About us

Nick is responsible for overseeing the delivery of some of the world’s most ambitious trips. And, with 20 years’ experience, few are better tapped into the wider travel industry than him. After time working in private jets and as the general manager of a renowned luxury travel company, he has hosted everything from heli safaris in East Africa to superyacht expeditions in Norway for Cookson clients.

Having been born in Hong Kong and travelled widely across Southeast Asia during his formative years, travel has been a lifelong passion – Nick has now visited over 70 countries. However, it’s perhaps conservation that’s closest to his heart. He still speaks broken Swahili from his time working on a conservation project near Tsavo and, in 2021, he ran his first marathon for the Save the Rhino charity. He’s particularly interested in building relationships with grassroots organisations.

Nick always looks to build in some active adventure into his travels. He’s an advanced diver, having scouted new dive sites in Panama for clients, and is an accomplished on- and off-piste skier, with his highlights including heli skiing in Iceland. He’s currently learning to E-foil and enjoys paddle boarding in his spare time.

Harry is perfectly placed to help our guests access the world’s best-kept secrets, having lived in seven countries across Asia and Europe, hosted Cookson trips across the globe and worked in private travel for over ten years.

He’s guided guests on multi-day cycling adventures through Europe, staying in camps set up just for them along the way, and chartered luxury trains to bring clients to privatised cultural performances at the foot of Machu Picchu.

It all stems from a childhood growing up in far-off lands, walking among Gurkhas in Nepal and hanging out with surfers in Bali. This has ignited a lifelong passion for travel, which has brought him on 4×4 overlanding adventures in Central Asia and island-hopping escapes in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides.

A keen cold-water swimmer who’s toured Europe by bike and been a horse rider since he was tall enough to reach the stirrups, Archie is no stranger to adventure.

It’s a passion that’s seen him put together some of the world’s top events, for anything between 15 and 200 guests. That could be tracking bears in Alaska, chartering flights over Everest or taking Royal Enfield motorbikes through mountain foothills. He’s also led some of Cookson Adventures’ most remote trips, including into Yemen and throughout west Africa.

However, he’s also no stranger to luxury. He’s organised for guests to experience a private island with a difference. Think swimming with whale sharks, kayaking through the jungle and bespoke lunch setups on deserted beaches.

Born in Geneva, Switzerland and raised in New England, Kevin’s childhood bestowed upon him a love of travel, as well as native proficiency in French.

Both of which he’s brought with him on a 15-year career at sea, captaining charter and owner superyachts. He has a particular specialism in sailboats, taking the helm of vessels up to 90m – everywhere from Asia, Australasia the Med to the South Pacific, North America and Caribbean.

Since then, with his degree in business administration and atmospheric sciences from Boulder’s University of Colorado, he’s gone on to found and manage a luxury Palm Beach private marina – servicing yachts up to 162m. He’s also opened a US office for a European superyacht shipbuilder, overseeing the entire custom design and build process for yachts up to 72m. And, outside of yachting, Kevin has managed UHNW estates that feature multiple planes, yachts and helicopters – as well as the likes of world-renowned art collections and a Grand Prix horse jumping programme.

Throughout his travels, he’s brought with him that passion for adventure. He’s competed in sailing regattas around the world, from the King’s Cup in Thailand to the Antigua Classic and Newport Bucket. With his divemaster certification, he’s logged hundreds of scuba adventures. And, living in Jupiter, Florida, he’s often found on the water, kite surfing, wing foiling and freedive spearfishing. Back on land, his love of off-piste skiing has seen him compete in the Freeride World Tour and heli-ski some of the world’s steepest descents in Alaska.

Sailing extensively in the Caribbean, cycling across New England and riding horseback on the US-Mexican border – Farnham’s passion for travel was borne out of her family’s love for the new and the unknown. And, having spent her formative years in France, it’s a passion that started young.

Since then, she’s travelled widely across North America, still enjoys a conversational command of French and is particularly fond of her time spent with Galápagos naturalists. Here, she interacted with researchers and scientists, going behind the scenes of their conservation projects and ecological studies.

Farnham joins Cookson after a decade of building successful client relationships and strategic partnerships in financial services, specifically pioneering fintech solutions into private markets. It’s this same commitment to personal relationships, precise attention to detail and unrivalled creativity that she brings to Cookson Adventures.

Tim left his past life as a geography teacher behind to work for both the British and United States Antarctic programmes for 15 years, after beginning his polar career with ski expeditions to Greenland and Svalbard.

With nearly 30 seasons spread between the Arctic and Antarctic, at Cookson Adventures, he’s hosted a trip to the South Pole and planned what is arguably the most complex multi-yacht expedition to Antarctica of modern time. It featured three yachts, two submersibles and a 30-strong team of experts.

However, after three years as Head of Production at a leading UK adventure film production company, he now also heads up our media capabilities for both client and in-house projects. Our short documentary “Keystone” is a personal highlight, which goes behind the scenes of a client-sponsored rhino relocation in Kenya.

That’s alongside his work in the projects team – where he’s seen guests swim with hundred-strong dolphin megapods in Costa Rica – and his focus on Cookson Adventures’ philanthropic efforts. His work here is centred on the use of film to shine a light on the important environmental and research projects supported by Cookson clients on our trips.

Outside of work, Tim has since grounded himself in the UK with his family. However, he still finds time to indulge his passions for mountain environments, fell running his local hills in the Peak District and heading out on ski mountaineering trips around the world.

A master’s degree in global hospitality business and a full spread of industry qualifications set up Natasha for a career in the world’s top hotels, having worked for likes of Aman, Six Senses and Equinox. Here, Natasha looked after their VIP clients, organising unique trips and delivering an unparalleled client service.

It’s something she’s brought to Cookson Adventures, where she’s been instrumental in organising some of our most ambitious trips, from thought leaderships events for the global elite in Bhutan to stays in off-market villas across Africa for multi-generational families.

And, her work and studies have taken her everywhere from Hong Kong and New York to London and Madrid. Resultantly multilingual, alongside speaking English and Spanish natively, she is conversational in Portuguese and French.

But it’s perhaps her personal travels that Natasha’s enjoyed the most. PADI certified and a keen off-piste skier, she has a particular affinity towards adventure. Her highlights range from paragliding in Rio and horseback riding in Chile’s Atacama Desert to visiting research centres in the Amazon and exploring Raja Ampat’s remote islands by phinisi tall ship.

Federica di Frassineto’s upbringing between Italy and Canada not only means that she’s fluent in English, Italian and Spanish, but it cemented her twin passions – adventure in the great outdoors and all things art, culture and history.

The former has seen her obtain her PCOC boating license at age nine, kayak across the Pacific West Coast and grow up riding horses through the Tuscan countryside. However, it’s perhaps hiking that’s been her favourite, bringing her from the Dolomites to Peru’s Cordillera Blanca.

Then, she’s also realised her passion for the arts, both academically and professionally. A degree in creative industries set her up to study at the Sotheby’s Institute of Art, where she specialised in global art markets. Since, then she’s worked in private galleries in London, creative fashion direction in Paris and alongside top photographers on architectural digest shoots.

However, it’s been in her humanitarian work that Federica has been able to combine these twin passions for travel and creativity. And, alongside leading art therapy sessions in India, Italy and Canada – including for neurodivergent children and victims of trauma – she’s fundraised for an orphanage in Mongolia, and helped build homes on the ground in Peru and Mexico.

It’s this passion for philanthropy, creativity and travel that Federica brings to her clients at Cookson Adventures.

With his stuntman training and background working in traditional boatbuilding, Louis’ personal passions have seen him travel the world in pursuit of extreme adventure, from high-grade sports and ice climbing to competitive mountain biking and multi-day, unsupported canoe trips. In winter you might find him off-piste or skinning up on ski tours, while mountaineering, 100-mile gravel bike rides and his training in both 4×4 and motorcycle off-road have taken him across Europe, Africa, Asia and America. Practicing Muay Thai, he’s even fought competitively in Thailand.

Then, on the water, he’s sailed into the Arctic Circle and operated safety boats on film productions, while below the surface his Padi and snorkelling experience has culminated in marine salvage trips in the UK.

Throughout, he’s documented it all through his camera lens, with nearly a decade of professional videography and photography experience under his belt. Being among the first drone operators in the UK, Louis has a particular affinity for aerial photography, although he’s equally passionate about capturing everything from wildlife and human interests to epic activities and remote landscapes.

He takes the time to get to know our clients and their preferences, meaning they leave with the memories that matter most, whether that’s an intimate moment among family or never-before-seen footage of a world first. With his global network of contacts, he’ll also often build out a media team as required, from underwater specialists to wildlife documentarians.

Louis is particularly passionate about delivering the very best media to our clients. That could be epic sizzle reels of your trip, daily edits for you to share on social media, or specific mini-documentaries on the conservation work you’ve been involved in. Each is fully tailored to you, documenting the narrative and story behind your adventure. And, all edits are overseen and conducted by Louis to naturally bring out the best in them, ensuring you’re left with truly world-class media. There’s a reason no other travel company produces such leading photography and videography.

An early life surrounded by polar bears and the Northern Lights in Russia’s far northern reaches inspired Anna to launch a career in planning private experiences in remote territories.

And, whether organising European cycle tours, bespoke camps in the Atacama Desert or charter expeditions in Alaska and Antarctica, she always looks to think outside the box. Expect everything from conservationist-led whale tracking to glacier cocktail setups made with ice from a freshly calved iceberg.

Multilingual and having lived across the globe, she finds nothing more rewarding than bonding with locals and supporting small communities through the adventures she plans.

With that in mind, she speaks five languages – English, Russian and French fluently, alongside German and Spanish proficiently.

With five years as a pilot under his belt, Carlo is adept at organising complex charter logistics in remote locations, with extensive experience working in Africa as an anti-poaching bush pilot. And, having also worked in Nepal in tiger conservation and monitored snow leopards alongside eagle hunters in Kyrgyzstan, he’s particularly passionate about incorporating and supporting sustainable wildlife initiatives into the adventures he plans for his clients.

Few also have as wide-spanning knowledge of global travel as Carlo. From Australia and South Africa to Italy and Canada, he’s lived in over 10 countries, picking up proficient Swedish and Italian along the way. Living a nomadic lifestyle, he’s also visited 130 countries in the process. Throughout, he’s been interested in the unique. That’s meant motorcycle adventures through Mongolia and trekking in Ethiopia with geladas – a unique species of red-breasted monkey, found only in the country’s remote highlands.

He’s also spent the last 20 years documenting it all through a camera lens. Indeed, alongside his experience managing complex heli safaris at Cookson Adventures, Carlo is just as comfortable capturing special moments for our clients, putting together epic showreels of unique animal interactions.

Born in Paris and raised in London, Tess speaks French, English and conservational Spanish, having spent five years working in ultra-luxury property in European capitals and the Swiss Alps.

Here, she’s also organised pioneering heli adventures, incorporating the likes of skydiving, mountain e-biking and swims in frozen lakes.

With a bachelor’s in biological science, however, it’s perhaps the marine world that lies closest to her heart. As a fully qualified divemaster with hundreds of dives under her belt, Tess has worked on a wealth of dive-based trips, from month-long expeditions to the Maldives to diving with whale sharks in West Papua.

And, in the Caribbean she’s conducted coral surveys, while in Indonesia she’s worked on shark conservation projects, setting up baited remote underwater video systems.

Tess has also found time to travel widely, from exploring Myanmar and Australia to volunteering in Ghana and learning to kitesurf in Brazil.

With over a decade in expeditions, film and adventure travel, Max is an expert at organising special access and permits. That could be a private audience with the Dalai Lama or a behind-the-scenes look at snow leopard conservation programme in the Himalayas.

He’s also spent over a year working for an NGO in the Borneo jungle, running the logistics for multiple project sites and leading jungle treks. However, it’s perhaps his time in Antarctica that he looks back on the fondest, putting together a total of four filming expeditions across multiple seasons. Focusing on remote areas of the continent, his time in these polar reaches included a two-month sailing expedition.

It’s this culture of innovation and logistical know-how that Max brings to Cookson, working on everything from epic heli skiing routes to polar icebreaker charters. In his personal life, it’s fair to say that Max has always enjoyed a heartfelt love of the great outdoors. Having grown up in the UK’s idyllic Cotswolds, he’s gone on to earn his PADI rescue diver, spending his winters skiing and school summers wreck diving in Scotland.

For Lara, a degree in conservation and a masters in species identification was followed by time spent in research at the University of Oxford contributing to published research papers – setting her up for a decade-long career in wildlife conservation.

And, in her birthplace, Hong Kong, she worked with the local government on marine conservation projects as well as becoming a marine mammal trainer, gaining licenses to handle protected wild animals and working with everything from bottlenose dolphins to emperor penguins. From here, she’s travelled widely across Asia, spending time contributing to a marine reserve in Malaysia’s Langkawi archipelago and getting over to Australia to spend two months on horseback, working on a cattle ranch.

Along the way, she’s found time to indulge her passion for the visual arts, winning photography awards from the British Ecological society and National Geographic.

It’s with the latter that Lara continued into a career organising wildlife and adventure documentaries. Working with the likes of Chris Hemsworth and Will Smith, she’s gained special scientific permits as well as permissions from traditional land owners to operate truly unique shoots. Think tagging tiger sharks, getting access to the world’s largest green sea turtle nesting ground and more than her fair share of adventure, from rope courses strung over waterfalls to climbing into a live volcano.

Lara also has a pair of world firsts under her belt, having organised the first macro shoot of nyale worm breeding ground and the first capture of natural absolute silence on Earth. There’s plenty more to come, hidden under strict NDAs.

It’s this ability to merge scientific expertise with creative, engaging storytelling that serves Lara so well at Cookson Adventures. For example, one of her recent trips to Namibia involved contributing to an elephant translocation, having both a profound impact on our clients and this vital project alike.

Growing up around the UK’s Lake District, completing his mountain leader and wilderness first aid courses, it’s fair to say that Sam enjoys a natural love of the outdoors and sporting pursuits. Indeed, he’s gone on to represent England in international lacrosse tournaments and gain his advanced Scuba certification.

And, this enthusiasm for adventure has brought him everywhere from heli-hiking glaciers and diving with dolphins in New Zealand to trekking caves in Vietnam and visiting tribal peoples in Thailand’s remote north.

He’s also managed large-scale productions internationally, so is no stranger to complex logistics, gaining special-access permits and organising exclusive events for high-profile talents. These are qualities Sam brings to Cookson Adventures, where he’s just as comfortable working on exclusive A-list parties in Brazil as he is delivering epic family safaris in South Africa.

Growing up on a wildlife conservancy in northern Kenya instilled in Jack a lifelong passion for wildlife and wild places – alongside a responsibility to protect them. So, after studying biological sciences at university, he began his career in conservation.

He’s particularly proud of his work in the Peruvian Amazon where, alongside catching and studying venomous snakes, he conducted a pioneering mirror image stimulation study involving jaguars, pumas and ocelots. As the first of its kind, the outcomes of this project were featured in several scientific and photographic publications.

Then, in response to the 2019–2022 locust swarm that threatened Somalia’s wildlife and local populace, Jack was contracted by the United Nations to oversee the logistics of a country-wide control operation, co-ordinating a fleet of ten aircraft and six ground surveillance teams.

However, it’s perhaps his work in his native Kenya that’s closest to his heart. Alongside training anti-poaching rangers and contributing to published scientific papers, he’s orchestrated elephant collaring operations with aerial and ground teams. With the satellite tracking data from this, he’s identified migratory paths to be able to inform protected wildlife corridors.

Throughout, it’s fair to say that Jack has always enjoyed a strong desire to push himself out of his comfort zone. An avid off-piste skier, he gained his instructor qualification in Canada. Obtaining his fixed-wing pilot license in New Zealand, he’s now got his eyes set on helicopters. And, he’s just at home on the water, with several qualifications in powerboats and sea survival joined by a love of kite surfing and fishing. Knitting it all together his a deep love of travel in remote locations, which has led him deep into the jungles of Gabon in search of gorillas.

His latest accomplishment was a 3,000-mile voyage, rowing unsupported across the Atlantic. His team completed the race – widely regarded as one of the world’s most formidable endurance challenges – in a time of 39 days, 6 hours and 55 minutes, taking second place. In doing so, Jack’s team raised over £140,000 for three remarkable charities, including Tusk Trust – a conservation organisation working across Africa.

Born and raised in Kenya, Matt has travelled extensively throughout Africa, spending time with the San people in Botswana, trekking with gorillas in Rwanda and ultimately becoming a FGASA-qualified safari guide.

With this, he’s an adept wildlife lover and tracker, having led and guided trips across southern and east Africa, both traditionally and on horseback.

He’s particularly proud of his work supporting a conservation project in northern Kenya, researching the endangered reticulated giraffe.

Perhaps Matt’s most impressive achievement, however, is his successful completion of a 3,000-mile, unsupported rowing race across the Atlantic. Taking 39 days, his four-person team placed second out of 38 crews, raising over £140,000 for charity – including African conservation.

He’s also travelled widely, from walking the Camino de Santiago between Portugal and Spain to fishing for Nile perch in Uganda and turning his hand as a cattle rancher in Australia. Throughout, he’s put his PADI Open Water and WSET Level 2 sommelier qualifications to good use.

Rob’s passion for ancient history, languages and the cutting edge of travel has seen him live and work everywhere from Egypt, Turkey and Spain to New Zealand, Australia and Mexico, before returning to his native UK.

Throughout, he’s spent 13 years in UHNW and adventure travel, crafting truly unique experiences. Think employing marine biologists to customise a fish identification curriculum for a family’s Caribbean trip. A one-off luxury camp in the Norwegian mountains, complete with igloo bar and interactions with wolves. And, the very first public access to the King’s Lifeguards at Hyde Park Barracks, including a troop inspection from the officer’s balcony and lunch in the officer’s mess.

Throughout, Rob has used psychometric testing to build out comprehensive traveller profiles to ensure the experiences he designs are entirely tailored to the individual.

It’s all underpinned by a wealth of qualifications. Alongside certifications in expedition management and safety from the likes of the Royal Geographical Society and Institute of Outdoor Learning, Rob is also qualified in everything from high ropes and zip lining to archery and axe throwing.

Other past lives including time spent as a jackaroo on a sheep station in Australia and as an intensive youth worker, with qualifications as a counsellor and in psychological first aid.

With over a decade’s experience, Tamsin has led the PR and communications for leading names in luxury travel across the world. Hosting and organising press trips for the likes of the Financial Times, Robb Report and Boat International, she’s taken journalists everywhere from summit-to-sea heli-skiing in Iceland to submersible diving on historic shipwrecks in Malta.

It was perhaps volunteering in Kenya that her love of travel began, before an overland trip from Nairobi to Cape Town instilled a wider appreciation for Africa and the preservation of its wildlife. Since then, she’s spent time studying art history in Florence and is an experienced skier from her time working in the Alps.

Now, after overseeing international launch campaigns for everything from off-grid safaris and transformative retreat to some of the world’s leading hotels, Tamsin brings to Cookson Adventures her passion for finding the latest trends and transformative experiences to excite and disrupt the travel industry.

Growing up in his native South Africa, Sam went on to get his guiding qualifications early, which has seen him lead trips everywhere from Zambia to Zimbabwe over a seven-year period. Highlights include getting up close to the wildlife in Botswana, a part qualification in paragliding thanks to a dozen solo flights, and – as an advanced Scuba diver – swimming with ragged-tooth sharks.

Since then, he’s come to write extensively on his travels, including for the Sunday Times,  Sunseeker Yachts and Tempus Magazine. He’s even gone on to co-found a travel website aimed at providing resources to editors and travel brands. As such, Sam is consistently invited to write on destinations around the world, heading off on press trips to the likes of Mauritius, Reunion Island and Utah.

And, it’s this same enthusiasm he brings to Cookson Adventures, having headed up the company’s finance department since joining in August 2018. He’s also hosted some of our most ambitious trips, including family adventures in Bhutan, conservation trips in Kenya and private-lodge getaways in Norway.

After a yearlong stint working in South Korea, Simon took the opportunity to travel widely across Asia, Africa and South America.

His highlights range from high-altitude trekking in the Andes and sleeping in hides in Malaysian rainforests to kayaking with otters in Rwanda and tracking gorillas in Uganda.

Putting a degree in English literature to good use, he’s written extensively on his travels, including winning Best Brochure twice at the UK’s Travel Marketing Awards. Since then, he’s been asked to appear as keynote speaker for the Association of British Travel Agents, giving seminars on digital marketing.

At Cookson, he’s responsible for the output of the marketing team, from trip videos and photography to client websites and supporting literature. Although, having recently returned from a surf trip to Ghana, he’s always looking forward to the next big thing.