The Support Team
Overseas Expeditions |
UK Programmes |
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| Nicola Conway Expedition Manager |
Jon Parry UK Director of Youth Personal Development |
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| Georgia Spink Expedition Manager |
Kelly Street UK Short Courses Manager |
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| Ruth Lee Expedition UK Training Co-ordinator |
Christine Cooper Finance Manager |
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| Charlie
Eustace Expedition Manager |
Samantha McElligott Trainer Liaison Manager |
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| Liz Gray Expedition and Marketing Consultant |
Hugh Elkington Resources Manager |
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| Dr Caroline Baugh
Company Doctor |
Fay Cox Researcher |
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| Peter Harvey Managing Director |
Talisker Wilderness dog |
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| Richard Mayon-White
Commercial Director |
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| Heather Thompson Expedition Director |
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| Catherine Rogers Advisor |
Overseas Expeditions
Nicola
Conway 
A New Zealander, Nicky has spent most of her life in the outdoors and is
passionate about travel. She graduated from Wellington's Victoria University
with degrees in maths and accountancy before taking to the open road.
Nicky has travelled to more than 40 countries and enjoyed many adventures along the way. Prior to joining Wilderness Expertise, she worked for Explore Worldwide (Europe's leading Adventure Travel Company) and has lead over 50 tours in a variety of countries across the globe.
After 3 and a half years "on the road", Nicky took up the post of Operations Manager for Explore where her skills and experience were put to good use in training new Leaders and managing their existing product.
In her spare time, Nicky loves to trek in the mountains and even spent her honeymoon traversing the Bernese Oberland in the Swiss Alps
Georgia joined WE in late 2007 and has taken on the role of Expedition Manager working closely with the other members of the Overseas Team. Originally (and proudly!) from Whitby in North Yorkshire, she defected to the South due to a job in the bar industry. When working late nights and weekends became more pain than pleasure, she took the not too distant leap into the wine sales industry. Whilst in the role Georgia was able to pursue her interest in water sports and joined a local Dragon Boat Team. One year later she was representing Great Britain and had become a World Champion! This radical life-changing moment made Georgia re-think what she wanted from her work life and so she went back to university to study Sports Leadership.
This led to Georgia discovering Wilderness Expertise and she spent a hectic summer getting to know the company. It wasn't long before she'd worked her way in permanently and is now a very happy member of the team.
Georgia has been lucky enough to travel to several countries, including America, Canada, Mexico, Hong Kong, China, Australia, New Zealand, and numerous places in Europe – but she is yet to conquer the big ones of Africa and India. Her honeymoon in late 2008 will hopefully cross one of those off her to do list though!
Georgia is passionate about travel and sport and knows only too well about the fulfilment, excitement and challenges that both can provide. She hopes to venture to many new places whilst on board at WE and try out some new sports – she is already becoming quite proficient with a squash racket!
Ruth
Lee 
Ruth left Swansea Institute of Higher Education with an HND in Water-Sports
and Adventure Activity Management. After all these years of study, Ruth
took off with a friend and took part in the LINK charity hitch from Swansea
to Morocco. Since then Ruth has been freelancing for various outdoor organisations.
She has been assistant leader on three youth development expeditions to
Nicaragua, China and Costa Rica and recently spent two months working for
an outdoor centre in Canada. As with everyone in WE, Ruth loves travelling
and alongside her trips to Europe, Morocco, China, Ecuador and Nicaragua
she hopes to explore more of the world in her time with WE.
Ruth is in charge of co-ordinating all the UK Expedition training courses.
Charlie
Eustace
Charlie's love of travel took wings when she headed to Argentina for a few
months during her Gap year; living with a family on a ranch, teaching English
and trying to learn Spanish. By the time she left Aberdeen University with
a Physical Geography BSc, her love of travel and the outdoors had been firmly
established and she knew that she wanted to combine both of these interests
in her future work.
In between travel to both Central and South America, Charlie spent 18 months
working for an overseas expedition provider where she was lucky enough to
lead an expedition to South Africa. Following this, she spent time in Central
America volunteering as a volcano guide where all the money made from the
clients went to a local charity for street children.
On her return, Charlie joined the Wilderness Expertise team as an Expedition
Manager, putting to good use her knowledge of the expedition world and overseas
travel. In her spare time she tries to take to the hills and do as much
outdoorsy stuff as living in the south of England will allow!
Liz
Gray 
Liz graduated from Middlesex University in 1992 with a First Class Honours
degree in Scientific Illustration and spent several years working with publishers
in the UK and US illustrating natural history and medical books. Cabin fever
eventually got the better of her, and she joined Raleigh International as
an Expedition Artist. Four years later she came home having worked on 5
expeditions - Belize, Chile, Uganda (twice) and Zimbabwe and parts of several
other trips in Borneo and Uganda/Kenya.
Liz then spent several years working for a couple of expedition organizations before landing on WE's doorstep in April 2002. She has worked part-time for the company since then and her roles include country research, marketing and instructing on UK courses. She has her Mountain Leader (Summer) qualification and has led expeditions for Wilderness Expertise and several other youth development organisations over the last 10 years to destinations all over the globe including Mongolia, China, Malaysia, Ghana, Namibia, Nepal and the Sinai Desert. Liz is the co-founder of the Expedition Provider's Association (EPA) and manages this alongside a voluntary role on the Board of Trustees of the Young Explorer's Trust (YET).
In her spare time, Liz works for several event companies as a facilitator on corporate events and is also qualified as a Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician. She is still a freelance illustrator and spends some of her time illustrating obscure medical and natural history books as well as working on private commissions. Liz plays the viola with the New Bristol Sinfonia (www.newbristolsinfonia.org.uk); is the 2005 Ladies World Nettle Eating Champion and enjoys taking part in highly inadvisable endurance events.
Liz lives in Bath with her paintbrushes and in a house that will never quite be finished!
Dr
Caroline Baugh 
Caroline qualified as a doctor in 1998 and rapidly developed an interest
in emergency and pre-hospital care. She has worked in various hospitals
in London, gaining experience in a number of different specialities, from
Accident and Emergency to Anaesthetics, Intensive Care, Paediatrics and
High Risk Obstetrics. She is ALS, ATLS and APLS qualified.
This, and a Diploma in Tropical Medicine, at least partially prepared her for a two-year post, working as the Medical Director for Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors without Borders) in Northern Sudan. This entailed the medical management of a large country programme – treating a variety of diseases including Severe Malnutrition, Malaria, Leishmaniasis, Tuberculosis, HIV, and many others. She was responsible for the medical planning and implementation of MSF’s emergency health and nutrition programme in response to the ongoing crisis in Darfur, the largest ever MSF response.
When not at work, she tries to get as far away from it all as possible, usually either by heading out sailing or by walking up some hill or other. She recently skied over 600 km in the Arctic on an endurance race to the Magnetic North Pole – adding to her first hand knowledge of medicine in rather extreme and unusual environments!
Peter
Harvey 
Having left Wellington in 1991 Peter went to Southampton University where
he gained a degree in Environmental Science. He is a fully qualified mountaineer
and has run personal development expeditions for young adults all over the
world.
Peter is also a highly qualified Remote Medical Trainer and works with exploration teams as far a field as Iran and Guinea. He is also a Major in the TA.
Richard
Mayon-White 
Richard has many years experience in developing companies and managing teams,
in both large organisations and smaller companies. Prior to joining Wilderness
Expertise, Richard managed the operations of a national sailing school on
the South Coast of England. His role within ECG is as overall business manager
working across all the satellite units of the Group.
In his spare time Richard has travelled extensively, including climbing Kilimanjaro and Aconcagua. A commercially endorsed RYA Yachtmaster, he has skippered yachts in the Fastnet Race and Three Peaks Yacht Race. He now concentrates his efforts on triathlon and offshore yacht racing and in early 2006, he rowed across the Atlantic with his fiancee setting a record time for a couple in the race.
Heather joined
Wilderness Expertise in April after years working within the youth expedition
and Gap Year market. Heather writes:
"Despite having a wonderful childhood in South Africa and having a real
passion for travel, it wasn't until I worked as a Project Manager for Raleigh
International in the jungles of Malaysia that I discovered the amazing world
of expeditions and experiential learning.
Since those steamy days in 1997 I have worked in the youth development and
adventure travel market and the rewards and enjoyment I get from it grow
exponentially with time. For six years I worked with another school expedition
provider, three years in the UK and three in the United States where school
expeditioning was introduced into the America market.
Since returning to the UK I have launched a new gap year programme, Global
Adventures Project, for the American Institute of Foreign Studies. Two and
a half years later, I find myself in the fortunate position to be working
with Wilderness Expertise.
When I'm not working or travelling, you'd probably find me pottering in
my cottage in Marlborough, going on long walks (ideally with a dog) or studying
for a short course I am currently taking on dog behaviour!"
Heather will be over-seeing the Overseas Expedition side of Wilderness Expertise,
becoming involved in all aspects of the planning and running of the trips.
Catherine
Rogers
Catherine graduated with an LLB (Law Degree) in 1985 and spent several years
establishing a successful career in Corporate Treasury.
However the call of the outdoors was strong and in 1991 Catherine gave up her suit to work for Raleigh International in South America. 5 years later with numerous expeditions under her belt to places like Papua New Guinea and Patagonia she was to be found managing a bird watching resort in Guyana with no gas or electricity!
It was at this point that Catherine met Peter Harvey and they found they shared an enthusiasm for outdoor education. In the summer of 1997 Catherine joined him as a Director when they started the expedition and UK courses business, which has now grown into Wilderness Expertise.
Currently experiencing a career break to have three children, Catherine continues to take an active interest in the development and smooth running of the business. Having recently attained her Masters in Neuro Linguistic Programming she hopes to incorporate her skills into the UK-based training given to the young adults prior to their expeditions.
UK Programmes
Jon joined the Expertise Consultancy Group in September 2002 and is the UK Director of Youth Personal Development. This means managing all aspects of the UK Business, liaising with schools and occasionally training on programmes to ensure quality control.
Jon has come from a background of city business following a degree in Biology from a London University. Having seen the light, he left the office environment to complete an Outdoor Education course in Bristol before joining Wilderness Expertise.
He is a qualified Summer Mountain Leader and has led a number of expeditions to various countries including Malawi, Guatemala and Peru.
Kelly
Street 
Kelly manages the UK short course business, coordinating all aspects of
the business from course administration to delivery and is an integral member
of the team.
After beginning life in Reading, Kelly moved to Swansea to complete a HND in Public Services and a BA Hons in Business Studies. After her course she took on the magical dream of working in Walt Disney World Florida where she was an International Cultural Representative for the UK. She also spent time working in a shop, dancing in shows and even waving from the floats and soon became friends with Mary Poppins, Pluto, and the mouse himself - Mickey!
Soon she realised the magic doesn’t always last forever and decided to follow her heart and get back into the action where she joined Wilderness Expertise for work experience in June 2006, and the rest is history.
Samantha
McElligott 
Samantha has worked for us for a number of years as a Trainer and Expedition
Leader (Ghana is her favourite destination). She has just spent the last
year teaching at Dudley College, but decided that she liked our tea and
biscuits much more than theirs and started work at WE in September.
Sam lives in North Wales with her partner Tim and works for WE UK Programmes.
Hugh
Elkington 
Hugh attended school and university in South Africa and is currently finishing
his studies in Tourism Management. He has a very sporty and outdoor orientated
background and has travelled throughout Southern Africa extensively going
on safaris and fishing trips into Zimbabwe, Namibia and Botswana almost
every year since 1990.
Hugh worked for 7 months as a Marketing manager of a Game lodge in South Africa on one of the private game reserves, and while there also did a bit of game ranging. Fishing is a hobby he enjoys although in Zimbabwe he often had trouble with elephants walking through between him and his car!
Hugh first came to Wilderness in October 2005 to do some work experience and we haven’t let him go since then!
Fay
Cox
Inspired by her first expedition experience in Kenya when she left school,
Fay has been involved in the world of expeditions ever since – as
a team member, leader, trainer and organiser. Whilst reading geography at
University College London, she led a university team to study wetlands in
Malaysia and upon graduating, went to work at the Royal Geographical Society.
Fay has since gone on to organise countless expeditions both for young people and adult fieldwork expeditions and has travelled extensively all over the globe.
Fay organises carries out some of the destination research and project co-ordination for Wilderness Expertise, and lives in Bath.
Christine
Cooper
Chris joined Provident Life in 1973 for what she believed to be a stopgap.
Little was she to know that she was going to spend the next 27 years helping
the business evolve and progress. Eventually the time came to make a break
and Chris joined the team in 2000 to become the finance manager. Be nice
to her – she pays all our bills!
Talisker is a pedigree collie cross, and owns Peter Harvey. Talisker's interest in personal development has resulted in him training Peter very well so that he gets food and a juicy bone to order. Talisker is interested in chasing things (whether they're moving objects or not) and is interested in a career in the outdoors.
