This month we are celebrating 10 years of Kiwi.com. It’s a history full of stories, adventure, success, and year-on-year growth. But what about the stories behind some of the people who lead our business day-to-day? Here are 10 fun facts about our Executive Board (EB) members to help you get to know them a little better:
- Can you guess who used to work as a nuclear engineer? Who has a background in applied physics & chemistry? It’s Gisele, our Chief Product Officer. She worked in Silicon Valley in engineering roles before shifting her focus to products.
- You would think our EB members are all keen flyers, but can you guess who used to be scared of flying before working at Kiwi.com? It was Jozef (JK), our Chief Technology Officer. In fact, he took the very first flight of his life only a few months after the company was founded and today he is one of the top 5 customers of Kiwi.com!
- However, the adventurous spirit came to one EB member from a very early age. Can you guess who was lost at sea for over 4 hours, at the age of 12, after taking a small boat out to sea? It was Gilles, our Chief Strategy Officer who was luckily rescued by a fishing boat!
- Can you guess who ends up getting dirty most weekends playing football with his daughter? That would be Iain, our Chief Financial Officer.
- Two of our EB members are early risers, but can you guess who? Oliver starts the day running with his dog at 5 am every morning and Iain starts his day swimming in a lake at 6 am most mornings through the summer.
- Do you know who said that the birth of his three kids changed everything in his life? It was Juraj, our Chief Operational Officer who claims that if you thought you didn’t have free time before kids are born, you were terribly wrong!
- Guess who spent a week backpacking through the Hardangervidda, a mountainous plateau where you get hail, snow, rain, high winds, mud pits, sometimes all of it in 2 hours? It’s Gisele, our Chief Product Officer! She said it was incredibly beautiful.
- Can you guess who likes spending their free time building stuff, being away from civilization and reading? That would be Gilles, our Chief Strategy Officer.
- Guess who had a close encounter with a Hippo! When rafting in Kenya, one of our EB members hit a hippo and nearly went for a swim in a crocodile-infested river? It’s Iain, our Chief Financial Officer who, during that trip camped on a sandbank and woke up next to big hippo footprints about a foot away from where his head was!
- Who from our Executive Board believes that traveling changes people, provides new perspectives, and makes you a better person? They all do. A diverse group of people, with individual specialisms, but they are all united in the belief that making travel open and accessible for everyone, makes the world a better place.
If you are interested in joining Kiwi.com and working with our inspiring leaders, check our open positions and join us in this exciting journey!