Welcome to the Secret Atlas team page.
The passion for remote destinations brings us together to create and share authentic experiences with you.
Partners
Michele D'Agostino
Head of Sales and Partnerships, Co-founder
An avid high latitude sailor and explorer, Michele co-founded Secret Atlas to bring the small group expedition experience to the Polar regions.
Holder of Yacht Master Ocean (commercially endorsed) and PTGA Polar Guide.
Mariano Curiel
Head Of Operations & Sustainability, Partner
Mariano Curiel is a senior polar guide and expedition leader with a wealth of experience in the execution and management of operations. As a seasoned expedition veteran, Mariano Curiel has sailed pole to pole, becoming the first Argentinian to cross Greenland.
Expedition Team
Expedition Leaders
John Rodsted
Photo & Expedition Leader
Originally trained as a commercial photographer, he has impacted the world of imagery with his work as war photographer. Today, he is not only known for his award-winning work as a photojournalist of communities at risk, but also for his artistic and written work.
Mette Eliseussen
Photo & Expedition Leader
Mette has guided in all polar regions for over 16 years, totaling over 300 voyages. Before this, she was program manager for Save the Children in Afghanistan from 1990 to 1997 and was a key member of the international campaign to ban landmines, who were awarded the 1997 Nobel Peace prize.
Raphaël Sané
Expedition Leader
Raphaël has a lifelong interest in nature and holds a Master of Advanced Studies in Hydrobiology. In 1997, he participated in his first scientific expedition to Arctic Siberia. He works as a guide, instructor, and expedition leader aboard our expeditions in the Arctic.
Ombline Chabasseur
Expedition Leader
Ombline has been working as a guide and expedition leader all over the Arctic and Antarctic. With more than 12 years of guiding experience and her passion for the polar regions, she’ll make your trip unforgettable.
Robert Gilmore
Expedition Leader
Bob has enjoyed 18 seasons working in the polar regions as Expedition Leader and Lecturer on Geology, Glaciology and Sea Ice. More recently, he and a few colleagues have developed a citizen science initiative that is helping scientists understand how climate change is affecting the Polar Regions.
Jon Fuhrmann
Expedition Guide
Jon is a science communicator and expedition guide. He has a Master’s degree in glaciology and has worked for the Natural History Museum in London and the British Antarctic Survey. Jon has traveled to six continents and has a passion for the polar regions, astronomy, planetary sciences, and climate change. He is also an avid photographer.
Virgil Reglioni
Expedition Leader
Virgil is a polar expedition leader and professional photographer who specializes in polar landscapes and the Northern lights. He has won international photography awards and teaches photography in Northern Norway during late winters.
Rayann Elzein
Expedition Guide
Rayann is a professional photographer, guide and expedition leader in the polar regions. He lives permanently in Utsjoki, the northernmost municipality in Finnish Lapland, where he spends his winters chasing the northern lights.
Ida Olsson
Expedition Leader
Ida, an expedition leader from Svalbard, has explored the polar regions extensively, skiing to the North Pole in 2018 and leading a women's group across Spitsbergen in 2019. With a deep passion for nature, she continues to guide adventurous travelers on extraordinary journeys.
Giancarlo Gallinoro
Expedition Guide
Giancarlo is an Arctic-focused adventurer, photographer, videographer, and educator, striving to inspire conservation through his educational efforts and capturing the beauty of nature.
Julien Cornet
Expedition Guide
Julien is an enthusiastic recently graduated doctor in Geosciences with 10 years' academic knowledge about Earth. He is eager to contribute actively to current societal challenges, e.g., fighting climate change, developing future technologies, or educating people on these challenges.
Laali Berthelsen
Expedition Leader
Laali is from Nuuk in Greenland. She is a highly experienced Arctic guide and has extensive knowledge of all places cold including Greenland, Canada, Iceland and Svalbard.
David Berg
Expedition Leader
David is an accomplished professional polar guide from Sweden who has led expeditions in Svalbard, Greenland, Scotland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, South Georgia, the Falkland Islands and Antarctica.
Martin Berg
Expedition Leader
Martin, a biologist, photographer, and expedition leader from Stockholm, holds an Honours Degree in Biology and an MSc in Ecology. His passion for preservation extends to leading diverse expeditions, unveiling the wonders of ecosystems like the Arctic, Amazon, South Georgia Island, and Antarctica.
Julia Wellner
Expedition Leader
Julia has been working as a guide and expedition leader since 2017: in winter & spring as a snowmobile guide on Svalbard, summers as a guide and expedition leader on expedition cruises in Svalbard and Greenland.
Dr. Richard Hann
Arctic Researcher
Dr. Richard Hann is one of the leading researchers in the emerging research field of icing on unmanned aircraft. Richard is also promoting the application of drone technology in the Arctic with several ongoing projects in the fields of meteorology, glaciology, and atmospheric pollution in Svalbard.
Paul Copestake
Bird Expert
Paul is a passionate Ornithologist whose family has a longstanding connection with Antarctica. He has conducted fieldwork and expeditions, spending several seasons on South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula.
Piet van den Bemd
Expedition & Photography Guide
Piet developed a fascination for nature as a child through travelling with his parents to different continents, and receiving his first camera at age 16 inspired him to pursue photography as a way to share the beauty of the natural world and raise awareness of fragile environments.
Sandra Walser
Expedition Guide
Sandra Walser possesses a wealth of expertise, which she seamlessly applies to her various roles within the industry from Senior Polar Guide to author and historian. She has been working as an expedition guide and photographer since 2009 and is a valued member of the Polar Tourism Guides Association.
Our Photographers
Tom Crowley
Photography Expert
Tom Crowley is an outstanding wildlife and adventure photographer and cinematographer working on some of TV’s most iconic series, including Frozen Planet, Life Story and Planet Earth 2.
Paul Goldstein
Photography Expert
Paul Goldstein is a wildlife photographer and conservationist based in the UK. He is best known for his stunning wildlife photographs, which have been featured in numerous publications and exhibitions worldwide.
Chase Teron
Photography Expert
Chase is a Canadian environmentalist, adventurer and photographer. He has travelled extensively across the Arctic in search of the perfect shot. He is passionate about conservation and teaching photography.
Jenni Teron
Photography Expert
Jenni Teron is an artist and photographer with a deep love of nature. Her work has been featured in major commercial campaigns for international brands such as Canon, Arc’teryx, and Aquatica.
Jonas Beyer
Photography Expert
Jonas is a seasoned wildlife photographer, known for his stunning captures and leadership in expeditions. He has received multiple photography awards, including recognition from National Geographic.
Jean Paul De La Harpe Z.
Photography Expert
Jean Paul, biologist and photographer, leads expeditions, capturing nature's beauty. He promotes conservation through media and teaching, advocating for nature photography's impact.
Rick Tomlinsson
Photography Expert
Rick is a professional, expedition, wildlife yachting photographer. His pictures have been published in magazines all over the world, including National Geographic and in Yachting World.
Roie Galitz
Photography Expert
Roie is a globally acclaimed wildlife photographer whose images have been exhibited in publications all across the world. His passion for photography and dedication to our planet have earned him the title of Greenpeace ambassador who actively contributes to sustainability and environmental matters.
Office Team
Anna Zuckerman-Vdovenko
Expedition Specialist
Anna is a seasoned polar expert with a Bachelor's from Princeton and a Master's from Cambridge, combining her background in photography and journalism with over two decades of polar exploration to offer transformative experiences to guests. With almost 100 voyages to the Arctic and Antarctic, along with her contributions to conservation efforts, Anna continues to inspire guests through her stories and serves as a board member for Friends of South Georgia Island.
Lewis Morcombe
Expedition Specialist
Lewis, with over a decade of travel industry experience, harbors a lifelong passion for exploration. His expertise, cultivated at a leading UK travel agency, encompasses polar expeditions, Patagonian adventures, and cycling vacations in Europe, particularly emphasizing road cycling and leisurely trips to renowned wine destinations.
Yaroslava Skorikova
Arctic Operations Coordinator
Yaroslava transitioned from a professional biathlete to a tourism career, specializing in guiding and operations management in Svalbard, where she has lived for nearly seven years, showcasing her diverse skill set and passion for environmental projects.
Sophie Dingwall
Marketing Director
Sophie, with her solid background in sailing and a serious love for all things water-related, has found a way to combine her passion for the ocean and the environment through storytelling in journalism and brand stories.
Beccy Finlayson
Content and Marketing Manager
Beccy is a passionate traveller, storyteller, and environmental advocate with a background in geography and 10 years of TV production experience. She thrives on exploring the world, collaborating with creatives and scientists, and sharing her love of the natural world through media.
Luca Chiumento
Project Manager
A senior project manager with a love of travel, Luca brings years of international experience delivering projects in E-commerce, 3D visualisation and app development across industries. As well as travelling overseas, he studied in the UK at the University of Southampton before living in Munich, Germany for 8 years. Today he’s based in Northern Italy and enjoys spending time in the outdoors and tending to the garden, amongst managing our digital projects.
Chris Saggerson
UX Designer & Developer
Chris is responsible for keeping the website afloat, and ensuring you find what you need quickly and easily.
Prakash Shah
Finance
Prakash is a qualified accountant, with years of financial experience with blue-chip names such as Deloitte, Nomura, Barclays, M&G, UBS and JP Morgan.
Becky Lima-Matthews
Freelance Content Writer
Becky is a freelance copywriter, content writer and scriptwriter based in London. She has over seven years’ experience in writing words that inspire action, raise awareness, educate and entertain. As well as her work for Secret Atlas, she also works with organisations such as Into Film, YHA and King’s Health Partners.