goal is to champion sustainability efforts in line with EXO's status as a Certified B Corp. Peter looks forward to ...
GM EXO Laos
Growing up in Thailand and Laos and now calling Laos home for 20 years, Andrea has the deep knowledge of a true local. She is a bonafide Laos travel expert, having worked in roles from MICE Operations to managing French Inbound travel and heading Product Development. Andrea also speaks English, French, Lao and Thai fluently, making her the perfect asset to lead EXO Laos.
GM EXO Cambodia
Born in the Netherlands, Marcel spent much of his childhood exploring Europe but this soon expanded to travels to the Asian region. Marcel joined EXO in 2016, bringing a decade of tourism industry experience with him. With proven leadership skills and in-depth knowledge of the industry, his responsibilities grew to include regional oversight of EXO Adventure before moving to Cambodia as General Manager.
GM EXO Saudi Arabia
Having travelled or worked in 55 countries across the world, Sandor brings a tremendous amount of travel experience to EXO Saudi Arabia. He has served as a General Manager for Asian DMCs for more than a decade while being based in Hanoi, Bali, Tokyo, Bangkok HCMC, and Yangon. After his 3-year stint as GM for EXO Myanmar, and multi year tenure at EXO Vietnam, he now leads EXO Saudi Arabia.
GM EXO Vietnam
While working in tourism for more than a decade, Sara's substantial experience in the travel industry spans from operations and sales to product development. She's explored nearly every corner of her destinations. She leads EXO Vietnam by providing the deep destination knowledge of a local, a passion for travel, and the expertise of a seasoned travel industry veteran.
GM EXO Japan
Mark's love of Japan began in 1981 when he travelled there as a student. Fueled by his deep appreciation of the county's culture, he began working with a Japanese DMC based in Los Angeles. Since then he has held senior positions in a broad range of travel trade roles and has crafted an extensive network of connections in the region, making him the perfect GM for EXO Japan.
GM EXO Indonesia
Originally from Colombia, raised in Australia and having lived and worked on four continents, Pablo is a true citizen of the world. He first fell in love with Asia in 2006 and, after stints in Thailand and Nigeria, joined EXO as our Chief Financial Officer in 2018. He is now the General Manager of EXO Indonesia, a destination he deep connections with. In addition to his passion for travel and strong passion ...
New GM set to lead EXO Indonesia through a new era of success and adventure
New members support efforts to align our people and actions with our purpose
Peter brings extensive experience and enthusiasm to his new leadership role
A look back on EXO’s 2023 milestones
Justin will drive creative product development and operations in EXO’s newest destination
EXO Travel is excited to welcome back Lucas Arruda to the team as EXO Sales Manager for Latin America.
In-depth guide training held in three regions of Thailand
This dynamic team further aligns our people and actions with our purpose
Sit down with Andrea, our General Manager of EXO Laos to learn about who she is, what drives her and more
Kate will support and strengthen partnerships across the North American market
At EXO, we make it our mission to harness the power of travel for good. With the help of EXO Foundation, we minimize all negative impacts of travel while maximizing the benefits to people, communities, environments and wildlife.
EXO Purpose