
Tom Bodkin
DIRECTOR AND CO-FOUNDER
Tom has extensive experience providing innovative and creative risk and location management solutions to TV and Film in remote and hostile environments.

Ben Major
DIRECTOR
Ben is an adventurer, explorer and survival expert who has led over 40 expeditions and projects throughout the world in all environments.

Sally Fitton
PROJECTS DIRECTOR
Sally was the BBC High Risk Advisor for Current Affairs and the World Service and deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan and the West Bank. She has supported the Natural History Unit’s BAFTA-award winning

lachlan bucknall
PROJECTS DIRECTOR
Lachlan served for 11 years as an infantry officer in the British Army where he trained and led people in some the harshest of operating environments in the world.

LOUISE WATSON
OPERATIONS DIRECTOR
Having tried her hand at a number of different sports, from skeleton to skydiving, ultra running to open water swimming, Louise is happiest when she’s spending time outside!

DR NIALL AYE MAUNG
MEDICAL DIRECTOR
Niall is the medical director for Secret Compass and oversees our medical policy, practices and procedures. He has also supported TV projects on location.
secret compass consultants

trevor smith
HCPC PARAMEDIC, IOSH QUALIFIED SAFETY ADVISOR
Trevor is a registered Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) paramedic and qualified Risk Management Consultant who has extensive

james ross
HCPC PARAMEDIC, IOSH QUALIFIED SAFETY ADVISOR
As a registered Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) Paramedic, James has extensive experience working in a variety of roles both in the UK and

Waye Auton
PARAMEDIC & SAFETY ADVISOR
Wayne is a Critical Care Paramedic based out of Chamonix in the French Alps. He is an experienced expedition medic and former Royal Marines Commando.

Tom mclay
HCPC PARAMEDIC, SAFETY ADVISOR
Tom has extensive experience working within a range of challenging pre-hospital and hospital based environments throughout the world as a registered Health and Care Professions (HCPC)

charlotte haldane
DOCTOR & SAFETY ADVISOR
Charlotte is a highly qualified and competent medical professional and expedition leader. She trained initially in Emergency Medicine, and is now a full-time Pre-hospital Care Doctor and HEMS Consultant, working for

Sal Montgomery
SAFETY ADVISOR
As a professional whitewater kayaker and TV adventure safety specialist, Sal has spent several years working in some of the world’s most remote and demanding environments.

Scott Webster
SAFETY ADVISOR
As a professional mountaineering instructor, expedition leader and polar guide Scott has extensive experience of operating in some of the world’s most remote and challenging environments. He has a particular passion for cold places and has spent the last 12 years guiding scientific, film/tv and commercial expeditions within Antarctica and the Arctic.

Nico Jones
SAFETY ADVISOR
Nico is an expert in projects that are challenging and beyond the limits of normal operations. He has spent years as a climbing instructor and mountain leader, coupled with a diverse security risk management background in a variety of interesting environments.

ED HILL
SAFETY ADVISOR
Ed Hill is a leading specialist in Safety, Security and Risk Management.
Originally hailing from Australia, Ed spent 20 years as an officer in the British Army leading teams across complex and challenging environments around the world.

Matias Arduser
PARAMEDIC & SAFETY ADVISOR
Matias is an EMT-Paramedic born in Patagonia, Argentina, from a Swiss family. With over a decade of experience working in remote and extreme environments. His South American background gives him the chance to balance the high safety European standards with the changing and challenging environment of third world countries.

Gav Emmerson
SAFETY ADVISOR
Gav has experience ensuring the safety and security of others in a variety of roles and settings, his diverse background and technical qualifications have lead him to operate in some of the world’s most hostile environments such as mountains, jungles, deserts, polar regions and conflict zones.

Jim Bonney
SAFETY ADVISOR
Jim served for 13 Years as a Royal Marines Commando Officer, specialising in amphibious operations in complex maritime, coastal and mountain environments.

matthew barratt
SAFETY ADVISOR
Matthew is an experienced Mountain Leader and climber. He has led expeditions in many different corners of the world, including Spitzbergen, Rwenzori, the Altai mountains and Caucasas range.

waldo etherington
SAFETY ADVISOR
Waldo is an expert climber, rope rescue and technical rigging specialist with extensive experience operating on remote location expeditions. He has led tree climbing expeditions to remote and unexplored tropical

alex bigwood
SAFETY ADVISOR
Alex has 15 years of military expertise, partly in Special Forces. He has been leading expeditions and instructing wilderness related courses for

Dave lucas
SAFETY ADVISOR
Dave has spent over 65 months on expeditions in 85 countries from Europe and Asia to Africa and Latin America. He thrives on exploring for unclimbed areas

mike mawhinney
SAFETY ADVISOR
Mike is a certified safety and security professional with a wide range of commercial operational experience. His knowledge is based upon real world operations in a number of challenging environments.
secret compass HQ

anya keatley
Project Manager
Anya has discovered that the skills gained in academic research are also applicable to the fast paced world of expedition planning.

AYSHA FOLLAND
Project Manager
As a talented linguist with over a decade of experience managing group expeditions to various far-flung corners of the world, Aysha has

BEN CIANCHI
Project Manager
Prior to joining Secret Compass Ben combined a varied career in ecology and academia with dreaming up and embarking on unique expeditions, including an unsupported human powered crossing of the Australian continent.

josh rodrigues
Project Manager
Josh served for 12 years as a Royal Marines Commando, deploying globally to hostile environments. He is a security and risk management

LIZ GRAY
Project Manager
Liz joined the Secret Compass team in 2021 after 20 years planning and leading multiple expeditions all over the world, and most latterly working as a risk

Stephen Kearney
Project Manager
Meet Stephen, an Irish guy who’s as at home in the ocean as he is in the wild. For more than 28 years, Stephen has ridden waves all over the world and he shared his love as the head surf instructor at Ireland’s oldest surf school for a solid 15 years.

ALICE BENHAM
Operations Coordinator
Alice moved across to Secret Compass from the public sector, having previously held operational roles in both education and healthcare.

kathy milne
Operations Coordinator
Kathy joined the Secret Compass team after previously working in security operations, combining her experience with her love for the outdoors.

harriet patton
Operations Coordinator
Harriet joined the Secret Compass team after 10 years experience in TV production, where she worked across drama, comedy and natural

OSCAR POPE
Logistics/Stores Manager
With a background in TV, Oscar came prepared to meet the logistical needs of Secret Compass’ varied portfolio of projects.

Oliver halford
Logistics
Ollie previously worked as an outdoor instructor in North Wales, leading a variety of teams and experiences, such as the Three Peaks Challenges,

ANNA RAE DOWLING
Head of Marketing
Anna joins Secret Compass after 5 years heading up the marketing for our sister brand, Everest in the Alps.

PHILLIPA SMITH
Content Manager
With over a decade in brand marketing, Phillipa joins us as Content Manager. Having lived in Australia and California, she loves nothing more than grabbing a backpack and getting lost in nature.

cat vincent
Adventure Consultant
After several years spent at sea, living aboard sailing yachts, Catherine has traded in her sea legs to join the Secret Compass team.