Austin Adventures Announces Global Employee of the Year - winner of USD$10,000 travel
BILLINGS, MT., – May 28, 2025
Austin Adventures has named Chris Williams, of Billings, Montana, USA, as its Global Employee of the Year for 2024/2025. Chris now has an exciting adventure ahead with up to USD$10,000 worth of travel of his choice in 32 countries.
According to CEO, Wendy van Lieshout the criteria isn’t just about hard work — although she says there’s been plenty of that:
“It’s about the way Chris shows up: with heart, consistency, and a real commitment to the customer experience and doing all he can to help the team around him,” says van Lieshout.
Chris was nominated by his team mates not only for his outstanding work but for truly living the values of the business.
His team leader Rhet Eikleberry, director of North America Operations says Chris is the type of person who would do anything for you and never ask for anything in return:
“He tirelessly works behind the scenes to allow our guests to have a wonderful, seamless vacation. I am so excited that, for once, he gets to have the kind of stress-free vacation that our guests enjoy,” says Eikleberry.
Now Chris has the exciting (and slightly daunting!) task of choosing where to travel – with more than 150 international itineraries, the hardest part might just be picking one! Options include:
An international bucket-list trip with Active Adventures such as New Zealand, Everest Base Camp, Tour de Mont Blanc (Europe), Mt Kilimanjaro (Africa), Machu Picchu (Peru), the W Trek (Patagonia), and the Galapagos Islands in South America.
A fun activity-filled multi-day adventure with Austin Adventures in North America’s National Parks like Kenai Fjords and Denali in Alaska, Banff and Jasper in Canada, or Death Valley in California.
An immersive travel experience with Discovery Bicycle Tours designed to get closer to local people and places, in North America, Europe, the United Kingdom, Asia, South America and New Zealand.
With US bases in Montana and Vermont, USA, teams across South America and Europe, and an HQ in Queenstown New Zealand, the Austin Adventures ‘family’ (including Active Adventures and Discovery Bicycle Tours) runs 150+ trips in 32 countries thanks to 40 full-time staff and 150+ dedicated guides around the world.
As well as the Global Employee of the Year, van Lieshout will announce their Global Guide of the Year at the North America season launch in Billings, Montana, on May 30, 2025.
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Media Contact:
Carol Soundy
Brand and Communications Lead
carol.soundy@austinadventures.com
Wendy van Lieshout
CEO, Austin Adventures
