Ryan Sanders

Ryan Sanders has a diverse work experience, starting in 2004 as a Recruitment Manager at the Royal Bank of Scotland. In 2007, they founded Haka Tours, a company that offers small group guided tours of New Zealand. Ryan later established Haka Educational Tours in 2015, which operates small group guided tours primarily for Germanic speaking countries. Ryan also founded Haka Hotels in 2017, a design-focused hotel brand that will transition to "Drifter" in 2022. In 2019, they became the Director/Owner of ANZ Nature Tours, which offers guided tours primarily for Germanic speaking countries and became part of the Intrepid Travel family in 2021. In 2021, Ryan became the Founding Director of Drifter Hospitality Group, a premium hybrid hotel network across Asia Pacific. Ryan is also currently the CEO of Haka House Hostels, a new brand that offers design-driven hostels. Additionally, Ryan has served as a Board Member and Past President of BYATA - Backpacking Youth Adventure Travel Assoc, and as a Learning Chair for Entrepreneurs' Organization.

Ryan Sanders attended the University of Canterbury from 1996 to 2000. During this time, they pursued a double major in Psychology and Geography, earning a Bachelor of Science degree. Additionally, they completed an Honours program in Psychology, receiving a Bachelor of Arts with Honours.