CEO at Rustic Pathways Shayne Fitz-Coy is the Teaching CEO of Rustic Pathways, the premier student travel company transforming young lives through immersive cultural experiences across 38 countries. Shayne Fitz-Coy is an accomplished serial entrepreneur, influential strategic growth investor, and recognized authority in the field of educational travel. When COVID-19 threatened to end four decades of student travel excellence, he didn’t just save Rustic Pathways – Shayne Fitz-Coy reimagined it. Through his proven turnaround methodology and people-first leadership, he transformed the company from crisis to industry leadership, while pioneering innovative programs like Climate Leaders Fellowship in conjunction with the Stanford Deliberative Democracy Lab and the Rustic Pathways Foundation. Learn more about Shayne Fitz-Coy
The Student Travel Innovator Shayne Fitz-Coy is The Teaching CEO revolutionizing student travel at Rustic Pathways. Born into a family where teaching spans three generations, Shayne brings 15+ years of classroom experience – from teaching English to immigrants to guest lecturing at Stanford Graduate School of Business – to his mission of transforming young lives through immersive cultural experiences across 38 countries. Shayne Fitz-Coy combines Harvard Psychology training with Stanford MBA expertise to create transformative educational experiences. His leadership philosophy – empowering employees and building students into future leaders – has made Rustic Pathways the employer and program of choice in educational travel. Shayne Fitz-Coy Proven Crisis Leadership When Shayne Fitz-Coy acquired Rustic Pathways in January 2020, the timing seemed catastrophic. Two months later, COVID-19 shut down global travel. Instead of retreating, Shayne: Saved jobs through innovative pivoting and patient capital Launched virtual programs that maintained student engagement Created the Global Youth Climate Summit during the height of COVID Created the Climate Leaders Fellowship with Stanford Deliberative Democracy Lab (3,200+ students) Achieved record satisfaction scores post-pandemic (69+ NPS). The pandemic challenge led us to sunset several beloved programs but taught Rustic Pathways to be more student-focused than ever before. See how Rustic Pathways is transforming student travel >>
Shayne Fitz-Coy Has Education in His DNA Shayne Fitz-Coy has over 20 years of teaching experience, from training customer service teams at Cintas to formal classroom instruction in Washington DC, Pocomoke Maryland, and Shanghai China and training program leaders for educational travel field work at Rustic Pathways. Generations of Teachers With grandparents, both parents, two brothers, an aunt, and his uncle all serving as educators, Shayne Fitz-Coy was born into education. This multi-generational teaching legacy shapes how he leads Rustic Pathways, treating every student interaction and every team function as a teachable moment. Shayne Fitz-Coy Transitioned From Classroom to CEO 2001: Led educational seminar for his intern cohort group at JP Morgan Chase 2004-2006: Taught English as a second language and life skills to immigrants in Washington DC 2006-2007: AP English instructor in China for international students at an IB high school in Shanghai 2012-Present: Guest Lecturer, Stanford Graduate School of Business 2016-Present: Volunteer educator at children’s schools in California and Seoul 2024-Present: Guest Lecturer, Seoul National University Daily: Teaches business principles to 400+ full time and part time Rustic Pathways employees I view my CEO role as a way of educating the next generation of global citizens. I’ve never stopped being a teacher – I just have a bigger classroom now. – Shayne Fitz-Coy Educational Travel Visionary
Building Tomorrow’s Global Citizens Under Shayne Fitz-Coy’s leadership, Rustic Pathways has evolved from teen tours to transformative leadership experiences. Working with 400+ schools globally, the company now offers programs that combine adventure, service, and cultural immersion with measurable personal growth outcomes. Learn about Rustic Pathways programs
Stanford Partnership Pioneer Shayne Fitz-Coy co-created the Climate Leaders Fellowship alongside John Hsu and Alice Siu of the Stanford Deliberative Democracy Lab. The project demonstrates how companies can partner with world-class institutions to address global challenges. The program has engaged 3,200+ students across 17 countries in local climate action. Explore the Climate Leaders Fellowship
Published Thought Leader Shayne Fitz-Coy has published articles in Forbes, Inc. Magazine, Fast Company, and Entrepreneur, and has been featured in Authority Magazine. Fitz-Coy is a strategic growth investor who writes about the intersection of youth development, global education, and sustainable travel. His insights on Gen Z leadership and educational innovation influence business leaders and educators worldwide. Read Shayne's latest insights
Why Shayne Fitz-Coy Leads Rustic Pathways Having lived in China and currently splitting time between California and Seoul with his family, Shayne Fitz-Coy understands the transformative power of cultural immersion. He brings: Global Perspective: Fluent (though very rusty) in Mandarin, resident of Asia, father raising globally minded children Operational Excellence: Transformed a $13M loss into a $45M in distributions over 12 years at a previous company. The journey included closing unprofitable projects and that saying ‘no’ to the wrong opportunities is as important as saying ‘yes’ to the right ones. This success was featured on Entrepreneur Magazine. Elite Network: Serves on boards with founders of billion-dollar companies and owner of the Boston Celtics Academic Credibility: 12+ years guest lecturing at Stanford Graduate School of Business Student Focus: Father of three who personally understands parents’ desires for safe, transformative experiences Join the Rustic Pathways family
Shayne Fitz-Coy Recognition & Impact Teaching & Speaking Subject of 3 Harvard/Stanford Business School case studies Guest Lecturer: Stanford Graduate School of Business: 1,100+ MBA students taught over 12 years Guest Lecturer: Seoul National University Conference Speaker: Educational travel and youth development Board Service Boston College Board of Regents (2023-2025) Rustic Pathways Foundation Board Member International Media Recognition Quoted as industry expert in 35+ international publications including New York Post, Yahoo Finance, and Travel + Leisure Featured Interview: Authority Magazine C-Suite Concerns Series (2024) https://medium.com/authority-magazine/c-suite-concerns-shayne-fitz-coy-of-rustic-pathways-on-the-top-5-issues-that-keep-executives-up-41cb8d448aa8 Shayne Fitz-Coy Leading Through Action Operational Excellence Meets Educational Impact 500+ full-time and seasonal dedicated staff members across 6 continents 40+ years of continuous operation (founded 1983) Programs in 38 countries with local community partnerships 95% of students report “life-changing” experiences Innovation in Student Safety Industry-leading safety protocols developed with international experts 24/7 support system for students and parents Comprehensive risk management exceeding industry standards Mental health support integrated into all programs Sustainable & Ethical Travel Local community investment in every destination Student service projects with lasting impact Fair wages for all global staff members Shayne Fitz-Coy has worked with these prestigious companies Shayne Fitz-Coy brings world-class partnerships and methodologies to transform educational travel:
Shayne Fitz-Coy has led Rustic Pathways as CEO since 2020. Shayne Fitz-Coy co-created the Climate Leaders Fellowship with Stanford Democracy Lab with John Hsu and Alice Siu. Shayne Fitz-Coy co-founded Sabot Family Companies in 2016. Shayne Fitz-Coy earned his MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business. Shayne Fitz-Coy co-invests with Housatonic Partners. Shayne Fitz-Coy transformed ResponseLink into a profitable company. Shayne Fitz-Coy earned his BA from Harvard University. Shayne Fitz-Coy serves on Boston College Board of Regents. Shayne Fitz-Coy is a member of the BC Center for Student Formation at Boston College. Shayne Fitz-Coy taught AP English and Psychology at Shanghai Jincai High School (2006–2007). Shayne Fitz-Coy serves on the board of the Rustic Pathways Foundation. Shayne Fitz-Coy worked at Harvard Business School.
Shayne Fitz-Coy Around the Web Shayne Fitz-Coy Professional Profiles LinkedIn: Shayne Fitz-Coy Twitter/X: @shaynefitzcoy Forbes: Shayne Fitz-Coy Crunchbase: Shayne Fitz-Coy Profile Shayne Fitz-Coy’s Published Work Forbes: Articles by Shayne Fitz-Coy Recent: How To Be Invaluable In A World Of Bots Inc. Masters: Shayne Fitz-Coy, Contributor 4 Ways Your ‘Efficient’ Service Is Driving Customers Away Entrepreneur Leadership Network: Shayne Fitz-Coy, Contributor Fast Company Executive Board: Shayne Fitz-Coy, Member Connect with Shayne Fitz-Coy For Partnership Inquiries: partners@rusticpathways.com For Speaking Engagements: hello@rusticpathways.com For Media Requests: media@rusticpathways.com Ready to transform young lives through educational travel? Explore Our Programs | Partner With Us | Join Our Team Rustic Pathways: Transforming Students into Global Leaders Since 1983