As a student, Suzanne Neufang gravitated to the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa because of its location and connection to the Pacific. Today, she works to strengthen the bonds that hold the business travel industry together as the CEO of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA).
“Having grown up in the middle of the continent in North America, it was so enriching for me to have such a view of not just Asia, but the Pacific, and then Hawaiʻi’s history in and amongst that,” said Neufang.
Inspired by UH professors
While studying communication at UH, Neufang became fascinated by telecommunications—especially how vital technology is for a geographically isolated island chain. Encouraged by her professors, she researched and submitted a paper that was selected for discussion at the Pacific Telecommunications Conference in Waikīkī. Her thesis examined Integrated Services Digital Network, an early digital standard for transmitting voice and data over phone lines that was once viewed as the next stage of broadband.
“Thinking about what technology has to do with something as old as human communication, I think without the professors and the students who are challenging each other, I don’t think I would have made it that far,” said Neufang. “Both the theoretical as well as the practical was something that I enjoy mixing every day.”
Forging a path in communication industries
After graduating with a master’s degree in communication from UH in 1992, Neufang spent a decade at Hawaiʻi Public Television and GTE Hawaiian Tel. That cemented her understanding and belief that communication and connection to others is integral to the human experience.
“While telecom and broadcasting can be considered mediated connections, travel as a face-to-face or now as we say in-real-life connection, was a natural evolution for me to navigate towards professionally,” Neufang said.
Neufang oversees the GBTA’s mission to deliver community, learning and advocacy for industry members worldwide. That includes delivering innovative business-to-business solutions to customers who need them. The tools she learned at UH help to lay the foundation needed to make connections on a global scale.
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