Aston J. Barnicoat President and CEO of ITN and Odyssey International Exchange

Aston J. Barnicoat realized the importance of international experiences and travelling at a young age. After having the opportunity to participate in cultural exchange programs himself, the invaluable life lessons and enriching experiences drove him to develop a program that would better benefit candidates searching for professional opportunities abroad. Anchored in hospitality education and training, the International Trainee Network (ITN) was born with the purpose to provide culturally immersive experiences and world-class hospitality training to young professionals from all over the world.

Today, after 15 years of experience and hard work, ITN is proudly the largest provider of J-1 luxury hospitality programs in the United States. Together with its sister company and exclusive sponsor, ODYSSEY International Exchange, they work with over 170 of the United States’ most prestigious hotels and resorts, have over 40 international partner universities, and are delivering J-1 programs to over 2,000 international students and young professionals per year.

What makes them different? Aston J. Barnicoat made it his mission to place the heart of the organisation on customer service. He created a network community that allows students and young professionals to connect with one another in their journey. Not only that, but the synergic relationship between both of his organisations streamlines the process, making it faster and easier for participants to go through the typically complicated and stressful procedures. This straightforward system allows ITN and ODYSSEY to recruit candidates and sponsor them through the entire process of the J-1 programs in a more authentic and all-inclusive approach.