Page 38 - StudyTravel Magazine November 2018 Issue

INDUSTRY FACES

Maura leão

CEO of Yázigi Travel and president of BElTA
As a study abroad student, Maura Leão started out learning German before teaching
and translating back in Brazil. With good communication skills, she found herself
recruiting students for one of Brazil’s oldest network of language schools.

I started as an exchange student with the American
Field Service (AFS) when I was 16/17. when I went back
to Brazil I decided to study German translation. when I
finished university I was living in São paolo and worked
finished university I was living in São paolo and worked
as a translator and then in publicity. As an exchange
as a translator and then in publicity. As an exchange
student for AFS back in the 70s, I felt like I had to give
student for AFS back in the 70s, I felt like I had to give
back, so I started in Brazil as the president of an AFS
back, so I started in Brazil as the president of an AFS
chapter. I learnt by doing, recruiting and looking for host
chapter. I learnt by doing, recruiting and looking for host
families and schools that would host students.
families and schools that would host students.

The agency…
Yázigi started in 1950 and was one of the fi rst franchis-
es in Brazil, and it had its own exchange programme Belta…
department. After 9-11, however, nobody wanted to Within a year of the study abroad department reopen-
go to the uSA so they closed the department. In 2002, ing, BeLtA called inviting me to be on the board. I
in the middle of the nightmare, we suggested we take started in the committee of ethics. For an association
over as we saw it as an opportunity. We came up with to be active you have to have people that are practis-
a website, new destinations, new folders and I went all ing agents. It’s hard work but if you want the associa-
over Brazil promoting [the department]. tion to work for you, why not give it your time.

Experience abroad… The rewards… Changes…
At 25, I studied at the Goethe-Institut in If I can transform someone’s life I think people are looking for
Frankfurt and lived a full year in Germany. through what I do, that’s reward closer relationships with their
I experienced living and improving the enough for me. If you go abroad for business partners. Sometimes
language. I was like a backpacker! I was your education it changes your life. it needs to be the owner that
very courageous. I would just go to the Nobody I know that has had this solves something. the industry
train station, with little money, and decide experience hasn’t learnt some- is losing something. It’s not so
where to go and I made a lot of friends thing. the more you’re exposed to personalised. We shouldn’t lose
through the language programme. the outside world the better. this. We are not a machine.

Read the full interview at: bit.ly/industryfaces-nov18