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
- Adam Burke
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: British
Adam has always had a love of the outdoors and adventure, from an early age he dreamt of visiting exotic places and immersing himself in other cultures.
This love of the outdoors led him to work teaching adventurous activities and for over fifteen years this pursuit has given him the opportunity to live and work all over the globe. He has taught sailing in Australia, paddle sports on Europe’s rivers and led expeditions in Africa.
After spending five years teaching white water safety & rescue and boat handling techniques to the fire brigade, he moved on to providing marine science support in Antarctica. He has spent over five years living between the Antarctic continent and the island of South Georgia, including overwintering twice.
Whilst providing science support he spent his time in Antarctica managing boating operations and helming RIBs for diving operations. This covered understanding environmental changes and its effects, wildlife monitoring and counting as well as water sampling for a long-term data collection.
Adam enjoys travelling with his partner who shares the same values and love of the outdoors. This has taken them from deserts to rain forests and ultramarathons in the mountains.
- Pippa Low
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: British
Pippa has worked as a marine guide and skipper for 10 years, primarily in Scotland, Australia, New Zealand, and the polar regions.
- 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.
- George Kennedy
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: Australian
- Philipp Schaudy
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: Austrian
- Claudio Ghiglione
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: Italian
- Hans Verdaat
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: Dutch
- Eduardo Rubio
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: Guatemalan
- Adam Turner
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: British
- Christian Engelke
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: German
- Marcel Paul
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: Dutch
- Rinie van Meurs
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: Dutch
- Sara Jenner
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: British
- Jan Belgers
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: Dutch
- Florence Kuyper
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: Dutch
- Chris Long
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: New Zealander
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.
- Arthur Yakovlev
- Function: Captain
- Nationality: Russian
Arthur Yakovlev was born in Petrozavodsk, the capital and largest city of the Republic of Karelia, in northwestern Russia.
- 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
Office
- Marissa Medrano
- Function: Accounting
- Nationality: American
- Michel van Gessel
- Function: Director
- Nationality: Dutch
- Marie Rose Porreca
- Function: Reservations, North-America
- Nationality: American
- Michael Frauendorfer
- Function: Hotel Operations Manager
- Nationality: Austrian
- Franklin Braeckman
- Function: Antarctic Program Manager
- Nationality: Belgian
- Nyrée Siereveld-Verstraete
- Function: Account Assistant
- Nationality: Dutch
- Teun van ‘t Verlaat
- Function: Technical Manager
- Nationality: Dutch
- Dorine van Boekhout
- Function: Reservations
- Nationality: Dutch
- Kees Matthes
- Function: Nautical Superintendent
- Nationality: Dutch
- Stefan Pruimboom
- Function: Staffing and Operations Advisor
- Nationality: Dutch
- Sytze Posthumus
- Function: Financial Controller
- Nationality: Dutch
- Arjan Gunnink
- Function: Senior Polar Diving Advisor
- Nationality: Dutch
- Maria del Pilar Fernandez
- Function: International Sales Manager
- Nationality: Chilean
- Sebastiaan Schijf
- Function: CFO
- Nationality: Dutch
- Gabi Merten
- Function: Reservations for the German speaking market
- Nationality: German
- Florian J. Piper
- Function: Director Sales | Arctic program
- Nationality: German
- Jornt de Meurichy
- Function: E-commerce officer
- Nationality: Dutch
- Alexandra den Dikken
- Function: Senior Graphic Designer
- Nationality: Dutch
- Majanda Fens
- Function: Reservations Manager
- Nationality: Dutch
- Rémi Bouysset
- Function: CEO
- Nationality: French
- Bas Jumelet
- Function: Assistant Hotel Operations Manager
- Nationality: Dutch
- Sasha Rachkova
- Function: Online Marketeer
- Nationality: Russian
- Helen de Jong
- Function: Sales Account Manager
- Nationality: Dutch
- Adam Turner
- Function: CXO - Head of Expedition Operations
- Nationality: British
- Marina Joglar
- Function: Reservations, North-America
- Nationality: American
- Grace Vidal
- Function: Reservations, North-America
- Nationality: American
- Danique van Burken
- Function: Senior Marketing Manager
- Nationality: Dutch
- Piet Vink
- Function: Managing Director
- Nationality: Dutch
- Toto Vermue
- Function: USA and Canada Sales Manager
- Nationality: Dutch
- Loraine van Huizen
- Function: Online Marketeer
- Nationality: Dutch
- Karin Toornstra
- Function: Reservations
- Nationality: Dutch
- Ko de Korte
- Function: Consultant
- Nationality: Dutch
- John Yeh
- Function: Sales Representative China & South Asia & Oceania
- Nationality: Chinese
- Femke Wolfert
- Function: Staffing Manager
- Nationality: Dutch
- George Janes
- Function: Senior Copywriter
- Nationality: British
- Elza Back
- Function: Account Assistant
- Nationality: Dutch