BELINDA KIRK, onshore expedition manager

Belinda will be in charge of managing the expedition. She has been managing expeditions for 15 years; the smallest was a group of four to China’s Desert of Death, and the largest was leading a team of over one hundred to the Amazon – under the patronage of HRH the Duke of York. Belinda has worked in a variety of TV and film series such as “Living With Gorillas” and “Beyond Boundaries”, establishing complex logistics and managing crews in remote and hazardous environments. In 2010 Belinda skippered the “First Women To Row Around Britain” team which according to Sir Richard Branson was ”Quite the most remarkable achievement carried out by any women alive today.”

NATHANIEL STEPHENS, onboard expedition manager

A Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician, expert naturalist, ACA certified sea kayak instructor and an accomplished whitewater boater, Nathaniel is a kayak instructor and wilderness guide based in Alaska. For the past 12 years, he has lead expeditions throughout the world- Africa, Baja Mexico, Alaska and most recently in the wild fjords of southern Patagonia. With a strong passion for kayaking, sailing, diving, outdoor education, marine conservation, and backcountry cuisine, he feels at home on the sea. A former wilderness kayak ranger, he currently runs university programs for the International Wilderness Leadership School.

EDO ANKUM, owner Sally Lightfoot, boats & crew management

Edo is the owner of Sally Lightfoot, a Dutch expedition fleet management company that will handle everything from overseeing the construction of the vessels to their classification and registration. SL will make sure the vessels remain seaworthy by managing the nautical crew, making sure standard and unforeseen maintenance is carried out, and by arranging spare part logistics. Edo Ankum, a qualified captain who sailed around the world for 5 years. He is also an attorney at law for financial institutions and author of "Around Africa".

CASSANDRA BROOKS, science director

Cassandra Brooks has worked in marine science and outreach for almost fifteen years. Her writing and research focuses on marine resource exploitation worldwide, from local New England Rivers to the remote reaches of Antarctica. As a graduate student, Cassandra studied Antarctic toothfish, or Chilean sea bass, in the Ross Sea. She’s worked in the lab, underwater, and at sea and has presented her work at national and international conferences. In the last few years Cassandra has put her wide array of expertise into producing media about critical ocean issues. In the fall Cassandra will begin an Interdisciplinary PhD in Environment and Resources at Stanford University, where she is proposing to quantify and qualify tipping points that led to historical conservation action, such as bold political efforts like the Antarctic Treaty. She hopes to apply these frameworks to other ocean regions in need of sustainable management.

RICHARD HAYWORTH, co-founder High Latitude, expedition & crew management

Richard, originally a Mechanical Engineer, is an experienced skipper of charter yachts in polar waters, having managed many established yachts including "Pelagic" and "Pelagic Australis". He is one of the few experts in designing and adapting sailing yachts for the high latitudes. Also a proud holder of the Tilman medal, he has a wealth of experience exploring remote areas, including leading the first sailing expedition to explore some of the uncharted coastal areas of Baffin Island. High Latitude is a yacht consultancy, training and management service, specializing in sailing in Antarctica, the Arctic and other remote destinations.

LUKE MILNER, co-founder High Latitude, expedition & crew management

Luke's wide-ranging experience includes numerous remote expeditions - kayaking in Alaska, diving in Antarctica, as well as skippering yachts. His project management skills were developed during many years managing large scale ventures in the hospitality industry. This experience combined with his organizational and analytical abilities are now utilized in the management of our projects and expeditions. High Latitude will advise on fitting out the sailing boats, on weather patterns, routing and general safety issues. High Latitudes will furthermore complement the standard nautical crew with highly experienced sailors in the relevant regions.

DANIEL FOX, founder of E.P.I.C. & expedition leader

Daniel Fox follows in the footsteps of his childhood heroes, David Attenborough, Jim Fowler & Jacques Cousteau, traveling Earth’s remote places. His lifelong passion for adventure and nature, and his commitment to inspire change and improving lives have led Fox to create The Wild Image Project, with for mission to motivate others and alter their perspective on global issues by aesthetically presenting content and ideas that stimulate engagement, involvement and transformation. He is member of the Explorers Club in New York, a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society in London, an ETE (Education Through Exploration) Ambassador, a Blue Project Ambassador and a Planet Explore Visionary (a The North Face initiative that promotes the outdoors).

MILBRY POLK, U.S.A East Coast Representative

Milbry Polk is the Founder and Director Emeritus of Wings WorldQuest, the preeminent organization supporting women explorers throughout the world. She is the recipient of the Anne Morrow Lindbergh Award at the Lindbergh Foundation and of the Women’s Environmental Leadership Award at the Unity College in Maine. She is an Advisor for Takster Foundation for Tibetan Education, for the New York School of Visual Arts, Design for Social, for the Ocean Research & Conservation Association (ORCA), and many others. Milbry was the co-producer of the Polar Fair at the AMNH/Barnard/Lamont Doherty Institute. She is a Fellow of Wings WorldQuest, The Explorers Club, The Royal Geographical Society and an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. Polk was the last assistant to Margaret Meade, who was considered the most famous American cultural anthropologist.

DOMINIQUE SUMIAN, France Representative

Dominique Sumian was one of the most important pillars of Jacques Cousteau’s numerous expeditions. Born in Marseille and of French nationality, Sumian was enlisted in the French Navy for 7 years, as a frogman, before becoming Chief Diver for the French Oceanographic Service and second captain on the SS Espadon. He then moved on and became the Chief Diver on SS Calypso, Cousteau’s famous vessel. His calm demeanor, even in the most extreme situations, care for details, dedication, compassion for both the animals and humans and incredible versatility, helped him become one of the most reliable and capable Expedition Leaders the team has ever seen. Having navigated every sea on Earth, having visited Antarctica and the Arctic, and helping produce over 100 TV episodes, Dominique has since became a world leading figure in the world of diving and expedition logistic and management. He is an expert in rebreathing technology, decompression chambers, and hyperbaric installations.

DAN LAFFOLEY, U.K. Representative

Dan is a leading global expert on ocean conservation. At IUCN he is the Senior Advisor, Marine Science and Conservation, for the Global Marine and Polar Program, and also has the global honorary role as Marine Vice Chair for the World Commission on Protected Areas. Laffoley is an independent advisor to the UK Government on marine science and a Patron of the HMS Beagle Trust. He is an Honorary Visiting Professor of the Marine Institute at the University of Plymouth, UK, a Fellow of the Society of Biology, a Chartered Biologist, a Fellow of the Linnaean Society, a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, and a Winston Churchill Fellow. For over 25 years Dan has been responsible for the creation of many key national, European and global partnerships and alliances that underpin marine conservation. Laffoley is also on the Board of Directors of the Sylvia Earle Alliance.

BOAT EXPERTISE

DYKSTRA & PARTNERS NAVAL ARCHITECTS

These naval architects have achieved global fame for rebuilding J-Class yachts like Hanuman and designing super yachts such as Athena (winner 2004 Show Boats International Award for Best Sailing Yacht over 40 m.) and the Maltese Falcon (10 awards). Gerard Dykstra experimented firsthand the tough conditions of the southern ocean, sailing his own yacht to Antarctica. This invaluable experience was put into practice during the design of our expedition vessels. In 2010 Dykstra & Partners Naval Architects won the World Super Yacht Awards for the best sailing yacht in the 30 to 44 m. category, which is within the size range of our expedition vessels. The company also has experience in designing energy efficient boats, such as the latest vessel for Greenpeace, the Rainbow Warrior III.

RHOADES YOUNG

Dick Young, founder of RY, best known for the restyling of the Oyster yacht range, will be in charge of the interior design which must combine functionality (film, science, harsh weather sailing) with the comfort necessary for long term living conditions.

SALLY LIGHTFOOT

SL is a Dutch expedition fleet management company that will handle everything from overseeing the construction of the vessels to their classification and registration. SL will make sure the vessels remain seaworthy by managing the nautical crew, making sure standard and unforeseen maintenance is carried out, and by arranging spare part logistics. Sally Lightfoot was founded by Edo Ankum, a qualified captain, upon returning to the Netherlands after 5 years of sailing around the world.

CLAASEN

Established in 1985 by Nico Claasen, this yard typifies the unique benefits that have made the Dutch yacht building industry a global phenomenon. Claasen is part of the new Claasen Shipyards joint venture which consists of four companies: Claasen Shipyards for project management and planning, Claasen Jachtbouw for deck, interior and yard facilities, Bloemsma Aluminiumbouw for aluminium construction, and Cornelis Jongkind for technical installations and engineering. These 4 companies have efficiently worked together over the past decade to produce top quality award winning yachts ranging in size from 60ft to 145ft.

SUBCTECH

SubCtech is a German manufacturer, maker of the OceanPack ship based measurement systems used for scientific research and industrial monitoring of water quality and oceanographic parameters. Its unique technology, easy maintenance and built for the ocean’s roughest conditions, make the OceanoScientific® perfect for expedition and racing sailing yachts. SubCtech also excels in ROV and subsea battery technology. The company also supports environmental and ocean science projects and emerging young scientists.

Ólafur Haraldsson, media director

Ólafur Haraldsson, from Iceland, graduated with a BA and MA in Interaction Design at the Kolding school of Design in Denmark. While studying photography at the University of Sydney, he spent a lot of time roaming the back country of Australia and New Zealand where he perfected his passion for timelapse photography. His work and professionalism has landed him a consultancy position for PhD students at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, in Boston, and an internship at xRez, a prestigious and pioneering imaging studio in Los Angeles. His recent video project, "Passing Through", was featured on "Vimeo Staff Picks", and has been so far played over 150,000 times and continues to receive worldly attention. Haraldsson also works with 3D spacial reconstructions and complex imaging and lighting technology projects. His father is a yacht master and the E.P.I.C. is, for him, a "dream come true" project.