Our Team
We are proud to have a team of talented individuals from diverse backgrounds who go above and beyond to ensure the success of all of our programs.
Our Team
We are proud to have a team of talented individuals from diverse backgrounds who go above and beyond to ensure the success of all of our programs.
Meet the Team
- Advisory Board
- All
- Business Development
- Experiential Learning
- Finance & Administration
- Management
- Marketing
- Travel
Shaun Sheffield
Founder & Executive Director
Shaun founded the Austral Group in 2005 from a business plan he created as an Executive MBA student. Shaun is a graduate of Boston University, and holds MBA degrees from both Tulane University and Universidad de Chile in Santiago, and is a graduate of Harvard Business School’s Owner/President Management (OPM) Program.
Ignacio Schnitzler
Director of Travel Programs
Ignacio has been part of the Austral team since 2008 and oversees Trip Development and Operations for our programs. He holds an MBA from Universidad Austral’s IAE Business School and a certificate from ESADE’s Tourism Management executive education program. A lover of travel, he has visited over 25 countries throughout the Americas and Europe.
Mariana González
Regional Manager, North America
Mariana runs our US, Canada and Mexico operations and is based in Miami. Prior to Austral Group, Mariana worked at the University of California, Berkeley, managing the Center for Latin American Studies’ programs. Her interest in different cultures have led her to travel all over the world. Mariana speaks Spanish, English, French, Portuguese and German.
Juan Cruz Cortes
Regional Manager, Latin America
Juan runs Austral Group’s Latin America operations. He holds a BA in International Business from Universidad Argentina de la Empresa and MBA degrees from Universidad de San Andrés and ESCP-Europe in Paris, France. Juan is fluent in Spanish, English, Portuguese and French and has lived in the USA, France and Brazil.
Patricia Figliozzi
Logistics Coordinator
Patricia works out of our Buenos Aires office making sure all logistic details are ironed out before our travel programs hit the ground. With a great eye for detail, she makes sure all meals, activities, transportation, and meeting room reservations are perfect, so all logistic aspects of the academic programs run smoothly.
Vanessa Gonzales
Regional Manager, Europe
Originally from France, Vanessa runs Austral Group’s Europe hub and is located between France and Peru. Vanessa holds a B.S. in Marketing-Advertising, an MBA degree, and is fluent in English, Spanish and French. She is curious about getting to know different cultures and passionate about traveling, painting, and aerial silks.
Jenny Moreno
Program Manager
Jenny is based in Medellin, Colombia, and has worked both in the private and public sectors. She has a bachelors degree in Business Administration with a focus on the Hotel and Tourism sector and recently she obtained her Masters degree in Cultural Management from the University of Barcelona.
Veronica Dupuy
Program Manager
Veronica joined the Austral team in 2014 as a Program Coordinator in Peru, and since then has run a large number of trips in Peru, Chile, Panama, and Puerto Rico. With an advertising and marketing background, Vero brings a lot of creative ideas into the program planning process and has worked with over 50 University Programs.
Francisca Ginesta
Safety & Risk Manager
Francisca was born in Arlington, Virginia, and moved to Santiago, Chile with her family when she was 8. She began working as a Program Manager for Austral Group programs in Chile before becoming Head of Chile’s operation team. As Safety & Risk Manager, she now oversees health & safety strategy and risk protocols for our in-person programs.
Krista Kateneva
Hotel Services
Krista has been part of our team since 2013 in various positions. Currently, she oversees the hotel negotiations and bookings for our programs. Her background combines years of academic research and teaching, and vast experience managing travel and events for clients in destinations across the world.
Arrienne Tyler
Program Manager
Arrienne is originally from Canberra, Australia, but considers herself a citizen of the world. Fluent in English, Spanish, and currently studying Brazilian Portuguese, Arrienne is passionate about travel, food, history, wine, and languages. Based in Madrid, Arrienne is a Program Manager in Spain & Portugal.
Giselle Guimãraes
Experiential Learning Director
Giselle has been with Austral Group since 2011 and currently runs our Experiential Learning division. She holds a BA in Economics from Mackenzie University in São Paulo, and EMBA degrees from Brazilian Business School, and University of Richmond, Robins Business School. She is also a professor of Strategic Management at the Brazilian Business School – Angola.
Mariana Resende
Strategic Partnerships
Mariana is a multidisciplinary professional, a passionate traveler and an international education advocate. At Austral Group, she has worked with over 50 universities as a Program Manager in Brazil and now oversees our strategic partnerships as part of the Experiential Learning team, finding projects for student consulting teams.
Rebeca Assumpção
Content Development
Rebeca works to improve the Experiential Learning client experience in our Education Platform. She holds a bachelor’s in Communication Studies from ESPM – Escola Superior de São Paulo and has worked in several industries prior to joining Austral in 2019. Having lived in Spain and currently, in Brazil, she speaks Portuguese, English, and Spanish.
Lloyd Edmondson
Client Development Director
Lloyd has been with the Austral Group since its early days in 2006. His extensive travel and work experience has provided him with a thorough understanding of global business practices and cultural immersion in the most powerful emerging markets in the world. Having lived on 3 continents Lloyd is fluent in English, French, and Spanish.
Claudia Fernández
University Account Manager
Claudia is an Account Manager for the UK & Ireland. She initially joined our team as a Program Coordinator working with over 30 international residency programs on the ground. In the past 10 years, she has gained a broad view of Latin America, USA, and the European markets by developing academic proposals for more than 200 different programs.
Kathryn Sawyer
University Account Manager
Katie is the Account Manager for our university partners in the Mid-Atlantic & Southeast US and in LATAM, and is currently based in our headquarters in Chile. Originally from Nashville, TN, she has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs and Anthropology from George Washington University. Katie’s interests include her dog, hiking, and all things food & wine!
Elsa Boustany
University Account Manager
Prior to joining the Austral Group, Elsa worked for the Global Market department of IE University in New York. Having lived on 3 continents Elsa is fluent in English, French, Arabic, and Spanish and holds a Masters’s degree from IE University and a Bachelors’s degree from City University London.
Felipe Aranguiz
Growth Manager
Felipe has over 7 years of experience working in Consulting, Hospitality, and Tech/Innovation and has traveled to over 18 countries. In his free time, Felipe loves practicing languages with his polyglot wife and talking about how culture and business are correlated, as well as researching the development of efficiency in organizations.
Laura Varela
Marketing Manager
Laura develops our marketing and communications strategy and oversees our Programs in Panama. After going to Film school, Laura worked over 12 years as a broadcast producer in Advertising Agencies in the US, producing campaigns for clients like Volkswagen, SABMiller and Sony. She is a passionate traveler and has visited over 30 countries in 3 continents.
Vanessa Moreno
Graphic Design
Vanessa holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Advertising and an MBA in Business Management, in which she had the opportunity to do a course module at the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, further enriching her MBA experience. Before joining Austral Group, she worked at Brazilian Business School as a Marketing Coordinator.
Max Cruchaga
Video Content Production
Max started as a Program and Logistics Coordinator. He holds a degree in Business Administration, with a mention in tourism. Before working at Austral Group, he was a part of the marketing team of the National Service of Tourism Agency for the Araucania Region. Max now is part of our marketing team developing and producing video content.
Paulina López
Administration
Angela Doria-La
Travel Logistics
Originally from Bogota, Colombia, Angela organizes Travel Logistics for our US-based programs. Based in Seattle, Washington, she has previously lived in the San Francisco Bay Area where she worked at Stanford University’s Center for Latin American Studies where she conducted academic programming and advising.
Alex Tapp
University Account Manager
Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Alex holds a degree from the Global & International Studies department at the University of California, Santa Barbara where he graduated as part of the Honors Program and with a focus in Latin America. Alex is the Account Manager for our university partners in the Southwest & West USA and Canada.
Veronica Yrausquin
Sales Operations
Verónica holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Tourism from the University of Zulia in Venezuela and over 4 years of experience in hospitality and travel planning. She enjoys doing sightseeing around Santiago and trying new experiences while appreciating the cultural exchange that comes from living in a foreign country.
Ashley Kippley
Program Manager
Ashley is a Program Manager based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Originally from New Hampshire, Ashley received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Archaeology and Art History from the University of Evansville. She has studied abroad in Israel and Italy, and traveled across Europe and much of the continental US.
Daniel Fernández
Senior Accountant
Miriam Becar
Accounting Analyst
Alejandra Trabanco
Program Manager
Born and raised in Buenos Aires City, Alejandra holds degrees in English Legal Translation and Literary English Translation from Universidad del Salvador and is currently a candidate for a Master of Science in International Relations specializing in South American integration with a gender perspective.
- Advisory Board
- All
- Business Development
- Experiential Learning
- Finance & Administration
- Management
- Marketing
- Travel
Shaun Sheffield
Founder & Executive Director
Shaun founded the Austral Group in 2005 from a business plan he created as an Executive MBA student. Shaun is a graduate of Boston University, and holds MBA degrees from both Tulane University and Universidad de Chile in Santiago, and is a graduate of Harvard Business School’s Owner/President Management (OPM) Program.
Ignacio Schnitzler
Director of Travel Programs
Ignacio has been part of the Austral team since 2008 and oversees Trip Development and Operations for our programs. He holds an MBA from Universidad Austral’s IAE Business School and a certificate from ESADE’s Tourism Management executive education program. A lover of travel, he has visited over 25 countries throughout the Americas and Europe.
Mariana González
Regional Manager, North America
Mariana runs our US, Canada and Mexico operations and is based in Miami. Prior to Austral Group, Mariana worked at the University of California, Berkeley, managing the Center for Latin American Studies’ programs. Her interest in different cultures have led her to travel all over the world. Mariana speaks Spanish, English, French, Portuguese and German.
Juan Cruz Cortes
Regional Manager, Latin America
Juan runs Austral Group’s Latin America operations. He holds a BA in International Business from Universidad Argentina de la Empresa and MBA degrees from Universidad de San Andrés and ESCP-Europe in Paris, France. Juan is fluent in Spanish, English, Portuguese and French and has lived in the USA, France and Brazil.
Patricia Figliozzi
Logistics Coordinator
Patricia works out of our Buenos Aires office making sure all logistic details are ironed out before our travel programs hit the ground. With a great eye for detail, she makes sure all meals, activities, transportation, and meeting room reservations are perfect, so all logistic aspects of the academic programs run smoothly.
Vanessa Gonzales
Regional Manager, Europe
Originally from France, Vanessa runs Austral Group’s Europe hub and is located between France and Peru. Vanessa holds a B.S. in Marketing-Advertising, an MBA degree, and is fluent in English, Spanish and French. She is curious about getting to know different cultures and passionate about traveling, painting, and aerial silks.
Jenny Moreno
Program Manager
Jenny is based in Medellin, Colombia, and has worked both in the private and public sectors. She has a bachelors degree in Business Administration with a focus on the Hotel and Tourism sector and recently she obtained her Masters degree in Cultural Management from the University of Barcelona.
Veronica Dupuy
Program Manager
Veronica joined the Austral team in 2014 as a Program Coordinator in Peru, and since then has run a large number of trips in Peru, Chile, Panama, and Puerto Rico. With an advertising and marketing background, Vero brings a lot of creative ideas into the program planning process and has worked with over 50 University Programs.
Francisca Ginesta
Safety & Risk Manager
Francisca was born in Arlington, Virginia, and moved to Santiago, Chile with her family when she was 8. She began working as a Program Manager for Austral Group programs in Chile before becoming Head of Chile’s operation team. As Safety & Risk Manager, she now oversees health & safety strategy and risk protocols for our in-person programs.
Krista Kateneva
Hotel Services
Krista has been part of our team since 2013 in various positions. Currently, she oversees the hotel negotiations and bookings for our programs. Her background combines years of academic research and teaching, and vast experience managing travel and events for clients in destinations across the world.
Arrienne Tyler
Program Manager
Arrienne is originally from Canberra, Australia, but considers herself a citizen of the world. Fluent in English, Spanish, and currently studying Brazilian Portuguese, Arrienne is passionate about travel, food, history, wine, and languages. Based in Madrid, Arrienne is a Program Manager in Spain & Portugal.
Giselle Guimãraes
Experiential Learning Director
Giselle has been with Austral Group since 2011 and currently runs our Experiential Learning division. She holds a BA in Economics from Mackenzie University in São Paulo, and EMBA degrees from Brazilian Business School, and University of Richmond, Robins Business School. She is also a professor of Strategic Management at the Brazilian Business School – Angola.
Mariana Resende
Strategic Partnerships
Mariana is a multidisciplinary professional, a passionate traveler and an international education advocate. At Austral Group, she has worked with over 50 universities as a Program Manager in Brazil and now oversees our strategic partnerships as part of the Experiential Learning team, finding projects for student consulting teams.
Rebeca Assumpção
Content Development
Rebeca works to improve the Experiential Learning client experience in our Education Platform. She holds a bachelor’s in Communication Studies from ESPM – Escola Superior de São Paulo and has worked in several industries prior to joining Austral in 2019. Having lived in Spain and currently, in Brazil, she speaks Portuguese, English, and Spanish.
Lloyd Edmondson
Client Development Director
Lloyd has been with the Austral Group since its early days in 2006. His extensive travel and work experience has provided him with a thorough understanding of global business practices and cultural immersion in the most powerful emerging markets in the world. Having lived on 3 continents Lloyd is fluent in English, French, and Spanish.
Claudia Fernández
University Account Manager
Claudia is an Account Manager for the UK & Ireland. She initially joined our team as a Program Coordinator working with over 30 international residency programs on the ground. In the past 10 years, she has gained a broad view of Latin America, USA, and the European markets by developing academic proposals for more than 200 different programs.
Kathryn Sawyer
University Account Manager
Katie is the Account Manager for our university partners in the Mid-Atlantic & Southeast US and in LATAM, and is currently based in our headquarters in Chile. Originally from Nashville, TN, she has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs and Anthropology from George Washington University. Katie’s interests include her dog, hiking, and all things food & wine!
Elsa Boustany
University Account Manager
Prior to joining the Austral Group, Elsa worked for the Global Market department of IE University in New York. Having lived on 3 continents Elsa is fluent in English, French, Arabic, and Spanish and holds a Masters’s degree from IE University and a Bachelors’s degree from City University London.
Felipe Aranguiz
Growth Manager
Felipe has over 7 years of experience working in Consulting, Hospitality, and Tech/Innovation and has traveled to over 18 countries. In his free time, Felipe loves practicing languages with his polyglot wife and talking about how culture and business are correlated, as well as researching the development of efficiency in organizations.
Laura Varela
Marketing Manager
Laura develops our marketing and communications strategy and oversees our Programs in Panama. After going to Film school, Laura worked over 12 years as a broadcast producer in Advertising Agencies in the US, producing campaigns for clients like Volkswagen, SABMiller and Sony. She is a passionate traveler and has visited over 30 countries in 3 continents.
Vanessa Moreno
Graphic Design
Vanessa holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Advertising and an MBA in Business Management, in which she had the opportunity to do a course module at the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, further enriching her MBA experience. Before joining Austral Group, she worked at Brazilian Business School as a Marketing Coordinator.
Max Cruchaga
Video Content Production
Max started as a Program and Logistics Coordinator. He holds a degree in Business Administration, with a mention in tourism. Before working at Austral Group, he was a part of the marketing team of the National Service of Tourism Agency for the Araucania Region. Max now is part of our marketing team developing and producing video content.
Paulina López
Administration
Angela Doria-La
Travel Logistics
Originally from Bogota, Colombia, Angela organizes Travel Logistics for our US-based programs. Based in Seattle, Washington, she has previously lived in the San Francisco Bay Area where she worked at Stanford University’s Center for Latin American Studies where she conducted academic programming and advising.
Alex Tapp
University Account Manager
Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Alex holds a degree from the Global & International Studies department at the University of California, Santa Barbara where he graduated as part of the Honors Program and with a focus in Latin America. Alex is the Account Manager for our university partners in the Southwest & West USA and Canada.
Veronica Yrausquin
Sales Operations
Verónica holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Tourism from the University of Zulia in Venezuela and over 4 years of experience in hospitality and travel planning. She enjoys doing sightseeing around Santiago and trying new experiences while appreciating the cultural exchange that comes from living in a foreign country.
Ashley Kippley
Program Manager
Ashley is a Program Manager based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Originally from New Hampshire, Ashley received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Archaeology and Art History from the University of Evansville. She has studied abroad in Israel and Italy, and traveled across Europe and much of the continental US.
Daniel Fernández
Senior Accountant
Miriam Becar
Accounting Analyst
Alejandra Trabanco
Program Manager
Born and raised in Buenos Aires City, Alejandra holds degrees in English Legal Translation and Literary English Translation from Universidad del Salvador and is currently a candidate for a Master of Science in International Relations specializing in South American integration with a gender perspective.
