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
- George Kennedy
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: Australian
George is an Australian social scientist specialising in polar geopolitics. He completed a Masters of International Development Practice at Monash University in 2016 and a Graduate Diploma in Antarctic Governance at the Australian Institute for Marine and Antarctic Science in 2021. Since completing his studies, George has worked within the policy office of the Australian Antarctic Division, collaborating with other Antarctic Treaty Parties to develop sustainable tourism policy, as well as representing Oceanwide at the IAATO general meetings.
Alongside polar geopolitics, George has worked as an ALS paramedic for over a decade, and is now in the final stages of completing his Doctorate of Medicine at Deakin University where he hopes to specialise in Remote Medicine.
George has a passion for travel, boats, and motorcycles. Over a three-year period, he rode a motorcycle from Patagonia to Mexico, exploring Latin America on two wheels. It was during his time in Patagonia that his passion for the polar regions developed, working closely with conservation organisations in Tierra del Fuego and visiting Antarctica for the first time in 2017. George has been guiding in Antarctica and the Arctic since 2019, sharing stories of its incredible wildlife, landscapes and, of course, its unique politics!
- 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.
- Christian Engelke
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: German
Since his first vacation to Norway in 1996, Christian Engelke has suffered from “Scandinavia fever.” Since then he has been exploring Norway, Sweden, and Greenland by foot, skis, and kayak.
- Philipp Schaudy
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: Austrian
- Adam Turner
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: British
- Hans Verdaat
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: Dutch
- Ali Liddle
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: British
- Rinie van Meurs
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: Dutch
- Florence Kuyper
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: Dutch
- Chris Long
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: New Zealander
- Pippa Low
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: British
- Marcel Paul
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: Dutch
- Claudio Ghiglione
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: Italian
- Jan Belgers
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: Dutch
- Adam Burke
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: British
- Eduardo Rubio
- Function: Expedition leader
- Nationality: Guatemalan
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Per Andersson
- Function: Captain
- Nationality: Swedish
- Joachim Schiel
- Function: Captain
- Nationality: German
Office
- Arjan Gunnink
- Function: Senior Polar Diving Advisor
- Nationality: Dutch
- Grace Vidal
- Function: Reservations, North-America
- Nationality: American
- Kees Matthes
- Function: Nautical Superintendent
- Nationality: Dutch
- Piet Vink
- Function: Managing Director
- Nationality: Dutch
- Toto Vermue
- Function: USA and Canada Sales Manager
- Nationality: Dutch
- Alexandra den Dikken
- Function: Senior Graphic Designer
- Nationality: Dutch
- Danique van Burken
- Function: Senior Marketing Manager
- Nationality: Dutch
- Nyrée Siereveld-Verstraete
- Function: Account Assistant
- Nationality: Dutch
- Marissa Medrano
- Function: Accounting
- Nationality: American
- Stefan Pruimboom
- Function: Staffing and Operations Advisor
- Nationality: Dutch
- Franklin Braeckman
- Function: Antarctic Program Manager
- Nationality: Belgian
- Florian J. Piper
- Function: Director Sales | Arctic program
- Nationality: German
- Karin Schutte
- Function: Reservations
- Nationality: Dutch
- Michel van Gessel
- Function: Director
- Nationality: Dutch
- Marie Rose Porreca
- Function: Reservations, North-America
- Nationality: American
- Rémi Bouysset
- Function: CEO
- Nationality: French
- Bas Jumelet
- Function: Assistant Hotel Operations Manager
- Nationality: Dutch
- Gabi Merten
- Function: Reservations for the German speaking market
- Nationality: German
- Majanda Fens
- Function: Reservations Manager
- Nationality: Dutch
- Sytze Posthumus
- Function: Financial Controller
- Nationality: Dutch
- Adam Turner
- Function: CXO - Head of Expedition Operations
- Nationality: British
- Elza Back
- Function: Account Assistant
- Nationality: Dutch
- George Janes
- Function: Senior Copywriter
- Nationality: British
- Sasha Rachkova
- Function: Online Marketeer
- Nationality: Russian
- Ko de Korte
- Function: Consultant
- Nationality: Dutch
- Femke Wolfert
- Function: Staffing Manager
- Nationality: Dutch
- Loraine van Huizen
- Function: Online Marketeer
- Nationality: Dutch
- Dorine van Boekhout
- Function: Reservations
- Nationality: Dutch
- Helen de Jong
- Function: Sales Account Manager
- Nationality: Dutch
- Marina Joglar
- Function: Reservations, North-America
- Nationality: American
- John Yeh
- Function: Sales Representative China & South Asia & Oceania
- Nationality: Chinese
- Maria del Pilar Fernandez
- Function: International Sales Manager
- Nationality: Chilean
- Teun van ‘t Verlaat
- Function: Technical Manager
- Nationality: Dutch
- Sebastiaan Schijf
- Function: CFO
- Nationality: Dutch
- Michael Frauendorfer
- Function: Hotel Operations Manager
- Nationality: Austrian
- Jornt de Meurichy
- Function: E-commerce officer
- Nationality: Dutch