William L. Gertz

William L. Gertz is the President and CEO of the American Institute For Foreign Study (AIFS), the international cultural and educational exchange organization headquartered at 1 High Ridge Park in Stamford, Connecticut.
Education
Gertz is a graduate of the State University of New York (SUNY) at Binghamton, where he majored in European history and journalism. He recently completed the Strategic Marketing Management Program at Harvard Business School.
Early career
In 1976, Gertz entered the field of international education when he became marketing manager for the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE). Later, he founded a marketing and public relations company, serving clients as diverse as Peter Max as well as numerous youth and student travel organizations, including the British Tourist Authority. In the early 1980s, Gertz served as the travel editor of Transitions, an international education publication.
He was formerly on the Executive Board of the International Au Pair Association (IAPA) and EDU Educational Services, Inc. Gertz has also served on the Development Committee of NAFSA: Association of International Educators, the National Advisory Council of Johns Hopkins University School of Education and as a member of the Executive Committee for the Alliance for International Educational and Cultural Exchange. He is also active in the field of gifted education and serves as a Trustee for the National Society for the Gifted and Talented, a non-profit organization and previously served on the State of Connecticut Board of Gifted and Talented Students.
The American Institute For Foreign Study
In 1985, Gertz joined AIFS as Associate Marketing Director. During his tenure at AIFS, he has led many initiatives that have been instrumental to the growth and direction of the company. In 1986, Bill helped AIFS launch the Au Pair in America program - the very first legal au pair agency in the United States - which today is one of the largest au pair placement agencies in the world. In 1990, Gertz was promoted to Vice President of AIFS. During his tenure as VP, his accomplishments ranged from the creation of a customer relationship management system to establishing the first AIFS website.
In 1998, Gertz was promoted to Chief Operating Officer and in 2005, was named President and CEO of AIFS, the positions he holds today. Gertz also serves as Vice Chairman of the AIFS Board of Directors and as an AIFS Foundation Trustee.
In 2010, Gertz organized the Diversity in International Education workshop in Washington, D.C. in 2010. Under his leadership, AIFS was voted the fourth best place to work in Connecticut for mid-sized companies by Workplace Dynamics and Hearst Newspapers in 2011.
Gertz has published numerous articles in educational publications including the IIE Networker Magazine and Youth Travel International.
On May 14, 2014, Gertz received an Honorary Doctorate in International Relations from Richmond, the American International University in London in recognition of his commitment to education and internationalism.
Personal life
A native New Yorker, Gertz resides in Fairfield, Connecticut with his wife Evelyn, a classical guitarist. Their son Matthew is a senior researcher at MediaMatters.org and daughter Susannah a student at Ithaca College.

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