AIFS Chairman William L. Gertz Celebrates his 40th Anniversary with AIFS

STAMFORD, Conn., May 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- William L. Gertz, Chairman of the American Institute For Foreign Study (AIFS), is celebrating his 40th anniversary at AIFS.

A passion for travel and cultural exchange began when Bill, a native New Yorker, traveled throughout Europe in the summer of 1973. Using a student rail pass and nothing but a backpack, he visited many European cities and towns, including Paris, London, Amsterdam, Lisbon, and Rome. It was a pivotal period in his life, he reflects, "I didn't realize it at the time, but my career path was chosen for me right then and there." Upon his return to the U.S., he realized how international travel had changed him. He had found his calling and never looked back.

After a few years of travel and working in the field of international education, Bill was offered a position as Associate Director of Marketing at AIFS. "AIFS had a mission that had meaning to me. Its mission statement was 'bringing the world together' through travel, study abroad, and cultural exchange—it was everything I was looking for. When I arrived at AIFS in the summer of 1985, I knew I was home."

Bill became President and CEO of AIFS in 2005, and in 2018, he was elected Chairman. Over his tenure, AIFS has grown, offering an even wider array of educational and cultural programs, now serving 40,000 participants each year. It has been Bill's passion to keep AIFS evolving with each new generation while keeping true to its soul and roots—never swaying from its mission.

In 2019, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to international education, Bill was awarded the Centennial Medal from the Institute of International Education (IIE). Today, in his continued work as Chairman, he concentrates on strategy and philanthropy. With great expectation, he envisions another decade of leadership at AIFS.

Moving forward, Bill wants to ensure that AIFS remains a forward-thinking organization that is unified in thought and deed. Most of all, he wants to continue supporting international education in all forms, so that underserved students can study abroad or take part in international exchange. Bill remarks, "The international experience should be available for every student because each one bears the promise of hope for the future. If we truly want a peaceful world, we need to bring it together first, one student at a time."

For more information, please contact Ana Wright ([email protected]).

About AIFS:
The American Institute For Foreign Study (AIFS) organizes cultural exchange and educational programs for 40,000 participants each year. Programs include college study abroad, global internships, international au pair placement, international camp counselor placement, high school educational travel, insurance services, and J-1 visa sponsorship. Since its founding in 1964, more than 1.8 million individuals have participated in AIFS programs.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Ana Wright, [email protected]

SOURCE American Institute For Foreign Study