Jim Forsyth

Jim hails from the 'Garden City' of Toowoomba, inland from State capital Brisbane,
and arrived in Hiroshima in 1991, with two children and his re-imported Japanese wife. After several years of doing a variety of teaching, he established a study abroad business, after realising that students from one of his high schools were doing an annual trip to a town very near his hometown.

It proved feasible to copy the program for students from the nursing college where he was also teaching, so in 1997, the first group study tour was arranged to Toowoomba, hosted by the university there.

Tours to New Zealand, England and Canada followed, plus study plans for individuals doing ESL, formal degrees, Working Holidays, Au Pair childcare, and teaching ( JFL ) assistants were introduced in stages.

Jim keeps up to date on the industry by attending educator - agent Workshops (such as ICEF ), and visiting schools in person. The latest visits were in October 2010 to the Philippines, and January 2011 to ESL institutes in Malaysia, lead by the trend to cheaper destinations.

With the family having expanded to one daughter and seven sons, retirement is not on the horizon yet, so OPM is pleased to join David Paul's new venture.

Recreational pursuits include practising public speaking at three Toastmasters clubs, playing chess, and cycling.