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About HANOVER

About HANOVER

Our journey and meet the team.

About Hanover CRM

Launched in 2013, Hanover CRM has supported hundreds of thousands of international exchange participants on their experiences abroad. Over the past 11 years, we've built deep partnerships with organisations across the sector and delivered the kind of tailored technology those programs actually need.

Today, Hanover CRM runs applications, placements, compliance, communication and participant support in one system. Our team of 15+ professionals, spanning four countries, looks after the platform and the sponsors, recruiters, hosts and partner organisations who work in it every day.

Our people

Meet the Leadership Team

Rob B

Rob B

Chief Executive Officer

Back in 2013 Rob was the Project Manager for the client that Cleversteam partnered with to develop the first ever version of Hanover. Having then spent 8 years using Hanover as a manager and company director he joined the Hanover team in 2021 to oversee our company strategy and help us take the next step in our evolution. Rob has worked in cultural exchange businesses in Australia, New Zealand, Germany and Canada, and is a firm believer in the power ot technology to accelerate a business. Being a father of two very active boys feels like a full time 'hobby' away from work, but whenever he gets some free time you'll find him competing in running events, on the golf course or tinkering with different ways to make the perfect coffee.

Aly B

Aly B

Chief Operating Officer

Aly first used Hanover CRM in 2018 as an Account Manager for a Canadian cultural exchange organisation. Following this, she worked as a technology consultant advising large enterprises on implementing and optimizing CRM systems. She enjoys helping organisations streamline their operations and business processes. In her role as Product Owner, she is responsible for defining the vision and strategy for Hanover CRM. Aly's love of international exchange extends beyond working for Hanover, she spent five summers in Canada as a camp counsellor on a cultural exchange program and met her husband at camp! Outside of work, she enjoys camping, hiking, cooking and spending time with her one-eyed pug-shih tzu.

Bastian W

Bastian W

Chief Growth Officer

Bastian has extensive experience in leading and shaping International Exchange organisations. Bastian was the CEO of Smaller Earth Group for nearly a decade, steering it into becoming one of the largest global recruitment companies for international exchange participants, and Bastian also served for a number of years on industry panels for the Cultural Exchange sector. As the chair of our board, Bastian is responsible for helping us shaping our vision into a reality, maintaining key strategic relationships and ensuring effective governance. Outside of work you will find Bastian competing in all manor of long distance endurance events and spending time with his family in the countryside.

Steve S

Steve S

Chief Technical Officer

Back in 2016, Steve co-founded Airbyte, where he spent over three years helping companies build software products, from minimum viable solutions for startups to fully developed platforms for global brands. Airbyte then joined Wildgoose, a global team-building company, where Steve served as Chief Technology Officer and Chief Product Officer, spearheading product development, tech team scaling, and innovation strategy. Today, Steve is helping shape the next stage of Hanover CRM to maintain its position as a tech leader in the industry. Outside of work, he loves traveling, spending time by the ocean and practicing martial arts!

Mirek S

Mirek S

Head of Engineering

Mirek has been a dedicated software professional since 2012, with a robust background in both new and existing projects across various domains. With experience in delivering mission-critical solutions to the healthcare industry, Mirek brings extensive experience in delivering software solutions that prioritise quality and reliability. With a passion for developing high-quality software, Mirek thrives in small, agile teams where collaboration and innovation are key. As a Tech Lead, Mirek oversees multiple codebases, ensuring that our customers receive top-notch support and cutting-edge solutions.

Kodi H

Kodi H

Education Product Lead

Kodi brings a decade of experience in international education, having worked at five universities across the U.S. Her background spans program management, student engagement, and operational strategy, with a focus on building efficient systems and meaningful global experiences. As Education Product Lead, she partners with institutions to design and optimize the study abroad application management system, ensuring it meets the evolving needs of global education teams. Outside of work, she's a lifelong gymnast and newly minted hockey goalie who enjoys hiking and traveling.

Jon O

Jon O

Operations Manager

Jon used the first ever version of Hanover in 2014 during his time on the support team for a cultural exchange organisation. Jon's experience with cultural exchange started in 2008 having spent a number of summers working in the US at a summer camp on the J1 visa. This experience led Jon to complete his masters degree in Ohio on an F1 visa on a soccer scholarship. Jon has travelled extensively and his passion for cultural exchange brought him back to the industry in 2023 when he joined the Hanover team. As the Operations Manager, Jon oversees all our day-to-day operations, and capacity planning and ensures successful delivery of all Hanover projects. In his spare time, Jon likes to travel and enjoys staying active. He likes running, and CrossFit and has recently taken up Hyrox.

Our journey

The Cleversteam Journey

Where it started. Our parent company, Cleversteam, was founded to build large-scale, custom CRM systems for companies offering Summer Work and Travel programs around the world. Our vision was to build high-quality business systems that would allow companies to scale their exchange programs. The number of employees: 3

Developing within the industry. Building on our experience in international exchange, many of companies we encountered were trying to run their complex programs using spreadsheets, shared folders and email. It was clear that an out-of-the-box CRM system would help these companies to simplify, automate and grow. This led to the concept for Hanover, a system that would simplify and automate the complicated process of international exchange across all of the different program types. The number of employees: 5

The launch of the original Hanover CRM. The first version was a long way from what Hanover is today, but it was the start. We've been listening to client feedback and shipping new features to the platform ever since. The number of employees: 7

Maturing to a market-leading CRM. Today, Hanover processes over 350,000 participants every year in over 30 countries. We took our 10 years in international exchange and built a system that keeps attracting companies running every kind of inbound and outbound program. Our mission is to make international exchange better, for the operators and the participants. The number of employees: 12

Hanover is in a different place today. The platform isn't just supported by a small team of developers. Alongside the software engineers, we now have industry experts, quality assurance, product owners and our own Hanover Community Manager, all working to make Hanover the go-to CRM for the international exchange industry. The number of employees: 15

Better technology for international exchange.

Take a look at Hanover and see how it would fit your team.