Pioneer Expeditions Field Staff

Philip Beale

Phillip Beale
Director Philip Beale

Philip is the Managing Director of Pioneer Expeditions and works to create fascinating trips in unusual locations. He read Politics at university and joined the Royal Navy to pursue his interest in maritime exploration. He is a keen adventurer and traveller with a special interest in historic “Kon Tiki” type expeditions.

In 2003/04 Philip undertook his longstanding personal goal of building a replica of an ancient Indonesian ship and sailing it across the Indian Ocean, around the Cape of Good Hope to West Africa. This project, known as the Borobudur Ship Expedition (www.borobudurshipexpedition.com) was successfully directed & completed in March 2004. Following the successful conclusion of the expedition Phil was awarded a state medal for Services to Indonesian Culture by the President of the Republic of Indonesia.

He is currently leading the Phoenicia expedition which is recreating the first circumnavigation of Africa -further details of which can be found at www.phoenicia.org.uk. Philip is a qualified MCA RYA Yachtmaster and a member of the RYA and the Naval and Military Club.

When he is not in some remote location he focuses on providing marketing and business support for Pioneer Expeditions. He lives near Lulworth Cove, Dorset where the Pioneer offices are based.

You can contact Philip by emailing info@pioneerexpeditions.com

Laurenne Mansbridge

Director Laurenne Mansbridge

Laurenne manages the expedition organisation and website and is involved in new trip development.

She is also your main point of contact at Pioneer Expeditions for any enquiries or when you are making a booking.

Laurenne is a keen sailor, hiker, birdwatcher and diver and has recently returned from a long term sailing adventure.

Please feel free to call into the office with any questions as she is always happy to offer expert advice and information on Pioneer trips.

You can email Laurenne on laurenne.mansbridge@pioneerexpeditions.com

Client Services : Alice Chutter

Alice will be taking client enquiries and bookings for Pioneer Expeditions so if you call our offices you may well speak to her. A keen traveller herself she has recently returned from trips to Thailand and India and hopes to take part in some of the forthcoming Pioneer Expeditions. Please feel free to call into the office with any questions as she is always happy to offer expert advice and information on Pioneer trips.

You can email Alice on alice.chutter@pioneerexpeditions.com

Jim Bond

Pioneer Expeditions Image
Expedition Leader Jim Bond

Jim was born and brought up in Zambia and is very much an African at heart.

After a spell in the safari business in Botswana, Jim went to train as a doctor in the UK. He took an MSc in Botany and went on to forge a parallel career as an ethnobotanical researcher.

He has helped to set up a number of community health and conservation projects in Madagascar and Mozambique.

He has always had a 'soft spot' for Mozambique, and regards the North of this country as one of Africa's best, hidden jewels.

James Brunker

Expedition Leader
James Brunker

After university (where James spent most of his time kayaking rather than studying!) James became a white water raft guide. Between 1994 and 1998 James guided raft and kayaking trips in Austria, Nepal and Costa Rica. During this time he also spent a lot of time travelling Centreal America where he got the Latin American Bug.

Between 1999 and 2004 James led tours for Explore, mostly Latin America especially Peru and Bolivia.

In 2003 James based himself in La Paz, Bolivia where he still lives and combines his love for travelling and photography as as leading some tours and expeditions including our Cotahuasi Canyon Trek.

Gilles Gautier

Expedition Leader
Gilles Gautier

Born in Marseille, Gilles spent 20 years between the French coast and the Alps on the sea, rivers and mountains with incursions in the Dolomites, Chamonix and Zermatt. He claims this made him ‘hooked on travelling, its mysteries, beauties, pains too’. Gilles then spent 5 years travelling around North America (mainly between Yosemite and Big Sur Area), central America, and around Africa. He lived in Comoros for some years then, in 1991, settled in Antananarivo where he still lives with his wife, son and three daughters.

Gilles' interests include Photography, outdoors, reforestation, human relationships.

Read more about Gilles in your expedition leader profile

Eric Hebert

Expedition Leader
Eric Hebert

Eric was born in Ontario, Canada and studied Marine Engineering. He sailed ships lakes and oceans of the U.S. and Canada in his spare time and, after university, spent three years working full time on ships. Eric was ambitious to see more of the world and, since Canada had no deep sea fleet, he bought a backpack and set off on his own to travel round the world.

Eric’s first destination was Kenya, where he fell in love with Africa. His ‘round the world’ trip turned into a 20 month African odyssey below the equator. One of the highlights of his trip was rafting the Zambezi River and on his return home, Eric trained as a rafting guide.

Eric has guided rafting trips worldwide, including the rivers of Canada, India, the U.S. and Australia and has worked as a teacher, draughtsman and engineer in the marine field.

Read more about Eric in your expedition leader profile

Simon Jordan

Expedition Leader, Simon Jordan
Expedition Leader
Simon Jordan

Simon has led 250 tours, safaris and expeditions in more than 35 countries over 15 years. Some of the more challenging destinations have included Eastern Kalimantan, Central Sulawesi, Uganda, Tibet, Oman and Eritrea.

He has always felt completely at home working with local crews in remote corners of the world and speaks Turkish, French, Italian and Bahasa Indonesia.

An accomplished lecturer with a History of Art degree, he has lived on Mediterranean coast of south west Turkey for a decade and enjoys cooking and scuba diving.

You can contact Simon by emailing simon.jordan@pioneerexpeditions.com