Our Consultants
Our many years of success in managing student recruitment platforms for institutions is what makes us experts at meeting your organization’s needs.
John Duque
Founder and Managing Director of Agent Management Solutions LLC
Background:
John Duque holds an MBA from University of Miami School of Business. He founded Agent Management Solutions LLC after identifying a much needed niche market for North American institutions who need assistance developing a wide array of marketing services to promote schools overseas. During his 20-year span in the international education industry, he has successfully developed strong marketing and business development skills resulting in increased international enrollment for institutions while developing strategic relationships with ethical well-known recruitment agents worldwide.
As a U.S. Business development regional manager for ICEF, a global student recruitment networking company, he increased ICEF branding in the U.S. by creating partnership with strategic associations including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; The Commission on English Language Program Accreditation (CEA) and collaborating in the creation of a Florida-based consortium called “Study Florida” to promote Florida colleges and universities throughout the world. Prior to this, he worked as an educational consultant for several well-known colleges and universities in Florida providing educational and recruitment services.
His commitment to international education is evident in his passion for volunteering for non-profit organizations, such as the National Society of Hispanic MBA, a national organization dedicated to the advancement of graduate management education for minorities where he joined the board of directors and raised awareness and funding.
He also served as president of the Florida chapter of the Japanese Exchange Teaching Alumni Association (JETAA), a volunteer organization dedicated to fostering better cultural and educational relations between the Florida and Japan. He has participated as a guest panelist at the first “Florida Japan Annual Conference” and co-organized a panel discussion at Florida International University on “The Future of Nuclear Power in a Post-Fukushima World” supported by CEPEX.
Areas of expertise
- Business Development Management & Sales
- International Student Recruiment Startegies
- Marketing and Public Relations
- Event Planning
Jonathan Weller
Senior Consultant & Training Specialist
Background: Jonathan (Jon) Weller, PhD, is has worked in university enrollment management for 15 years, most of which has been focused on international enrollment management. He currently serves as the Director of International Admissions at the University of Cincinnati where he has helped build one of the most comprehensive international admissions offices in the United States, including support staff and offices in three foreign countries.
Under his leadership, international undergraduate enrollment quadrupled at UC in less than 7 years while also continually increasing the academic profile of the international undergraduate class. He has helped develop and implement numerous international marketing and communication plans, admissions policies and procedures, and four international undergraduate scholarships programs.
Jon travels extensively and has visited over 35 countries on six continents. He is also an active member of the American International Recruitment Council (AIRC) including serving as an external site reviewer for agents seeking AIRC certification. He frequently presents on international recruitment and enrollment issues at major conferences.
Given his expertise and experience in the field, he also provides occasional consultation and training to educational institutions hoping to increase and/or diversify their international enrollment, develop strategic internationalization planning, and/or would like objective advice on operational procedures and efficiency.
In addition to his enrollment responsibilities, Jon is also an adjunct instructor in the Department of Organizational Leadership where he created and teaches two popular courses: “How to Change the World” and “Changemakers: Lessons Learned from Travel in the Developing World”, including a study abroad program to Peru. He also assist the Educational Studies program by occasionally serving on dissertation committees.
Ross Jennings
Senior Consultant & Training Specialist
Background: Ross Jennings has been involved in international education since 1970. He currently serves as Senior Director, International Education at Green River College in Auburn, WA. Under his tenure, Green River increased its international student enrollment from 216 in 1993 to 1,747 in fall 2015. IIE’s Open Doors currently ranks Green River in the top 10 of all American two-year institutions in international student enrollment.
Jennings has been particularly involved in helping community colleges increase international student recruitment and retention. He has presented at numerous conferences, written or has been quoted in many articles, and has advised dozens of community colleges on international student topics. Jennings served as president of the American International Recruitment Council (AIRC), as a senior international officer board member of Community Colleges for International Development (CCID) and as the president of Study Washington.
The Green River international student strategy has been to focus on the success and well being of individual students first, and design a comprehensive marketing effort based on their experiences and transfer success. The college’s marketing strategy embraces carefully vetted educational agents, based locally and overseas, as well as the testimony and support of students, parents, friends and educational partners. Some of this testimony is found on college promotional materials and websites, but much of it is independently generated, often expressed in social media. This reliance on unsolicited testimony, Jennings believes, keeps the college honest by forcing it to pay close attention to the wants and needs of its students, and not just rely on marketing strategies alone to meet recruitment goals.
Jennings taught and worked overseas in Morocco (Peace Corps), Iran and Saudi Arabia, before returning to the US and working with international students at Edmonds Community College and Green River College. He also studied in Beirut, Cairo and Shanghai. Jennings promoted US higher education in State Department-sponsored missions in Asia and North Africa, and has recruited for Green River all over the world.
George Beers
Senior Consultant & Training Specialist
Background: George Beers attended Northwestern, University of Minnesota and Indiana University, and holds a BS in Film and Television and an MS is Instructional Systems Technology. During the past 45 years, he has been a community college administrator and is known as a national leader in both distance learning and international education. Since 1989, he worked as the Dean of International Programs at Foothill and De Anza Colleges in Los Altos Hills and Cupertino, California where he built an international program starting with 300 and now enrolling more than 4,400 students coming from 109 countries. The Foothill-De Anza Community College District hosts the second largest international population of any community college system in the United States. The program recently won the prestigious U.S. Commercial Service President’s Star Award for excellence in international trade.
For seven years, George was Vice President of California Colleges for International Education. He helped found Study California and has been active in NAFSA and OACAC. He started working closely with agents more than 15 years ago and built Foothill and De Anza’s agent network to over 450 partners. Seven years ago, he was a founding member of AIRC, the American International Recruitment Consortium, and for the last six year, served on the AIRC Certification Commission which he chaired during this past year.
He recently retired as Dean and is continuing to support enrollment growth at Foothill and De Anza as a recruitment consultant. He has traveled to 83 countries and maintains a vast network including agent partners, high school counselors and administrators all over the world, as well as EducationUSA counselors from almost every city. His expertize includes international program development and administration, international student recruitment and retention, and working with educational advising agencies.
Patrick van Rooyen
Senior Consultant of Agent Management Solutions LLC
Background: Patrick van Rooyen is a Senior Consultant of Agent Management Solutions and also the CEO and Managing Partner of Workforce Training Resources, LLC a New Hampshire based partnership with a broad range of international and workforce development activities. Patrick returned to this role in March 2015 after five years establishing and building Navitas USA in America. Navitas is a billion dollar Australian public company and a global leader in international student programs.
Patrick’s work with Navitas in the USA during 2009-2010 helped establish the company in the USA and evolve the first five major University Partnerships for Navitas. He was appointed General Manager of Navitas USA in 2010 and as part of a restructuring of the company in 2013 took charge of the three University of Massachusetts Navitas flagship programs as Head of Navitas Operations, University of Massachusetts. In his five year tenure with Navitas 2,500 international students were recruited for the US university partners.Patrick has extensive international networks and relationships with student recruitment agencies and a detailed understanding of the SEVIS system having worked closely with the Department of Homeland Security on SEVIS and international student VISA issues for some years.
He has strong links with the Department of State and US Foreign Commercial Service.With twenty years of international business experience, he guided an independent, select and professional business network in 13 countries that specialize in relationship management, executive education, international business and economic development. A visiting presenter in international business with universities and organizations in Australia, China, Japan, Singapore and the USA, he has directed a range of highly successful business projects from public listings and multinational business activities in trade and economic development accomplishments in Australia, the USA, Asia and Europe.
Our Sales and Marketing Team
Lidia Chekaykina
Sales and Marketing Executive
Background: Lidia Chekaykina
currently serves as the Sales and Marketing representative for AMS. Originally from Russia, Lidia has been leveraging her marketing techniques to convert leads into new clients. She has represented the International Study Centers and university partners at key promotional events in the regions as well as attending international workshops, educational fairs and trade shows in Europe, Eastern Europe and North America to promote and sell educational services through the agent networks.
Her in-depth market research on the USA, Canada, UK, Colombia and Costa Rica has led to an impressive sales growth through established channels and partner educational agents. She has established new and additional recruitment channels throughout assigned regions.
Liaising between agency network and campuses in the USA, Canada, UK, Colombia and Costa Rica, she has been able to ensure high quality customer service and provide resolution of enrollment and student service issues.
Ekaterina Lyapustina
Marketing Executive
Background: As a Marketing Executive, Ekaterina uses her creativity, problem-solving skills and analytical abilities to develop, refine, and implement overall marketing and promotional strategy for Agent Solutions Clients. Her background in business development, strategic management services, digital and general communication strategy, public relations, and social media brings a lot of value to our team. Over the course of her career, Katie, originally from Russia, has specialized in intercultural communications, helping various clients launch marketing initiatives in more than twenty countries around the world.
Katie has experienced both sides of international recruitment world. Most recently, she worked as an agent network developer and an international student recruiter for Berkeley College in New York. And previously, as an international portfolio manager for Access American Education (AAE), one of the prominent international recruitment agencies in the world. During her career at AAE, she recruited hundreds of international students to a variety of high profile universities such as SUNY, Drexel University, University of Cincinnati, La Salle, St. Joseph’s University, and many others.
Ekaterina has a BA in Public Relations from Temple University and an MBA in Marketing from Drexel University.