One Team Across The Globe

Björn Bengtsson

CEO of Educatius Group

Björn Bengtsson became CEO of Educatius in September 2024, bringing a wealth of experience from leadership roles at EF Education First and Hult International Business School. His career highlights include driving global growth at EF and leading the integration of Hult and Ashridge Business School.

Bengtsson’s vision for Educatius focuses on expanding into emerging markets and enhancing student experiences through innovation and cultural enrichment. He is also a strong advocate for diversity and inclusivity in education.
Living in the US, UK, Switzerland, and Sweden has enriched his global perspective. Bengtsson currently lives in Sweden and is married with two children.

Matt Smith

President of Educatius North America

Matt is a true globetrotter, with extensive experience in the high school exchange industry gained in various positions around the world. Having worked as Regional Manager, Head of Operations and President of Educational Home Stay Programs, he understands what it takes to immerse yourself in a new culture and a new language in a new country.

Michele Harrison

Educatius Commercial Director, UK & Ireland

Well-known for her deep love of languages, Michelle has been welcoming high school exchange students for many years. She joined Educatius Group in 2014 to create exchange programs across the UK and Ireland. Michelle loves watching students grow more confident during their program, with some staying longer than they had originally planned.

Simon Costain

National Director, Australia & New Zealand

Simon brings over 20 years of leadership in education, travel, and digital marketing, with a proven track record in international student recruitment, product innovation, and leading global teams. He began his career at ISV, recruiting 35,000+ students into volunteer programs across five continents.

As GM of Go Study Australia, he built one of the sector’s most respected agencies. At NextEd Group, he led growth, marketing automation, and digital transformation. He also launched the world’s first accredited Advanced Diploma of Marketing Automation with HubSpot. Simon is passionate about creating life-changing student experiences and empowering young people to make a global impact.

Erica McAllister

Educatius Boarding Program Manager, USA

After teaching English in South Korea for two years right after college, Erica decided to build her career in international education. Her experience as a teacher and advisor for international students has allowed her to share many exciting moments, such as when they get accepted into the college of their dreams after a successful high school exchange.

Eva Gómez

Country Manager, Get Ready, Spain

We can´t choose where we come from but, we can choose where we go. I have worked with international students for 30 years. I studied journalism and tourism, trying to join my two passions: travel and communication. The possibility of learning about new cultures, showing our traditions, creating cross-cultural bridges to understand the world, and seeing it through another lens was enriching and stimulating. I dream of a more compassionate world, and I believe that we help our students to achieve their dreams, fostering international understanding through educational and cross-cultural programs.

Jean-Michel Roques

Director, JEV Langues, France

Jean-Michel has always been drawn to languages and as a young teacher he started supervising exchange programs. That led him to his current career in international education. He joined JEV Langues in 1983 and has continued to guide the organization towards further growth. He considers it a gratifying mission to help students experience a life-change high school exchange. He believes that through a high school exchange, young people gain maturity, language skills and a richer understanding of the world.

Elnaz Biglary

Sales Manager, Educatius Nordic

Elnaz joined Educatius Group in 2016 as program coordinator for the US and UK/Ireland programs. Like many team members at Educatius, Elnaz was a high school exchange student – her program took her to the UK – and has travelled extensively. Through her personal and career experiences, she has built solid expertise in high school exchanges and has helped guide many students to their full potential.

Beate Lenzbauer

Country Manager, Astudy, Italy

Beate’s passion for helping students find the right high school exchange is rooted in her own international education experiences. After high school in her native Germany, Beate went to Rome where she lived with a welcoming host family. During her university years, she spent some time studying in China and in the US. Travel, international education and helping others enjoy the life-changing experience of a high school exchange are part of her DNA.

Stefanie Zillessen

Country Manager, DFSR, Germany