Former eLong.com CEO joins italki.com as Advisor

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) June 5, 2008 -- June 5, 2008 - SHANGHAI, China – Language learning social network, italki.com announced Tom Soohoo has joined its board of advisors. SooHoo has over 19 years experience throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Most recently, SooHoo served as CEO of eLong, one of China’s leading online travel companies, majority owned by the US online travel giant Expedia, Inc.

SooHoo is excited about italki’s concept – making language learning accessible to everyone through social networking and advancements in Web 2.0.

As part of his extensive experience across Asia-Pacific, SooHoo served as Regional Managing Director for McDonald's China, overseeing more than 325 restaurants and a team of 25,000 employees. Besides his leading roles at eLong and McDonald’s, SooHoo has had an impressive history at other multinational corporations. He held managerial roles with Nike in China and Southeast Asia, as well as Hyatt Hotels International in Hong Kong. Tom received a BA from University of California, Berkeley, and an MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.

With his broad leadership experience across the Asia-Pacific region, Tom SooHoo will advise italki on international growth and corporate development. Eric Pang, President and COO of italki, in referring to SooHoo said, “I am thrilled to have Tom joining us as an advisor. His comprehensive experience in global enterprises and strategic planning are invaluable. I am confident that Tom’s knowledge and expertise will help us significantly in our plans for international expansion.”

About italki - italki.com is a free language learning website utilizing Web 2.0 technology to create a global community of language learners. Since its December 2006 launch, italki has become one of the largest and fastest growing sites for online language learning representing over 100 languages worldwide. italki aims to become the leading platform for online language learning. For further information, please contact Toffler Niemuth at press@italki.com or visit www.italki.com.

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