My wife, Michèle, and I grew up in small towns, she in France and I in the United States. We were both introduced to traveling with our parents at an early age.

My first trip to Europe was a summer in Germany in 1968 as an AFS exchange student. This trip forever changed the way I saw new ideas, people and ways of life.

Michèle and I met in Iowa and ventured to Guatemala together in 1974 with a close friend. He and I started our first business exporting handicrafts to Iowa. Several years later, Lanvin in Paris used our cotton textiles in its 1978 Spring and Summer haute couture collection.

We raised our children in San Francisco, enjoyed traveling with them, and frequently invited their families along. We do the same with our grandsons as often as we can.

My professional interests, passions and experiences have driven me to entrepreneurship, mentoring, team building, board development and strategic planning.

I like bringing diverse people together to achieve a common purpose. Traveling and exploring other cultures are our way of life.

Social media has allowed me to share my photos of our travels online.