Our staff

Oceanwide staff

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.

Expedition staff

  • 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.

After working in a rural school in Cumbria, she traveled Australia and New Zealand, taking a job as a teacher in the Falkland Islands, living on remote farms and teaching children at home.

A year later, she spent nine months overwintering on the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia, where she served as a post mistress.

Returning to the Falkland Islands again, Ali continued to teach, taking a job at the primary school in Stanley and staying there for the next 15 years.

A subsequent job with Falklands Conservation allowed her to complete a project in environmental education, developing curriculum resources. This led to work as a local tour guide.

Ali has been with Oceanwide Expeditions since 2010, working as a guide, lecturer, and expedition leader in Antarctica and the Arctic. She loves sharing her passion for the polar regions, especially the sub-Antarctic.

Read an interview here >
  • Jan Belgers
  • Function: Expedition leader
  • Nationality: Dutch

Jan Belgers was born in the Netherlands and currently lives in Rotterdam. He has been working as a professional outdoor guide and expedition leader for many years.

  • Hans Verdaat
  • Function: Expedition leader
  • Nationality: Dutch

Hans’s fascination for nature and traveling has been present throughout his life. From a young age, he has been an active birder traveling across Europe, studying coastal zone management in the Netherlands and in Norway.

  • Sara Jenner
  • Function: Expedition leader
  • Nationality: British
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  • Christian Engelke
  • Function: Expedition leader
  • Nationality: German
  • Philipp Schaudy
  • Function: Expedition leader
  • Nationality: Austrian
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  • Florence Kuyper
  • Function: Expedition leader
  • Nationality: Dutch
  • Rinie van Meurs
  • Function: Expedition leader
  • Nationality: Dutch
  • Claudio Ghiglione
  • Function: Expedition leader
  • Nationality: Italian
  • Pippa Low
  • Function: Expedition leader
  • Nationality: British
  • Adam Turner
  • Function: Expedition leader
  • Nationality: British
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  • Eduardo Rubio
  • Function: Expedition leader
  • Nationality: Guatemalan
  • Marcel Paul
  • Function: Expedition leader
  • Nationality: Dutch

Activity staff

  • 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.

Henrik has been diving for over 25 years and teaches all levels of recreational and technical diving up to Advanced Trimix CCR.

He runs the IART (International Association of Rebreather Trainers) Regional Office for Northern Europe and is a member of the IART Board of Advisors.

Henrik is a keen wreck diver and has been involved in deep-wreck expeditions all over the world. Some of the interesting wrecks he has visited are the WW2 disasters General von Steuben and Wilhelm Gustloff in the Baltic as well as the HMS Victoria ("the vertical wreck") at 145 meters (475 feet) off the Lebanese coast.

His interest in both the ocean and space has engaged him in projects with the European Space Agency (Mars500 Project) and SeaSpace Exploration and Research Society (Project Poseidon), among others.

He has a military background, having served in peace keeping and enforcing missions in the Middle East and former Yugoslavia.

He has been leading dive expeditions in Antarctica and the Arctic for almost 20 years in remote and challenging waters, many of which have never been dived before.

Henrik holds an M.Sc. Degree in Electrical Engineering and works in the automotive industry when not traveling the polar regions.

He has lived and worked in Tokyo for two years but currently lives in India with his wife, three teenage daughters, and five-year-old son.

  • Michael Green
  • Function: Dive Team Leader and Advisor
  • Nationality: British

Michael began diving in 1980, training with the Royal Navy in Portsmouth Harbour.

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.

Read an interview here >
  • Toni Salo
  • Function: Captain
  • Nationality: Finnish
  • Evgeny Levakov
  • Function: Captain
  • Nationality: Russian
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  • Arthur Yakovlev
  • Function: Captain
  • Nationality: Russian

Office

Head Office:
Fax: +31 (0)118 410 417
USA & Canada reservations:
Fax: +1 (0)281 749 8220
  • Grace Vidal
  • Function: Reservations, North-America
  • Nationality: American
  • Maria del Pilar Fernandez
  • Function: International Sales Manager
  • Nationality: Chilean
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  • Elza Back
  • Function: Account Assistant
  • Nationality: Dutch
  • Gabi Merten
  • Function: Reservations for the German speaking market
  • Nationality: German
  • Karin Toornstra
  • Function: Reservations
  • Nationality: Dutch
  • Kees Matthes
  • Function: Nautical Superintendent
  • Nationality: Dutch
  • Andreas Diesing
  • Function: Key Account Manager for the German speaking countries
  • Nationality: German
  • Florian J. Piper
  • Function: Director Sales | Arctic program
  • Nationality: German
  • Piet Vink
  • Function: Managing Director
  • Nationality: Dutch
  • Femke Wolfert
  • Function: Staffing Manager
  • Nationality: Dutch
  • Nyrée Siereveld-Verstraete
  • Function: Account Assistant
  • Nationality: Dutch
  • Danique van Burken
  • Function: Senior Marketing Manager
  • Nationality: Dutch
  • Adam Turner
  • Function: CXO - Head of Expedition Operations
  • Nationality: British
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  • Dorine van Boekhout
  • Function: Reservations
  • Nationality: Dutch
  • Majanda Fens
  • Function: Reservations Manager
  • Nationality: Dutch
  • Alexandra den Dikken
  • Function: Senior Graphic Designer
  • Nationality: Dutch
  • Marie Rose Porreca
  • Function: Reservations, North-America
  • Nationality: American
  • Teun van ‘t Verlaat
  • Function: Technical Superintendent
  • Nationality: Dutch
  • Loraine van Huizen
  • Function: Online Marketeer
  • Nationality: Dutch
  • Sebastiaan Schijf
  • Function: Financial Controller
  • Nationality: Dutch
  • Toto Vermue
  • Function: Sales Accountmanager
  • Nationality: Dutch
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  • Franklin Braeckman
  • Function: Antarctic Program Manager
  • Nationality: Belgian
  • Michel van Gessel
  • Function: Director
  • Nationality: Dutch
  • John Yeh
  • Function: Sales Representative China & South Asia & Oceania
  • Nationality: Chinese
  • Marina Joglar
  • Function: Reservations, North-America
  • Nationality: American
  • Erik Hageman
  • Function: CFO
  • Nationality: Dutch
  • Stefan Pruimboom
  • Function: Staffing and Operations Advisor
  • Nationality: Dutch
  • Ko de Korte
  • Function: Consultant
  • Nationality: Dutch
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