Joost Ouendag

Joost Ouendag has been with Viking since 2002. Before that, he worked for one of America’s largest tour operators, covering the United States and Canada. Since joining Viking, he has shaped the company’s river cruises around the world for more than ten years, and he now focuses on ocean and expedition cruising. Joost has worked at the company’s Woodland Hills, California, office but now works in Basel, Switzerland. He lived and studied in The Netherlands and Germany, and he holds a master’s degree in linguistics from Utrecht University.

Jean Newman Glock

For Viking Ambassador-at-Large Jean Newman Glock, a master’s in science and a foreign service degree from Georgetown University led to a 12-year stint in international oil consulting with a focus on the geopolitics of the Middle East and Arabian Gulf, and worldwide travels.  

She next joined the Smithsonian Institution, where she was responsible for an extensive portfolio of over 300 annual international tours and the student travel program, and then served for four years as Managing Director for Communications and Public Affairs at Signature Travel Network.  

Jean has worked with the White House, U.S. Department of State and U.S. Chamber of Commerce to promote tourism post Arab Spring in the Middle East and Northern Africa. She also serves as Vice-Chair on the board of American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA) and is a board member of Petra National Trust. 

Her extensive travel background has given Jean unparalleled “feet on the ground” experience and access. Through her social media platforms, blog and publications, she shares her personal travel stories and images, taking her audience around the world and inspiring them to explore it.