Biography
Jeff Christensen is a bilingual executive leader with a passion for international collaboration, academic excellence, and achieving results. He has a strong background in the travel and hospitality industry, having traveled to 102 countries (several of which he has lived in). Throughout his career, he has successfully assisted global travel leaders in expanding their international market share through adaptive marketing, localization, and experience design.
Jeff's executive leadership roles included managing multimillion-dollar budgets while working with esteemed global clients like Expedia, InterContinental Hotels Group, United Airlines, Hyatt Hotels, Netflix, and Royal Caribbean. He also had the privilege of assisting with the rebranding of Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express as well as the launch of Hotel Indigo and Hualuxe, the first global hotel brand created specifically for Chinese business travelers.
In addition to his industry experience, Jeff brings a wealth of academic expertise. He has liaised with government officials and professional organizations throughout the Asia-Pacific region to build tourism-related businesses, lead rebranding and development projects, and provide comprehensive training on destination marketing, management, cultural heritage preservation, tour operations, and more. His commitment to regenerative practices has contributed to the success of various tourism-related initiatives across the South Pacific, which includes serving as a contributor to sustainable tourism policies.
Jeff is equally proud of his contributions to the Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM) program at BYU-Hawaii. Through curriculum enhancements and other changes, he played a leading role in securing the program’s debut on the prestigious list of the "50 Best Hospitality Management Programs in the US," ranking #16 out of 300+ programs in 2023.
Jeff also mentors multiple student clubs, organizations, and entrepreneurs, and has an unparalleled track record of first, second, and third place wins in the campus's bi-annual entrepreneurship competitions. Additionally, he helped create BYUH's first culinary arts program in collaboration with celebrity chef Felix Tai and the Polynesian Cultural Center, combining cultural heritage preservation and culinary excellence.
SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS
Dynamic university professor, bilingual global business enabler, and consultative communications strategist with a 29-year track record of inspiring next-generation leaders.
Extensive experience developing customer-centric solutions and academic instruction that propel travel & hospitality students and companies to success. Strong leadership, analytical, and writing skills.
A seasoned traveler who has lived abroad on multiple occasions and traveled to 102 countries. Highly skilled at navigating language and cultural barriers. Able to work collectively, autonomously, and with people from a variety of backgrounds.
ACADEMIC CREDENTIALS
M.Sc., Tourism Management–University of Surrey; Guildford, England.
Thesis: Demographics As a Determinant of Ethical Attitudes in The American Hospitality Industry
B.A., International Studies / French–Brigham Young University; Provo, UT.
Study Abroad Participation: Israel and Europe
EXPERTISE AND KEY STRENGTHS
Travel & Hospitality Sales & Account Management
Team Building, Coaching & Mentoring
Regional & Individual Goal Setting
International Business Strategy
Sustainable Development
Regenerative Tourism Policy & Development
Strategic Brand Management
Competitive Market Positioning
Destination Branding & Marketing
Marketing Communications
Strategic Planning & Execution
Lead Development & Growth Strategies
New Product & Service Launches
Continuous Process Improvement
Territory Penetration, Development, & Management
Budget Planning & Management
Travel & Tourism Motor Coach Operations
ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE
Director, Center for Hospitality & Tourism—Brigham Young University–Hawaii; Laie, HI 2022-present
Propelled Hospitality Program to Top Ranks: Led comprehensive curriculum overhaul based on student performance data and target area evaluations, boosting the program from #55 on Best Accredited College’s list of “Best Hospitality Management Programs” (2022) to #16 (2023) and #10 on Higher Education Review’s list of the "Most Promising Hospitality Programs in the US.”
Cultivate Student Success: Mentor multiple student clubs (e.g., Latin America, Skills Development, Ho’okipa Society, Public Speaking Club). Coach students in on-campus entrepreneurship competitions, achieving an unmatched record of top placements (1st, 2nd, 3rd).
Forge Strategic Industry Alliances: Partnered with prestigious organizations like Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association (HLTA), Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI), International Food Manufacturers Association (IFMA), Asia Development Bank (ADB), Pacific Private Sector Development Initiative (PSDI) for student mentorships, internships, projects, and networking.
Champion Innovative Learning: Implemented real-world competitions (e.g., Dutton Inn analysis with 11 four-person teams) and industry collaborations (e.g., Crispy Grindz marketing blitz with a documented $3,500 sales increase (500%) in one week).
Mentor Global Research Teams on Destination Development: Mentor teams of international students on impactful research projects (e.g., Christmas Island (Kiribati), Mongolia, and Philippines tourism development).
Empower Student Leadership: Established an 8-member HTM Student Advisory Board comprised of diverse students to provide valuable feedback on program curriculum, resources, messaging, and the overall student experience.
Pioneered Culinary Arts Program: Launched unique culinary courses in collaboration with celebrity chef Felix Tai and the Polynesia Cultural Center that combines cultural heritage preservation with culinary excellence.
Expand Global Program Exposure: Lead immersive career exploration trips to various locations globally, including the largest travel show in North America
Cultivate a Competitive Spirit and Global Recognition Led HTM students to a 1st place win in the prestigious HSMAI Global Case Competition, placing BYUH on the international stage and fostering a spirit of pride and competition among students.
Assistant Professor, Hospitality and Tourism—Brigham Young University-Hawaii; Laie, HI 2019-present
Faculty Citizenship Award Recipient: Honored for my citizenship efforts by the university and my peers. February 15, 2024
National Teaching Award Finalist: Recognized as a Top 3 finalist (out of 21 semi-finalists) in a national teaching competition hosted by the Association of Collegiate Marketing Educators (ACME) in April 2024 for an innovative teaching assignment from my HTM 290 Customer Experience Optimization class, which is based on a real-world project from my industry career.
Transform Courses to Boost Multicultural Student Success: Dramatically improve multicultural student engagement and applied learning based on key performance indicators across Economics, Marketing, Teamwork, Customer Experience Optimization, and Experience Design by designing, teaching, modifying, and improving classroom and online courses.
Consistently Deliver High Impact Courses: Design and deliver impactful courses, including the Global Economics of Tourism and Customer Experience Optimization, which consistently rank as the Top 2 most impactful courses in the program according to student surveys.
Enhance Learning Through Data-driven Course Design: Monitor student engagement & performance to identify strengths & weaknesses in course content. Create modules to simulate real-world scenarios, leading to high student engagement and acquisition of relevant skills.
Empower Polynesian Cultural Center Staff to Deliver Exceptional Service: Coach PCC staff on creating unforgettable “Aloha Moments” for guests through engaging training sessions on fostering a culture of unity and service excellence. This program has resulted in increased guest satisfaction scores, positive online reviews, and improved employee morale.
Online Instructor, Hospitality and Tourism—Brigham Young University-Idaho Online 2018
Piloted and Improved Highly Rated Online Course: Delivered and recommended improvements for the HTM 130: Teams & Hospitality online course (part of the Hospitality & Tourism certificate program). Received full adoption of my recommended curriculum changes. Delivered the pilot for three semesters with 100% student satisfaction.
Guest Lecturer, Integrated Business Core (IBC)—Brigham Young University-Idaho; Rexburg, ID 2018
Equipped Students with In-demand Sales & Marketing Skills: Empowered BYU-Idaho students to acquire and hone essential sales and marketing skills, equipping them for academic and professional success.
French Teaching Assistant/Instructor—Brigham Young University; Provo, UT 1991-1992
Achieved Perfect Student Satisfaction While Promoting Fluency: Promoted student fluency in French through engaging live conversation courses, dedicated weekly labs, and one-on-one sessions, solidifying their foundation in the language. Results were a consistently perfect ‘student satisfaction’ rating according to end-of-year student surveys.
HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE
Executive Vice President—A+ Global Solutions; Denver, CO + Chengdu, China 2017-2019
Developed and Managed Strategic Partnerships: Cultivated and maintained strong relationships with key clients in the travel and hospitality sector, including world-class airlines (e.g., United Airlines, Air China), online travel agencies (e.g., Expedia, TripAdvisor), international hotels (e.g., InterContinental Hotels Group, Hyatt Hotels), and cruise lines (e.g., Royal Caribbean), demonstrating my deep understanding of APAC markets and the diverse industry landscape. Achieved 100% client retention over a 9-year period.
Secured New Territories and Expanded Fortune 500 Accounts: Consistently exceeded growth targets in both domestic and international markets, securing new territories and expanding existing client relationships with high-profile companies. Track record includes expanding a Fortune 500 client by 21,000% in less than three years.
Pioneered Award-winning Customer Experiences: Developed and implemented innovative customer experiences, including a loyalty program that secured a 100% client retention rate over a 9-year period, demonstrating exceptional customer focus and an ability to build strong client relationships.
Championed C-level APAC Market Expansion: Prepared and presented persuasive proposals and presentations for C-level executives of major international travel & hospitality companies. Focused on optimizing global customer experience, increasing market share, elevating brand recognition, and maximizing ROI in foreign markets, particularly within the APAC region. This showcases my expertise in strategic communication and international business development.
Transformed APAC Sales & Account Management: Recruited and mentored Asia-based sales, account management, and production teams, achieving a remarkable 200% growth in new client acquisition within a 12-month period. This accomplishment highlights my strong leadership skills and ability to drive business expansion.
Drove Client Adoption of Technology Solutions: Spearheaded the education of global travel and hospitality clients on the benefits of various technology solutions, including web-based translation management and customer relationship management (CRM). This resulted in a net increase of 40% in personal revenue contributions over a 12-month period, showcasing my ability to identify and implement cutting-edge solutions.
Boosted Staff Performance & Client Revenue: Passionately and proficiently lift staff to higher achievement levels through motivational contests, personalized compensation packages, opportunities for growth, positive feedback, and other innovative strategies. Attained revenue increases of 125% from existing clients in the first year.
Managing Director, Emerging Business—Lionbridge; Denver, CO 2013-2017
Fueled Double-digit Company Growth: Designed and implemented sales and account management training to travel & hospitality sales teams for this global customer experience design & cultural consulting firm. My efforts helped grow the company from $150M to $300M over a two-year period, making it the second largest firm in the industry.
Tailored C-suite Presentation for APAC Expansion: Prepare and present countless presentations for C-level executives of large international travel & hospitality companies to optimize their global customer experience, increase market share, improve brand recognition, and maximize ROI in foreign markets. Emphasis on the APAC region.
Maximized Project Profitability: Manage pricing and contractual agreements. Achieved an average per-project mark-up of 230%.
Managing Director, Global Business Development—EC Innovations; Denver, CO + Chengdu, China 2011-2013
Spearheaded International Expansion: Managed China-based sales, marketing, and production teams to achieve new market penetration in North America and Europe.
Empowered Hospitality Clients: Educated global travel & hospitality clients on the benefits of various technology solutions, including web-based translation management applications. Result was a net increase of 40% in personal revenue contributions over a 12-month period.
Strategic Account Executive, Travel & Hospitality—TransPerfect; Denver, CO 2000-2011
Championed Brand Innovation: Played a key role in developing and launching new brands, including Hotel Indigo and Hualuxe, the first global hotel brand specifically catering to Chinese business travelers. Demonstrated insightful understanding of international markets and an ability to develop innovative solutions tailored to specific demographics.
Bridged Cultural Gaps for Travel & Hospitality Giants: Provided cultural adaptation, guest experience design, marketing, and localization solutions to the world’s largest travel & hospitality companies, enabling them to adapt their product marketing content for global audiences. Helped strike a balance between global and local messaging demands. Simplified and optimized global marketing operations.
District Sales Manager, Wholesale Vacations—SunTrips; Denver, CO 1998-2000
Shaped APAC Hospitality Strategies for the C-suite: As District Sales Manager for a charter airline and vacation wholesaler, opened a new two-state territory and exceeded growth targets by 35%.
Empowered Travel Agent Success: As a corporate trainer for a charter airline and vacation wholesaler, conducted monthly training seminars to give travel agents a deep understanding of the benefits and competitive advantages of company products and services. The result was a net increase of 58% in sales over a one-year period.
Transformed New Territories into Top Producers: Developed virgin territories for a charter airline and vacation wholesaler to attain net-new revenue of more than $1M in two quarters. Generated company’s fourth largest producing account from this same territory in less than one year.
Operations Manager—American Tours International; Los Angeles, CA + New York, NY 1995-1998
Crafted Award-Winning Tour Packages: As a key member of the operations team for an industry leading “Visit USA” travel company, successfully developed, marketed and escorted cross-country motor coach tours that attracted international clients from 40+ countries. Created “optional tour” packages, one of which resulted in an immediate 10% revenue increase during its first season.
SELECT PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS
Academic Publications
Christensen, J., Hansen, J.M., Wilson, P., Understanding the Role and Impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Hallucination within consumers’ tourism decision-making processes. Current Issues in Tourism. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2023.2300032
Christensen, J., Scanlan, S., The Impact of Childhood Travel on Young Adult Resiliency. In final review.
Refereed, Edited, and Reviewed Articles
Served as referee for CIT-14630 Try or not? Information acceptance process and the willingness to use Chat GPT in searching travel information.
Served as Reviewer for the hospitality & tourism papers submitted for consideration to the 50th-anniversary Association of Collegiate Marketing Educators conference. I also served as Hospitality & Tourism Marketing Track Chair for the conference.
Invited to edit chapters 1 and 2 of the Pacific Cultural Tourism Guidelines for the South Pacific Tourism Organization (SPTO).
Travel Guide and Related Publications
Eat Like A Local: New Mexico (under review 2024, Czyk Publishing)
Homestay & Tour Operator Training Manuals (2023, accepted and published by the Tourism Authority of Kiribati)
Greater Than A Tourist: New Mexico (2019, Czyk Publishing)
Syndey, Australia – Top 10 Family-Friendly Things to See & Do. (2017). YouTube Video. Travel 101 Channel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twh6ro2kzr8
Other Research Publications
The Christmas Story Revisited: Perspectives on the Birth of Christ. (2016). Audio Recording. Aspire Media Audio Library.
Conference Presentations
Association of Collegiate Marketing Educators (ACME): Understanding the Role and Impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Hallucination within consumers’ tourism decision-making processes. April 2024
Colorado State Career Conference: Presented HTM career opportunities and salary ranges to hundreds of Colorado high school students at a November 2023 conference by invitation. Interactive sessions ignited student interest in the dynamic HTM industry. November 2023
Alliance Cultural Foundation (ACF) of Taiwan: Hosted a training seminar with the Alliance Cultural Foundation of Taiwan (comprised of 21 influencers from Taiwan’s sixteen officially recognized indigenous tribes, including government officials, artists, musicians, and architects). Topics included destination marketing trends and management, and regenerative tourism and cultural preservation. May 2023
Association of Collegiate Marketing Educators (ACME) Conference: Designing & Managing an Omni-channel Guest Experience: Lessons from One Asian Airline--a case study examining Air China’s efforts to rebound from the consequences of poor guest experiences by identifying industry best practices, not just in the airline industry but across multiple sectors of hospitality and tourism. March 2022
Association of Collegiate Marketing Educators (ACME) Conference: Family Holidays as Welfare Benefits: The Case for Rebranding Vacations as Necessities Rather Than Luxuries—Vacations are viewed by many as expensive non-necessities, but numerous studies support a range of tourism benefits that justify their effort and expense.
Industry-related Articles
Building Paradise Through Regenerative Tourism: BYU-Hawaii Hospitality & Tourism Management Students Deliver on Promise in Kiribati. (2024). BYU-Hawaii Newsroom article.
China Invades the U.S.: Why the Burgeoning Chinese Marketplace Has Become a Prime Target of the U.S. Travel Sector. (2017). LinkedIn article.
The Case for International Search Engine Optimization. (2017). LinkedIn article.
Writing For Localization: Making Your Source Text Translation-Friendly. (2017). LinkedIn article.
Localization Basics: Avoiding Common Missteps When Targeting International Markets. (2017). LinkedIn article.
Succeeding In China: What Every Business Should Know. (2012). LinkedIn article.
INSUSTRY- RELATED COMMUNITY SERVICE AND VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE
Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Board Member – Hawaii Chapter: I have been a board member for the last three years. During this academic year, I helped increase student enrollment, student learning activities, and field trips. I also collaborated with two other board members to develop a mentorship program launching in Fall 2024. I likewise mentored the first BYUH team to enter the HSMAI Global Case Competition in March 2024. Awaiting results. I also secured BYUH’s participation in the prestigious Mike Dimond Student Success Grant competition.
HSMAI Missouri Judge: Judged Hospitality Sales & Marketing Professional of the Year, Digital Social/Marketing Professional of the Year, and Rising Star in the Industry awards for this chapter.
Na Po‘e Pa‘ahana Awards Judge: Judged outstanding individuals in the HLTA-sponsored competition to recognize and celebrate the dedicated employees who comprise the backbone of Oahu’s industry.
Hawaii Lodging & Tourism Association (HLTA): Coordinated BYUH’s participation in the Generational Mentorship Program for the 5th year. The program pairs students with industry leaders from across the state as part of an 8-month mentorship.
Pacific & Asia Tourism Association (PATA): Participated in PATA’s student forum at the Honolulu Convention Center (October 2023).
International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA): Secured a new scholarship partnership for students interested in Food & Beverage, resulting in two awards to BYUH students ($5,000 & $1,000).
Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation: Visited this strategic internship provider to do site inspections and student-intern visits on my own dime during summer 2023. Discussed ways to improve our partnership.
International Institute for Peace Through Tourism (IIPT): Engaged in multiple discussions with the new India-based president of this organization to explore potential collaborations. We are looking at scholarship opportunities for 2024-2025 to quantify tourism as an engine for global peace. This aligns with my commitment to use tourism to create cross-cultural understanding.
Asia Development Bank (ADB): Proactively connected with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to secure student involvement in Kiribati's tourism rebranding initiative. I-Kiribati students now actively participate in monthly branding meetings, shaping the future image of Kiribati as a tourist destination.
Pacific Private Sector Development Initiative (PSDI): Partnered with the Pacific Private Sector Development Initiative to connect students with real-world business development challenges. This provides valuable experience for students while contributing to PSDI's mission of promoting economic growth in the Pacific. We are currently working on a joint project in Kiribati.
Resume & Travel Coaching: Provided resume coaching and travel coaching to students and the greater Laie community each semester.
CV Last Revised June 2024
