Board of Directors & Advisors
Jamie Sweeting
President
Jamie has spent the last 25 years working in tourism, conservation, development, and business management. He is passionate about Planeterra because, in his decades of traversing the globe, he has yet to encounter another organization as effective at using tourism to improve the lives of some of the most under-resourced people on this planet — especially marginalized women, disadvantaged youth, and rural communities (with a priority focus on Indigenous communities).
Jamie also serves as G Adventures’ VP of Social Enterprise & Responsible Travel, spearheading a number of impactful initiatives over the years, including the creation of the industry-leading Ripple Score, as well as spearheading industry-leading work related to animal welfare, child welfare, and working with indigenous communities. Prior to his role at Planeterra, Jamie was Global Chief Environmental Officer at Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and led the travel industry program at the Center for Environmental Leadership in Business at Conservation International. He was formerly Chairman at Sustainable Travel International and has served on the boards of The International Ecotourism Society, the Global Sustainable Tourism Council and the Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Travel.
Bruce Poon Tip
Founder of Planeterra & G Adventures
Entrepreneur, leader and philanthropist, Bruce Poon Tip is the founder of adventure travel company and social enterprise G Adventures. With a vision that travel could become a force for social good and significant wealth distribution, Bruce founded the nonprofit Planeterra in 2003, to direct travel dollars into underserved communities around the world. He has addressed the United Nations and the World Bank, spoken at the headquarters of Apple and Google, and delivered keynote speeches at TED events and entrepreneurship conferences around the world. In 2012, Bruce was inducted into the Social Venture Network Hall of Fame. He was also awarded a Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, recognizing significant contributions to society, and was named Entrepreneur of the Year in 2002 and 2006.
Roula Poon Tip
Co-Founder of Planeterra
As co-founder, Roula has been part of Planeterra since Day 1 in 2003 – the same year Planeterra’s namesake was born, their daughter Terra. Roula and Bruce named the organization they founded with love and a belief that it would grow to have an impact in communities around the world. Roula has always supported Planeterra’s mission to change lives through travel. She has been to over 90 countries and visited at least 20 Planeterra projects.
Zeina Gedeon
Chief Executive Officer, Travel Professionals International
Zeina believes that travellers can do more than just give back to countries we visit; that skills and tools can be used to develop local capacity and make economics self-sustainable — that’s what motivates her to be involved with Planeterra. Zeina has over 20 years experience in the Travel Industry with a focus on technology and e-commerce. She has been involved in the leadership of several iconic Canadian travel companies, which include Air Canada Vacations and Travel Brands Inc. Zeina has a track record for turning around companies profitability by building extraordinary teams. A true adventure seeker at heart, Zeina enjoys car racing, thrill rides and roller coasters.
Gloria Fluxà Thienemann
Vice-Chair & Chief Sustainability Officer, Iberostar Hotels & Resorts
Gloria Fluxà has extensive experience in the tourism industry, with expertise in innovative business and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) leadership. In 2018 she was appointed “Young Global Leader” by the World Economic Forum for her efforts in boosting the company’s approach to responsible tourism. As Iberostar’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Gloria Fluxà is positioning the Group as a global reference in responsible tourism, launching in 2017 the Wave of Change movement to preserve the environment and protect the oceans through the implementation of circularity policies. She works committedly and in joint effort with her sister Sabina Fluxá, Vice-Chairman CEO of Iberostar Group, and their father and founder of the Company, Miguel Fluxá. The company works with a long-term vision building on circularity and follows an ambitious 2030 Agenda to become waste free by 2025, carbon neutral by 2030, 100% responsible in its seafood consumption by 2025, and improve the health of ecosystems surrounding its hotels, among other targets. The Wave of Change movement reflects this commitment of the company and the wish to share it with the whole society.
Karen Ziffer
Former Chief Development Officer, RARE
Karen Ziffer is the CDO for RARE, the global leader using the science of human behavior to encourage individuals and their communities to adopt more sustainable natural resource practices. She is formerly the Senior Vice President of Strategy at Conservation International (CI) where she created and ran the organization’s first ecotourism program. She holds an MBA from Stanford University and a BA in Economics and International Relations from Brown University. With over 30 years in the non-profit sector with immense strategy and development experience, Karen brings a wealth of knowledge and understanding of the resources needed to support the next phase of Planeterra.
Seleni Matus
Executive Director, GWU International Institute of Tourism Studies
Seleni Matus is Executive Director at the George Washington University International Institute of Tourism Studies. A native of Belize, Seleni served as the country’s Director of Tourism and oversaw the reorganization of the Belize Tourism Board in order to meet the demands of a fiercely competitive global marketplace. Seleni currently serves as a member of many tourism boards and committees. Seleni is a longtime friend of Planeterra with many connections to funding opportunities and partners. As a woman of Indigenous Mestizo heritage with a history of working with Indigenous communities across the Americas, Seleni has a deep understanding of our work to support Indigenous communities around the world.
Meenu Vadera
Founder of Azad Foundation / Planeterra Partner
Meenu is a founding member & Executive Director of Azad Foundation, a social enterprise that supports resource-poor women to gain “livelihoods with dignity” in India. She has more than 30 years of experience as a grassroots worker, trainer, implementer, and leader in communities in South Asia, and represents Planeterra’s Women With Wheels partnership. Meenu not only comes to Planeterra with immense experience but will also represent many beneficiary and community partnerships.
Aurélie Sandler
Co-CEO, Evaneos
Passionate about exploring new territories and entrepreneurship serving sustainability.
At Evaneos since 2020, co-CEO since 2023 with Laurent de Chorivit.
Committed to making Evaneos the European leader of Better Travel and fostering a fairer & authentic way of travelling.
Before becoming co-CEO of Evaneos in September 2023, Aurélie was Chief Marketing Officer at Evaneos since 2020, in charge of Marketing, Strategy, International Development and Sustainability.
She was previously Global VP Brand & Consumer at Aigle (2018-2020), Brand and Product Director at VeePee (2013-2018), Sales Director at Young & Rubicam (2006-2011). Aurélie is a graduate of Essec MBA.
Ailsa Pollard
Strategic Advisor and Non-Exec
Ailsa brings over 25 years of international experience in strategy, investment, and operations with a focus on the travel and leisure sector.
She has experience both as a CEO and Board member – understanding the importance of responsible business. During her career, Ailsa has led many of the businesses in the tourism value chain – from Tour Operators, Online Travel Agents, Consolidators, Cruise, and Destination Management Companies. She is passionate about DE&I and responsible tourism – across communities, the environment and animal protection. Ailsa is also a Board Member of ABTA (Association of British Travel Agents).
Ailsa has lived in the UK, the US and the Middle East has 3 daughters and loves to travel and experience different cultures.
She holds an MBA from London Business School, as well as being a Chartered Director with the Institute of Directors.