Charlie Lafave
09 July 2009 03:24 PM
Charlie Lafave lives in a log cabin in Novelty, Ohio, just down the road from the 4th largest Amish community in the world. He has been in marketing and sales, both online and offline, since 1985. Today he has a financing business, an online dog training business, and is working on various documentary film and photo projects. Currently, his primary project is based on filming done in Gabon on the upper Ivindo River and in and around Makokou in August 2008.
Before becoming a full time Internet marketer and financier, Charlie was Vice President of Abercrombie & Kent, Inc., and Managing Director of Business Unit II. “A&K” is one of the world’s largest and most prestigious luxury travel companies, offering exotic vacations to far-flung destinations across the globe, including safaris to Africa, expeditions to the Antarctic, voyages to the Galapagos, cruises down the Nile, luxury trains across Europe and so much more.
At A&K, Charlie was responsible for Africa, the Middle East, North, South and Central America, Alaska, and the Explorer Shipping Corporation. Prior to joining Abercrombie & Kent, Inc., Charlie was President of Abercrombie & Kent American Adventures, Ltd., president of Sheri Griffith Expeditions, president of Ouzel Outfitters, and brand manager for Abercrombie & Kent Active.
In addition to his other responsibilities at A&K, Charlie produced television programs set in Kenya, Papua New Guinea, Botswana and the Antarctic. Charlie has also published photos in Insight Guide: France, The New York Post, The New York Daily News, Fortune magazine and several A&K brochures, as well as news articles in Africa Report.
Charlie was born in Oregon, but grew up in Shaker Heights, Ohio. After earning a BA in Political Science from Williams College, he joined the Peace Corps, serving as an English teacher in a remote jungle town, just north of the Equator in northeastern Gabon. Two years later, Charlie returned to the States to earn an MA in International Relations, with an emphasis on International Economics and African Studies, from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. From here, he went on to spend a year on scholarship as a Fellow (in Anthropology) at Columbia University. During this time, Charlie spent time living and working in Washington, D.C., Hong Kong, Madrid, New York City and Chicago.
Before joining A&K, Charlie worked as a marketing and promotions consultant at Mark McCormack’s IMG, the world’s largest sport, special event and lifestyle marketing company. While there, he was the lead manager on successful consulting assignments with, among others, Philip Morris, Coca-Cola, Matrix Essentials, Nautica Apparel and Price Waterhouse. Along the way, he negotiated product endorsements for Monica Seles and Chris Evert; title and supporting sponsorships at tennis events, sailing regattas, and festivals; played a critical role in the development and operation of the wildly successful Marlboro Adventure Team promotion for Philip Morris; consulted on, conceived and/or implemented marketing campaigns; and worked with Abercrombie & Kent to create, fund and produce a two-hour television program, with Lauren Hutton and James Brolin, titled To The Ends Of The Earth.