The polar regions are what we do. From our expert expedition guides to our impeccable crew to our diversely skilled office staff, the OEX team is all about giving you the utmost experience of the Arctic, Antarctica, and the sub-Antarctic. Seasoned passengers of our own epic voyages, we bring to the table not only a love of the exotic polar world but also a combined wealth of expertise unrivaled by any other polar tour operator. Join us on one of our adventurous voyages, and let us share with you all there is to see, do, and explore in Earth’s most remote frontiers.
Our staff
Expedition staff
- Sara Jenner
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: British
For as long as Sara can remember, she has had a passion for travel and for finding the wildest and most remote places on Earth.
When she was only 10, she sold her favorite pink bicycle to start her travel fund.
Every birthday and Christmas, she added more to the kitty until finally, at age 18, she realized her dream of diving the Great Barrier Reef! At that moment, the travel addict was born.
Ever since, Sara has been traveling the globe in search of wild and remote places.
She has also spent many months volunteering on wildlife conservation projects to help some of our most iconic and endangered species.
Sara’s love of wildlife and the outdoors has taken her to all seven continents.
She has traveled extensively in the polar regions, including the Antarctic Peninsula, the Falklands, South Georgia, Spitsbergen, Greenland, Iceland, Baffin Island, and the Canadian High Arctic.
Back home in the UK, Sara used her knowledge to work as a polar specialist for several years, but in 2016 she joined Oceanwide Expeditions, trading life on land for a life at sea.
Sara is a keen wildlife photographer, and when she is not in the polar regions, she enjoys working as a photographic guide in Botswana, specifically the beautiful Chobe River and Okavango Delta.
- Ali Liddle
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: British
Ali Liddle grew up in the north of England where, after leaving school, she qualified as a primary school teacher.
- Adam Turner
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: British
Since Adam was young, he dreamed of working in the Antarctic like his uncle, who had worked there in the late 1980s.
- Florence Kuyper
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: Dutch
- Pippa Low
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: British
- Jan Belgers
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: Dutch
- Adam Burke
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: British
- Chris Long
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: New Zealander
- Claudio Ghiglione
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: Italian
- Eduardo Rubio
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: Guatemalan
- Marcel Paul
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: Dutch
- Philipp Schaudy
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: Austrian
- George Kennedy
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: Australian
- Hans Verdaat
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: Dutch
- Rinie van Meurs
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: Dutch
- Christian Engelke
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: German
Activity staff
- Michael Green
- Function: Dive Team Leader and Advisor
- Nationality: British
Michael began diving in 1980, training with the Royal Navy in Portsmouth Harbour.
After leaving the Navy, he continued to dive mainly around the UK, diving wrecks and always looking for a new story.
He is qualified as a dive instructor with BSAC and PADI and is certified to operate Drager Dolphin and Buddy Inspiration rebreathers.
Michael has worked for Oceanwide Expeditions for five years and enjoys giving divers a safe and exploratory experience in the polar regions.
Michael’s biggest tip for polar divers is to slow down, look around, and enjoy the environment.
He looks forward to enjoying it with you.
- Henrik Enckell
- Function: Dive Team Leader & Advisor
- Nationality: Swedish
Henrik is an experienced dive leader, rebreather instructor trainer, and one of the first dive masters to bring tourists diving in Antarctica.
- Jonny Baird
- Function: Mountain Leader and Advisor
- Nationality: British
Since 2017, Jonny has worked regularly as a mountaineering guide and as Lead Mountain Guide on the Antarctic Peninsula.
Captains
- Remmert Koster
- Function: Captain
- Nationality: Dutch
Remmert Koster was born in the Netherlands, and from a young age he was convinced he would become a captain.
After completing nautical college, he sailed general cargo ships for several years before switching to heavy-lift ships, transporting such loads as offshore platforms, Dutch Royal Navy vessels, submarines, parts for petrochemical plants, dredgers, cranes, and other such items.
Since 2016 he has captained passenger vessels, starting with two mega-yachts and later becoming a captain with Oceanwide Expeditions on its Polar Class 6 vessel, Hondius.
Remmert is married and lives with his wife and her daughter in an old farmhouse in north Holland. When he’s not busy renovating the house, he likes to cook, travel, and spend time with his family and friends.
- Joachim Schiel
- Function: Captain
- Nationality: German
Born near the German city of Cologne, Joachim Schiel grew up some distance from the coast. His first contact with vessels came from the yearly sailing trips he made with a youth group on the Baltic.
- Ernesto Barria
- Function: Captain
- Nationality: Chilean
Ernesto Barria was born in Santiago, Chile, into a family with strong bonds to the sea: His father, grandfather, and several uncles all share a love of the ocean.
- Arthur Yakovlev
- Function: Captain
- Nationality: Russian
Office
- Loraine van Huizen
- Function: Online Marketeer
- Nationality: Dutch
- Toto Vermue
- Function: USA and Canada Sales Manager
- Nationality: Dutch
- Danique van Burken
- Function: Senior Marketing Manager
- Nationality: Dutch
- Florian J. Piper
- Function: Director Sales | Arctic program
- Nationality: German
- Ko de Korte
- Function: Consultant
- Nationality: Dutch
- Franklin Braeckman
- Function: Antarctic Program Manager
- Nationality: Belgian
- Jornt de Meurichy
- Function: E-commerce officer
- Nationality: Dutch
- George Janes
- Function: Senior Copywriter
- Nationality: British
- Gabi Merten
- Function: Reservations for the German speaking market
- Nationality: German
- Teun van ‘t Verlaat
- Function: Technical Manager
- Nationality: Dutch
- Elza Back
- Function: Account Assistant
- Nationality: Dutch
- Grace Vidal
- Function: Reservations, North-America
- Nationality: American
- Andreas Diesing
- Function: Key Account Manager for the German speaking countries
- Nationality: German
- Helen de Jong
- Function: Sales Account Manager
- Nationality: Dutch
- Sasha Rachkova
- Function: Online Marketeer
- Nationality: Russian
- Maria del Pilar Fernandez
- Function: International Sales Manager
- Nationality: Chilean
- Karin Toornstra
- Function: Reservations
- Nationality: Dutch
- Nyrée Siereveld-Verstraete
- Function: Account Assistant
- Nationality: Dutch
- Sytze Posthumus
- Function: Financial Controller
- Nationality: Dutch
- Michael Frauendorfer
- Function: Hotel Operations Manager
- Nationality: Austrian
- Adam Turner
- Function: CXO - Head of Expedition Operations
- Nationality: British
- Stefan Pruimboom
- Function: Staffing and Operations Advisor
- Nationality: Dutch
- John Yeh
- Function: Sales Representative China & South Asia & Oceania
- Nationality: Chinese
- Marissa Medrano
- Function: Accounting
- Nationality: American
- Bas Jumelet
- Function: Assistant Hotel Operations Manager
- Nationality: Dutch
- Michel van Gessel
- Function: Director
- Nationality: Dutch
- Marie Rose Porreca
- Function: Reservations, North-America
- Nationality: American
- Rémi Bouysset
- Function: CEO
- Nationality: French
- Kees Matthes
- Function: Nautical Superintendent
- Nationality: Dutch
- Dorine van Boekhout
- Function: Reservations
- Nationality: Dutch
- Piet Vink
- Function: Managing Director
- Nationality: Dutch
- Majanda Fens
- Function: Reservations Manager
- Nationality: Dutch
- Marina Joglar
- Function: Reservations, North-America
- Nationality: American
- Sebastiaan Schijf
- Function: CFO
- Nationality: Dutch
- Femke Wolfert
- Function: Staffing Manager
- Nationality: Dutch
- Alexandra den Dikken
- Function: Senior Graphic Designer
- Nationality: Dutch