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.
- 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.
- Philipp Schaudy
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: Austrian
- Ali Liddle
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: British
- George Kennedy
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: Australian
- Chris Long
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: New Zealander
- Eduardo Rubio
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: Guatemalan
- Rinie van Meurs
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: Dutch
- Sara Jenner
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: British
- Florence Kuyper
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: Dutch
- Hans Verdaat
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: Dutch
- Marcel Paul
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: Dutch
- Christian Engelke
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: German
- Claudio Ghiglione
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: Italian
- Adam Turner
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: British
Activity staff
- Jonny Baird
- Function: Mountain Leader and Advisor
- Nationality: British
Jonny Baird grew up in the small village of Taynuilt near Oban on Scotland’s west coast, where he first discovered his passion for climbing and skiing. He is now based in the French Alps near the Chamonix Valley and has worked as an IFMGA-certified Mountain Guide since 2005.
Since 2017, Jonny has worked regularly as a mountaineering guide aboard the Oceanwide expedition ship Ortelius and as Lead Mountain Guide aboard Hondius on the Antarctic Peninsula.
Over the years, his deep appreciation for the Antarctic has grown—not only for its mountaineering potential but also for its unique and abundant wildlife.
In winter, Jonny primarily guides ski mountaineering trips across France, Italy, and Switzerland, with regular expeditions further afield. His Arctic guiding experience includes trips to Arctic Norway (Lofoten Islands, Kvaløya, Tromsø, and Arnøya), Greenland, and Iceland’s Troll Peninsula.
During the summer months, Jonny focuses on alpine climbing, mountaineering, and rock climbing, sharing more than 35 years of personal climbing experience with his clients. His climbing has taken him around the world, including the European Alps, Kyrgyzstan, Peru, Canada, the U.S., Morocco, New Zealand, Australia, and of course Scotland, where it all began.
Beyond guiding, Jonny has worked in mountain safety for television, film, and photography projects. He is the co-author of a ski touring guidebook and has contributed to several online publications.
Jonny is a member of the Syndicat National des Guides de Montagne (SNGM), the French national mountain guiding association. Over the years, he has climbed, skied, and guided on every continent.
- Michael Green
- Function: Dive Team Leader and Advisor
- Nationality: British
Michael began diving in 1980, training with the Royal Navy in Portsmouth Harbour.
- 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.
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.
- Per Andersson
- Function: Captain
- Nationality: Swedish
Assuming the role of Captain with Oceanwide Expeditions in 2021, captain Per orchestrates expeditions through the Arctic and Antarctic aboard M/V Ortelius.
- Ernesto Barria
- Function: Captain
- Nationality: Chilean
- Arthur Yakovlev
- Function: Captain
- Nationality: Russian
Office
- Maria del Pilar Fernandez
- Function: International Sales Manager
- Nationality: Chilean
- Femke Wolfert
- Function: Staffing Manager
- Nationality: Dutch
- Alexandra den Dikken
- Function: Senior Graphic Designer
- Nationality: Dutch
- Marissa Medrano
- Function: Accounting
- Nationality: American
- Florian J. Piper
- Function: Director Sales | Arctic program
- Nationality: German
- Dorine van Boekhout
- Function: Reservations
- Nationality: Dutch
- George Janes
- Function: Senior Copywriter
- Nationality: British
- Teun van ‘t Verlaat
- Function: Technical Manager
- Nationality: Dutch
- Piet Vink
- Function: Managing Director
- Nationality: Dutch
- Michel van Gessel
- Function: Director
- Nationality: Dutch
- Franklin Braeckman
- Function: Antarctic Program Manager
- Nationality: Belgian
- Jornt de Meurichy
- Function: E-commerce officer
- Nationality: Dutch
- Ko de Korte
- Function: Consultant
- Nationality: Dutch
- Bas Jumelet
- Function: Assistant Hotel Operations Manager
- Nationality: Dutch
- Marina Joglar
- Function: Reservations, North-America
- Nationality: American
- Toto Vermue
- Function: USA and Canada Sales Manager
- Nationality: Dutch
- Kees Matthes
- Function: Nautical Superintendent
- Nationality: Dutch
- Nyrée Siereveld-Verstraete
- Function: Account Assistant
- Nationality: Dutch
- Karin Schutte
- Function: Reservations
- Nationality: Dutch
- Arjan Gunnink
- Function: Senior Polar Diving Advisor
- Nationality: Dutch
- Elza Back
- Function: Account Assistant
- Nationality: Dutch
- Marie Rose Porreca
- Function: Reservations, North-America
- Nationality: American
- Stefan Pruimboom
- Function: Staffing and Operations Advisor
- Nationality: Dutch
- Michael Frauendorfer
- Function: Hotel Operations Manager
- Nationality: Austrian
- Sebastiaan Schijf
- Function: CFO
- Nationality: Dutch
- Helen de Jong
- Function: Sales Account Manager
- Nationality: Dutch
- Gabi Merten
- Function: Reservations for the German speaking market
- Nationality: German
- Grace Vidal
- Function: Reservations, North-America
- Nationality: American
- Adam Turner
- Function: CXO - Head of Expedition Operations
- Nationality: British
- Sytze Posthumus
- Function: Financial Controller
- Nationality: Dutch
- Majanda Fens
- Function: Reservations Manager
- Nationality: Dutch
- Loraine van Huizen
- Function: Online Marketeer
- Nationality: Dutch
- Danique van Burken
- Function: Senior Marketing Manager
- Nationality: Dutch
- Rémi Bouysset
- Function: CEO
- Nationality: French
- John Yeh
- Function: Sales Representative China & South Asia & Oceania
- Nationality: Chinese
- Sasha Rachkova
- Function: Online Marketeer
- Nationality: Russian