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Darrell Wade

Co-Founder and Chair

A backpacker with a vision, Darrell co-founded Intrepid with his mate Geoff ‘Manch’ Manchester in 1989. Their vision was simple: to offer a new style of low-impact travel that connected travellers with communities. Today, Darrell is regarded as one of travel’s most influential leaders and he plays an instrumental role in advancing the industry's sustainability agenda through his activism and philanthropy, and also serves as Chair of the Intrepid Foundation. He is best known, however, for being “the tall guy with the big laugh.”  

Darrell's favourite Intrepid trip is Jakarta to Ubud , which was inspired by his very own overland route taken while backpacking from Australia to England.  

Geoff Manchester

Co-Founder and Director 

Geoff, known as ‘Manch’, is the co-founder of Intrepid and a company director. Manch has earned the reputation as a responsible travel pioneer, championing the creation of many of Intrepid’s purpose-led initiatives since the company’s inception in 1989. Most notably, Manch spearheaded the establishment of The Intrepid Foundation in 2002, which has since raised over $13 million for more than 130 community partners spanning issues of animal welfare, human rights and economic empowerment. He was also instrumental in Intrepid becoming a certified B Corp. He remains a curious adventurer with a passion for exploring off the beaten path. 

Naturally, Manch's favourite Intrepid trip is one which involves an active adventure, the Inca Trail Express (via the lesser-known Quarry Trail). 

Julien Leclercq

Non-Executive Director  

Julien is the CEO of Genairgy, a family-owned, French investment company with a focus on active travel and sporting portfolios. In his capacity as Board Director, Julien helps to accelerate Intrepid’s ambitious growth strategy across digital transformation, product innovation, market expansion and purpose initiatives. He also serves on the Board of the Decathlon Group, one of the largest sport retailers globally, and where he spent much of his earlier career. 

Reflecting his passion for movement and sports, Julien’s favourite Intrepid trip is any which involves getting onto the water or on top of a mountain. His next Intrepid bucket list destination is somewhere in Central America .

James Thornton

James is the chief executive officer of Intrepid Travel with responsibility for setting the strategic direction and vision of the global purpose-led business. Since joining Intrepid nearly two decades ago, James has expertly led the company through his fair share of highs and lows – from B Corp certification to a period of record growth, followed by successfully navigating the business through the pandemic and securing its record capital raise. In 2023, he led the business to its strongest year of results in its history. Hailing from the UK, James is a passionate football (soccer) fan and marathon runner.  

Reflecting his passion for Africa and the outdoors, James' top Intrepid trip is Mountain Gorillas of Rwanda .  

Independent Non-Executive Director

Liz is an experienced non-executive director currently serving as chair of Intrepid’s Remuneration Committee. She brings over two decades of experience working in publicly listed, private, government and not-for-profit environments with a focus on travel, tourism, hospitality and sport. Liz currently sits on the boards of Auckland Airport, North Queensland Airports, People Infrastructure and FunLab, and outside of work enjoys any activity in, on or below the ocean!   

Liz most enjoys any Intrepid trip which gets her outdoors and into nature, and is looking forward to heading to Japan next.  

Sarah Morgan

Sarah is a reputable corporate advisor and board director, bringing strong financial and commercial acumen to Intrepid’s Board and her role as chair of the Audit and Risk Committee. With extensive experience specialising in Australia’s technology sector, Sarah has a passion for working with innovative and growing businesses and currently sits on the boards of Whispir, Adslot, Future Generation Global, and Skalata Ventures. In her spare time, Sarah enjoys escaping to the mountains for some hiking or skiing.   

Sarah is working through her Intrepid bucket list, with plans to visit Morocco , Vietnam and Argentina . 

The Core Management Team

Michael Burnett

Chief Financial Officer 

Mick joined Intrepid as chief financial officer in January 2020 and was tasked almost immediately with helping to steer the company through the pandemic and an unprecedented period of rapid change. Mick brings a passion for travel and decades of experience working in Australia, North America and the UK in privately owned and listed companies, including stints as CFO at HelloWorld Travel and Transurban. He enjoys spending his spare time watching and playing sport, but not quite as much as he enjoys sampling the latest food and wine.  

Mick’s favourite Intrepid trip is whichever one he’s going on next!

Leigh Barnes

Chief Customer Officer

‘Barnes’, as he is known, is responsible for leading Intrepid’s global marketing, CX and digital functions with a focus on embedding a customer-focused culture across the business. Previously chief purpose officer, Leigh is an advocate for the business for good movement and has been instrumental in building Intrepid’s reputation as a purpose-led organisation. Outside of work, Leigh is a keen supporter of Melbourne’s arts and culture scene and a passionate fan of the Aussie Football League (AFL) team, the Geelong Cats.  

Leigh's top Intrepid trip is Everest Base Camp Trek, which he credits for changing the way he sees the world.  

Meegan Marshall

Chief People Officer 

Meegan joined Intrepid in February 2023 and leads all aspects of global people and culture, which includes 1,790 team members in 26 offices and thousands of tour leaders around the world. A strategically and commercially astute HR professional, Meegan brings over 20 years’ experience driving successful business transformations and employee engagement in high stakes work environments and is known for her collaborative, calm and compassionate nature. Outside of work, Meegan keeps busy with her young family and enjoys Melbourne’s performing arts scene.  

Meegan’s favourite Intrepid trip involves beaches, sunshine and plenty of adventure for the whole family – the Sri Lanka Family Holiday .  

Anu Karunatilaka

Chief Technology Officer 

Anu is a passionate technologist with deep experience managing Intrepid’s high scale booking infrastructure and data platforms. Throughout his career, Anu has earned a reputation as a generous and humble leader and in 2013, set up Intrepid’s office in his home of Colombo, growing it tenfold into the company’s largest office today. As CTO, Anu leads Intrepid’s global digital transformation across the key areas of governance, privacy and AI. Anu loves sinking his teeth into projects of all shapes and sizes and recently renovated his own 4x4 to take trekking through the Sri Lankan jungle. He also enjoys collecting whisky... and drinking it too!  

Anu's favourite Intrepid trip unsurprisingly involves a 4x4 – it’s the Kenya Family Safari .  

Chief Operating Officer 

Tom is one of Intrepid’s longest serving team members, having spent more than three decades with the business. Over the past 15+ years, Tom has led Intrepid’s global product expansion, several M&As and the establishment of the company’s international network of operational offices. Tom brings a strong commercial acumen, customer focus and leadership to Intrepid’s core management team and directly works alongside the CEO to set Intrepid’s strategic direction. Outside of work, Tom is a keen athlete, having completed various ultra and endurance events.  

Tom most enjoys Intrepid’s range of active trips, from walking the Kokoda Track to cycling the French Alps .  

Zina Bencheikh

Managing Director, EMEA 

Regarded as a leading advocate for gender equality, Zina is on a mission to make the world a more inclusive and just place through travel. Based in Morocco, Zina has overseen record business growth in key markets across Europe, the Middle East and Africa and driven opportunities through tourism for women across the world. She is a seasoned speaker and contributor to leading international publications, chair of the Association of Touring and Adventure Suppliers, and a patron and advisor to not-for-profits Education for All and Women in Travel. Zina spends her spare time with her young family and is known for her eye for style and impeccable taste.  

Zina's favourite Intrepid trip is all about female empowerment, joy and connection – the Morocco: Women’s Expedition.   

Matt Berna 

Managing Director, Americas 

Matt started his career in travel as a tour leader 30 years ago and has since worked with some of the world's leading tour operators across a range of senior sales and business development roles. As the president and managing director of the Americas based in California, he oversees Intrepid’s direct, industry and white label sales as well as operations across North, Central and South America. A passionate outdoors lover, when he’s not at work you’ll find Matt hiking, biking or kayaking with his family and friends or playing guitar with other local musicians. 

Matt’s favourite Intrepid trip is Explore Northern Thailand , thanks to its stunning scenery, friendly communities and unique flavours.  

Natalie Kidd

Managing Director, Asia 

Natalie has worked in the Asian travel sector for nearly 20 years, having first joined Intrepid in 2005 as the founding general manager in Vietnam. Natalie grew this one office into a global network of 28 inbound tour operators and now leads all aspects of sales, marketing and operations across Asia, including Intrepid’s largest office in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Nat has always had a passion for Asian culture and heritage and holds a Master of Asian Studies, a Bachelor of Arts/Asian Studies as well as a Master of Business Administration. When she’s not working, you’ll find Natalie exploring a country you’ve probably never heard of!  

Despite her passion for far-flung adventures, Natalie’s top Intrepid trip is the South-East Asia Loop , which was her first ever Intrepid trip taken years before she joined the company.  

Brett Mitchell

Managing Director, ANZ  

Born in Zimbabwe and raised in Perth, Western Australia, Brett combines his lifelong love of travel with his deep operational expertise in finance and sales to lead Intrepid’s ANZ business. Prior to joining Intrepid, Brett lived and worked in London where he successfully led a range of debt raising, IPO and M&A activities for high profile companies on the London Stock Exchange. Brett joined the tourism sector in 2008 and has since been an active Board member on a number of travel associations and forums, helping to drive positive change across the industry. He keeps busy with his young kids and through local sporting clubs.   

With his active family, Brett’s favourite Intrepid trip is the Japan Family Holiday.  

Jessica Romano

Executive Manager 

Jessica has been with Intrepid for almost a decade and brings deep experience managing large scale projects and events. In her role as executive manager, Jessica helps to oversee the execution of Intrepid’s business strategy, working directly alongside the CEO to set and achieve key operational priorities. Jessica brings a wealth of knowledge from a number of roles held in travel as well as diverse administrative expertise spanning the sports and event management, hospitality and real estate sectors. Jessica loves to chase adventure and to share those experiences with others. She is also an accomplished equestrian and enjoys training and competing with her horse Neo.  

An Intrepid veteran, Jessica’s favourite trip is one of her most recent -  Amalfi Coast: Hike & Kayak .  

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Intrepid Travel Launches New U.S. Adventures — From Ranch Stays in Zion to Cycling Through Maine

"We're designing this product to show Americans America," Intrepid's CEO told T+L of expanding their trips throughout the U.S.

Tour operator Intrepid Travel is aiming to showcase how awe-inspiring and breathtaking America can really be with a plethora of new U.S. tours .

RELATED: Maine Travel Guide

From the vast expanse of Montana to the steep hills of San Francisco , the travel company tripled the number of tours it offered throughout the United States in 2022, Intrepid Travel's CEO James Thornton exclusively told Travel + Leisure . Intrepid added 38 new trips to its U.S. offerings, which cover 28 different states along with Washington, D.C.

"We're designing this product to show Americans America," Thornton said. "Naturally because Intrepid is a very global company... no doubt the trips will also appeal to customers from Australia [and] the U.K."

The new trips are a mix of outdoor active adventures that Thornton said are the backbone of Intrepid (think: walking and cycling ) along with culinary and sightseeing-focused itineraries.

"Intrepid has always been known for active [trips]… cycling, getting under the skin of the destination," he said, adding many people have been cooped up for the better part of two years and are itching to get outdoors. "I think it's something we were seeing pre-COVID and it's been accentuated by COVID."

The new trips, which launched in April 2022, include weeklong jaunts from Tennessee to Louisiana, tracing the country's music history from Elvis Presley's home at Graceland and Sun Studio in Memphis to a jazz-inspired walking tour in New Orleans . Or, revel in the sweeping landscapes of South Dakota and Montana on a parks explorer trip , complete with a visit to Yellowstone and Badlands National Park. Travelers can also explore national parks in Utah with a six-day ranch stay in Zion National Park.

When it comes to bookings, Thornton said reservations have started to reach 2019 levels in the U.S., which he called "a very encouraging sign that Americans are keen to get out and explore." But that doesn't mean travel habits haven't changed in the last couple of years.

"COVID has changed the way in which many of us are traveling," he said, adding that people are increasingly traveling domestically and "conscious around their carbon miles and carbon dollars."

For 2023, Intrepid has also expanded its Premium range of tours , with 10 new sustainability-focused itineraries that feature upscale accommodations and exclusive experiences by local leaders.

“Trends show that passengers are willing to pay for premium trips that offer an exceptional experience at an excellent value,” Matt Berna, Intrepid Travel's president of North America said in a statement. “Like all Intrepid trips, these new itineraries are designed to minimize travelers’ environmental footprint and maximize their positive impact for local communities — this is what makes Intrepid Travel so special.”

The launch marks the first Intrepid Premium itinerary in the U.S., with the introduction of Premium Alaska — one of four new tours offered in the Americas including Premium Costa Rica and Premium Patagonia. On the 10-day Alaska adventure, travelers will take the Wilderness Express Deluxe Dome cars to Denali to view spectacular landscapes by train, tour the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center , sample local beers on a private brewery tour, and visit the Alaska Native History Center to learn about Alaska’s Indigenous cultures.

In addition to new itineraries, the travel company offers more than 100 Indigenous experiences in the United States and beyond. Some of the new tours include a Utah national park hike with a Native American guide, a Mayan family farm visit and cooking class in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, and camping at Kenya’s Tepesua Village, where travelers will hear stories about Maasai warriors and learn about how community efforts are supporting women's access to education and healthcare. 

Intrepid Travel has been a longtime supporter of responsible travel. In 2019, the tour operator launched its first Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan , which outlined how it would contribute to the country’s reconciliation efforts by supporting First Nations groups through tourism. It also helped launch the first-ever Indigenous Tourism Forum of the Americas in 2020, a meeting place for community, business, and government leaders to discuss the role that tourism plays in supporting Indigenous groups.

“Communities and people are at the heart of our trips,” Berna said in a statement. “We aim to get a better understanding of local views, support more community-based and First Nations experiences, and forge strong industry relationships. It’s critical to continue to elevate Indigenous culture through authentic experiences.”

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 Intrepid Careers

    intrepid careers.,    for the real.,    for the curious. ,     intrepid careers.,     for the real.,     for the curious. ,  intrepid careers.,   for the real.,   for the curious. , from the very beginning, we were a community of spirited explorers..

In 1988 it was a group of friends journeying across Africa. It was only a year later Intrepid was born and today, it’s thousands of travellers on every continent. And just like on that very first trip, we’ll never stop searching for connection, the pulse of a new place, and most importantly for the feeling of joy that travel brings.  

Over 30 years later, we’re proud to call ourselves the world’s largest purpose-led adventure travel brand.  

we are intrepid

We are intrepid.

We exist to inspire, create, share and lead the best travel experiences ever – for both people and the planet.

Our values are what drive us, from our day-to-day decisions to how we evolve and grow our business, they pave the way we collaborate and work together to create positive change through the joy of travel. 

We believe that optimism and curiosity lead to exciting possibilities. It’s how we get things done.

RESPONSIBILITY

We’re here – and here to do good – for our people, partners, and planet.

We’re unafraid. We zig when others zag, and challenge the familiar to lead us to something better.

We’re all in. We see adventure in everything. We’re inspired by the idea that our style of travel can change the world.

It’s ingrained in who we are. We ride the bumps with a grin and never lose sight of the joy that travel brings.

We do what we say we’ll do. We do what we think is right. If we mess up, we own it and do our best to do better.

Rewards and Benefits

We believe that when people are cared for, inspired and recognised, they’re more fulfilled and productive. By joining Intrepid, you’ll join a purpose-driven global team that is building the best travel company for the world.  

Click here to read more about our Work Perks!

Tour Leaders at Intrepid

Our leaders are the heart and soul of our customer experience, they embody our Intrepid spirit and bring to life the authentic experiences our travellers crave.  

Learn more about becoming a Tour Leader here!

People + Planet

Working for a B Corp means you’re joining a company dedicated to being better, in all aspects of how we operate and what we do. It's our official pledge to be a responsible business and to use travel as a force for good in the world!  

Learn more about Intrepid's Purpose & Mission Here

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As an Australian-owned business, we acknowledge the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to their Elders past, present and future.

Learn more about Intrepid: Trips  | Company | Purpose

Learn more about Intrepid:

Trips  | Company | Purpose

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Meet the Team

At Intrepid DMC, our offices span the globe – from Budapest to Bangkok, Cusco to Cairo.

Our 28 DMCs collectively employ more than 450 people across Operations, Sales, Finance, Contracting and Human Resources. In addition to our office staff, we also work with over 1000 tour leaders and local guides. We’re a diverse bunch, but we’ve got a few things in common: our commitment to responsible business; our spirit of innovation and, more importantly, our love of creating and delivering the best travel experiences for your brand.

To get to know our regional teams, please read through their profiles below.  

Tom Beadle joined Intrepid as a tour leader in 1993 leading trips in South East Asia. Returning to Melbourne he has led and developed Intrepid’s product and operations teams to become the world’s leading global operator of sustainable and experience rich travel experiences. In his current role as Chief Operating Officer Tom is responsible for the consistent performance of Intrepid’s DMCs globally. He has been a long-term member of Intrepid’s Core Management Team. When not working Tom loves his sports and outdoor adventure and has been lucky enough to walk many of the world’s best treks.

Cameron Elliott

With over 25 years in the travel industry, Cam has extensive experience in Leadership, Sales, Contracting and Partnership development. Cam is responsible for the sales growth of the Intrepid DMC network globally and together with his team of Global Partnership Managers is dedicated to helping your business grow. Based on the Gold Coast in Australia he is an avid traveller and a passionate surfer & snowboarder.

Celia Brennan

With over 15 years working in the travel industry Celia has a strong background in global product and operations. Responsible for supporting the global network of Intrepid DMCs in a multitude of tasks including safety compliance, commercial performance, training, development and procurement. Test

Angelika Zimmer

Angelika started in the travel industry in 2005 and has wealth of experience in product, contracting, customer service, reservation & sales. Originally from Germany, her passion for travel brought her to Asia, Africa, North America, Caribbean and of course Europe. She live in London for 9 years where she worked for a global travel company specializing in FIT experiential travel for students & young adults. Her aim is provide Intrepid DMC partner passengers with a great experience they love to talk about.

Chris Godrich

15 years ago, after a successful career in retail business development, Chris decided to take a sabbatical to travel the world. Little did he know that this would lead to him embarking on a huge change in direction by being inspired become a tour leader, working in over 50 countries across the globe. Pre 2020, Chris successfully combined his now first-hand knowledge of the Adventure Travel Industry with his previous business development experience to lead a team of BDMs to deliver huge growth numbers across the EMEA region for Intrepid Travel. Since 2020, Chris has been working with Intrepid DMC’s External Partners and loves nothing more than helping build successful, long term business partnership but equally hearing the positive feedback from our mutual clients adventures!

Sameh Tawfik

Sameh has worked his way up from tour leader to General Manager of the Middle East at Intrepid DMC. His experience of every department, including contracting, reservations, and operations, has allowed him to gain an in-depth knowledge of the business and empowers him to develop creative solutions for his clients. Last year Sameh transitioned to Global Sales team as Partnership Manager for APAC, helping our partners to grow their business, and ensuring customers have the best travel experience possible.

As a travel enthusiast herself, Thiri has been working in tourism industry for 11+ years with extensive proven sales experience. Joining Intrepid Travel back in 2014, Thiri started as a Travel Sales Consultant and quickly moved into Sales Manager role for Myanmar.  While managing the sales team to exceed the goals and targets, she also participated in various projects and later joined the global team as a Travel Studio Specialist playing a key role in support of DMCs’ transition into new system and implementation of trainings. Thiri is now working as Global DMC Sales Development Specialist by supporting 20+ worldwide sales teams, solving problems, evaluating, designing and delivering trainings in order to ensure the delivery of an exceptional sales experience as well as to achieve sales goals globally.     

Natalie Kidd

Natalie Kidd is the Managing Director Asia of Intrepid Travel, the world’s largest provider of adventure travel experiences. Natalie joined Intrepid in 2005 as the founding General Manager of the first vertically integrated DMC, based in Hanoi Vietnam. Over the years she grew this one DMC into a global network of 25 inbound tour operators. She has previously held the roles of Chief Operating Officer and Chief People and Purpose Officer also with Intrepid. Natalie holds a Masters of Business Administration (AGSM), a Master of Asian Studies (UNSW) and Bachelor of Arts/Asian Studies (USyd) and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors’ (AICD) director program. Natalie is also board director of GSTC (Global Sustainable Tourism Council).

Mike Stewart

Mike's love for adventure saw him travel the world until 2003 when he decided that Asia was the place to be. Starting out as a tour leader and having worked across all departments within the DMC business, Mike enjoys nothing more than working with the local team in Thailand creating and delivering innovative and sustainable experiences for your clients.

Ravindra Singh Shekhawat

Trained in hospitality and service, Ravindra started as a sales manager for a large hotel. His passion for travel took him towards the travel trade where he started leading trips throughout India/Nepal. After being a tour leader for three years, he was promoted to Deputy Operations Manager then to Operations Manager in the India DMC, and currently heads our Indonesia DMC as General Manager. He is hailed as a great communicator with various business partners, and his focus remains on the safety aspect of the trips and strong performance of teams. Ravindra, along with his team in Indonesia, ensures an unforgettable sustainable travel experience for our passengers supported by a great experienced team of tour leaders.

Rama Mahendru

Rama has been a part of the Intrepid DMC family for over eleven years. Joining the team as a finance executive, Rama worked her way up and was made Finance Manager for India in 2012.  Having successfully implemented a whole host of improvements during her time in Finance, Rama became General Manager for India in 2019. Proud to be part of such a diverse organisation, Rama is incredibly passionate about our business and looks forward to driving growth in the years to come. 

Maggie Tian

Maggie started her journey with Intrepid DMC China way back in 2008 as one of the company's very first employees. Working as the Finance Manager for ten years, Maggie was appointed General Manager at the beginning of 2019. Born in Beijing, Maggie's favourite local experience is cycling through the Hutong area. Her passion combined with her deep knowledge and experience in the travel industry makes her an indispensable asset to the business. 

Aye Mya Mya Soe

Aye has been in the tourism industry since she graduated and brings a wealth of experience to her role. She started her journey with Intrepid in 2014 as Deputy Operations Manager in DMC Myanmar, then promoted to Operations Manager and played key leadership roles as General Manager in Myanmar and Indonesia. After nearly a decade with Intrepid, Aye is now taking the role of General Manager in Cambodia. She is detailed, patient, customer-oriented and willing to go the extra mile to ensure our guests have a fantastic experience in Cambodia.

Felice Tseu

Passionate, wide experiences and well connected in the Malaysia-Borneo tourism industry.  Felice began her career Malaysia tourism industry after completed her higher studies from the USA. Fueled by deepest interest in travel and entrepreneurship, upon getting her licensed tour guide, she started from leading trip to managing an office. A listener, responsible with credibility and strong work ethic, providing exceptional communication with local stakeholders and local team players. Advocate motivational with critical thinking through transformation management, pushes team to achieve their potential by encouraging them to build upon their skills and develop new ones. Constantly encouraging, innovating, promote creativity and solving problem among Malaysia office to support company and team growth. Transforming lives, Enriching Future.

Hanh Nguyen

Hanh Nguyen joined Intrepid DMC Vietnam 15 years ago as a tour guide in Hanoi, then challenged himself in various roles within the business as a tour leader trans-Indochina, the Intrepid DMC’s Russia & China Operations Manager, then the first Vietnam’s Product Manager and was soon appointed to become Intrepid DMC’s General Manager in mid-2022. Having the great passion for his motherland country and possessing the insightful knowledge of its people, cultures, Hanh and the entire Vietnam team’s dreams is to introduce priceless “wow” moments to all travelers and making their holiday a sustainable experience rich travel, and a trip of a lifetime. Hanh and his team take pride that Vietnam is a beautiful country that awaits many more people to come and discover.

Ashish Verma

Ashish is a passionate travel expert with over 14 years of experience in the industry. Graduated in hospitality and hotel administration, he started his career with a luxury hotel group in India, but his love for travel led him to this industry. Prior to joining Intrepid Travel in 2012, he worked for several well-known travel companies in India that specialized in FIT and group travel. In Intrepid Travel, Ashish has spent several years in major departments, including Operations, Contracting, Reservations, and Sales, prior to his appointment as Country General Manager of Intrepid Nepal in 2022. His aim is to deliver the best travel experiences through the trips we operate incorporating sustainable practices that minimize the impact on the environment and support local communities.

Poornaka Delpachitra

Poornaka is a seasoned travel industry professional with over a decade of experience both locally in Sri Lanka and Overseas . He began his career as a corporate travel executive whilst also playing Rugby for Sri Lanka. Following a move to the UK for higher studies, Poornaka gained valuable industry insights while working part-time for a UK-based tour operator whilst managing his higher education. Returning to Sri Lanka, he started an operation office for the same tour operator, working his way up to become the General Manager for both the UK and Sri Lanka offices over a twelve-year tenure. In 2022, Poornaka joined Intrepid, as the General Manager of both the Shared Services Center and DMC in Sri Lanka, bringing his experience and natural leadership skills to a new challenge

Kenny Onishi

Kenny's interest in travel started early as born and raised in Los Angeles to Japanese parents who has a strong passion for travel uncovered the joy of travel, both domestic and internationally. On one of these trips to Japan Kenny was amazed with the level of customer service and from then on was determined to work there. Moving to Osaka in 2003 Kenny worked across a number of different aspects of the travel industry before joining Intrepid in 2018 where he realized that he had found his true passion. This has given Kenny an opportunity to utilize his high level of hospitality skills and travel knowledge to ensure that your guests will have an incredible experience while visiting Japan.

North Africa & Middle East

Zina Bencheikh

Born in Marrakech and educated in France and the UK, Zina started her career in finance in Paris before returning to Morocco to join Intrepid. She progressed rapidly through financial and operational leadership roles with the company and now leads the EMEA region of the business to deliver on the company’s dual goals of growth and balancing purpose and profit. Her remit includes the company’s Destination Management Companies in the region, as well as leading expansion into new European markets. Zina has also driven many purpose-led projects and initiatives at Intrepid, ranging from increasing the number of female tour leaders the company works with, to developing partnerships with WWF, IUCN, and Women in Travel.

Hala Benkhaldoun

Born in Casablanca, Hala grew up in the beautiful city of Marrakech before moving abroad at the age of eighteen to attend university in Paris. After finishing her degree, Hala spent five years between France, UK, Switzerland and the Netherlands working for a consulting company but in 2015 Morocco called her home. After four years working in corporate banking for an international institution, Hala has turned her passion for travel into her career, joining Intrepid DMC Marrakech as General Manager in September 2019. 

Walid Akl has been working in the field of Tourism and hospitality for over 30 years. He graduated from Cairo university with a bachelor degree in Business /administration and accounting. He worked in hospitality field (hotels and restaurant) while he was living in USA, then came back to Egypt and worked in the Tourism field (Grand Circle travel) and later joined different positions in France and Italy as well. Then worked in the river boat cruise construction & operational field. His passion is traveling and exploring the world, meeting different people with different mentality and he is very creative. His hobby is interior design, he built and designed his own house.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Samuel Karani

Sam joined Intrepid East Africa in 2014 with over ten years managerial experience in tourism. After four successful years as Finance Manager, in 2019 he was promoted to General Manager. He has closely worked with every department including operations, contacting, sales and human resources giving him a wide understanding of the industry. Sam is passionate about developing and working with teams to deliver memorable adventures across the region. 

Clinton Els

Following an honours degree in Travel, Tourism and Marketing, Clinton spent the next 20 years travelling the globe; interacting with communities, people, products, clients, & buyers. Experiencing unique cultures & locations. He has been exposed to contracting, sales, operations, and management in various facets of the travel and corporate world. Travel has not only grown Clinton in his career, but as a person, a manager, a husband, & a father. One of Clinton’s goals is to instil a culture of growth within his teams and allow each individual to express themselves to their fullest in realising their potential.  To switch off and recharge, you will find Clinton relaxing with his family as they plan their next trip, on a golf course hacking his way around 18 holes, or relaxing around a fire in the bush with nothing but the sound of nature to keep him company… and a delicious glass of South African red wine of course.

Kristijan Svajnzger

Kris left his native Slovenia with a thirst to see the world. Working in various industries he soon discovered a passion for adventure that continues to this day. After four years working as a tour leader in Europe, Kris became the Operations Manager for Intrepid DMC Marrakech in 2012. Kris has now taken on the newly created position of General Manager for Europe to focus on the growth and quality of our European operations.

Florencia Allo Moreno

It all started over 13 years ago, with a flight from Buenos Aires, Argentina to Barcelona, Spain. What it was supposed to be a ‘3 months’ trip to Europe turned into a life full of travelling. Florencia visited 30+ countries in Europe, Asia, North, Central, and South America and lived between Spain, Vietnam, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Argentina while developing her 12+ years career within the tourism industry. Florencia worked with start-ups and companies in growth mode in Latin America and Europe across several management positions, including a first-hand experience managing a DMC for four years in Vietnam. Florencia joined Intrepid in 2022 taking on the General Manager for West Europe role and feels very proud and inspired to be part of a company who believes that amazing travel experiences go hand in hand with great responsibility.

Matt started his career as a tour leader over 30 years ago and fully appreciates what it takes to deliver an exceptional travel experience. Over this time, he has worked with some of the world’s leading tour operators to develop and grow their travel portfolios; from outdoor adventures and hiking trips to more cultural and luxurious itineraries. He is a Board member of Tourism Cares and serves as an advisory Board member for Blacks in Travel and Tourism. He is proud to be a part of such an innovative and global team at Intrepid DMC and is dedicated to helping you grow your business and ensuring your customers have the best travel experience possible.

Gary's passion for travel started early. He was born in South Africa and then moved to the UK when he was 10. After graduating from university, he started travelling all over Latin America and eventually worked for Exodus as an overland expedition leader from 2003 to 2005. After leaving the travel industry for a few years to live in Spain, he then joined Intrepid DMC as the Ground Manager in Buenos Aires at the end of 2010, later becoming our Operations Manager in Peru. He is now our Managing Director for Latin America, based in Lima.

Fausto Sarango

Fausto joined Intrepid at the end of 2011. With an extensive background in travel, and more than 25 years in the travel industry, he is currently the General Manager for Intrepid DMC Ecuador and the Galapagos. Fausto’s experience comes from leading successful adventure businesses, as well as contracting and managing operations in the Galapagos, and as such, is widely respected locally. Fausto is focused on delivering consistently high-quality, safe, transparent and trusted product for our DMC partners.

Hernan Acevedo

Born and raised in Bogotá, Hernan was lucky enough to travel from an early age but never thought he could make a career out of his love for discovering new places. After studying electronic engineering at university, quite by accident Hernan ended up working as a tour leader for Colombians travelling to the Caribbean – which led him to see the opportunity for inbound tourism to his mother country. Initially juggling his tour leader role with a job in the telecom industry, in 2010 Hernan was able to take the leap to a full-time position developing new products for international travellers to Colombia. Nine years later, he has seen first-hand the power of tourism to transform the lives of both travellers and local communities.

Danielle Suarez

Danielle started her travel career as a tour leader for Intrepid in 2011, before moving on to active travel and hospitality tech companies where she worked in field operations, leadership and development, product management, and stakeholder relations. Returning to Intrepid as General Manager of North America in 2021 was the culmination of over 10 years of tourism experience. Based in Southern California, Danielle spends most of her time hiking on local trails with her dog, Dot, and dreaming up her next adventure full of food, culture, and activity.

Fernando Rodriguez

Fernando spent most of his childhood travelling around Peru due to his father’s job, which allowed him to discover the wonders of his country at an early age. His passion for the mountains and sharing his culture led him to join Intrepid as a local guide in his hometown, Arequipa, soon after he finished his degree in tourism. He went on to become a tour leader, running trips all over South America, before joining the office team in operations roles and then as our General Manager in Peru. Like many other Peruvians, he’s a food lover and a self-proclaimed master chef.

Carlos Cardona

Originally from Puerto Rico, Carlos grew up in Costa Rica and then pursued a career in international economic development providing program design services to national and multinational development agencies. In 2003 he returned to Costa Rica to establish an adventure tour operator and since 2011 he has led product development, operations and quality control initiatives for several international operators serving the North American market. Carlos is a photography and cycling enthusiast.

Yes, Texas man named 'Literally Anybody Else' is running for president | Fact check

The claim: Texas man changed his name to ‘Literally Anybody Else,’ announced presidential run

A March 26 Facebook post ( direct link , archive link ) shows a photo of a man next to photos of President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.

“A 35-year-old man in Texas has legally changed his name to ‘Literally Anybody Else’ and announces he will attempt to run for President, against Trump and Biden,” reads the post.

It received more than 3,500 shares in less than a week.

More from the Fact-Check Team: How we pick and research claims | Email newsletter | Facebook page

Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide

Our rating: True

File this one under strange but true. A man formerly known as Dustin Ebey provided USA TODAY with documentation showing he legally changed his name to “Literally Anybody Else” out of frustration with voters’ options in the 2024 presidential race. Else started a campaign website and is working to collect signatures in Texas.

Name is odd, but campaign is real

Else showed USA TODAY his driver’s license and court documents affirming he obtained his new name in January, leaving behind his birth name of Dustin Ebey.

Else said he initially purchased the domain name LiterallyAnybodyElse.com in 2023 because he suspected others shared his dissatisfaction with presidential candidates in recent election cycles. He thought he could potentially sell merchandise, such as T-shirts and bumper stickers, with the slogan.

His disheartenment reached a tipping point when it became clear there would be a rematch between Trump and Biden in 2024.

He began the process of changing his name and setting up a campaign, which Dallas' WFAA-TV covered in a March 22 story . Else said the story triggered a flood of new supporters and media requests from around the world, which makes him more optimistic about collecting the more than 113,000 signatures needed to be listed as an independent candidate on the Texas ballot.

“Will I make it on the ballot?” Else said. “Probably not, but it’s a lot more feasible now than it used to be, than it was a week ago, for sure.” 

Fact check : Altered clip shows Trump vowing to free Imran Khan from prison

The name change was to push back against people who "complain and do nothing," Else said.

“I’m not just complaining, I’ve taken action. I’ve taken this step, this sacrifice," he said. "Changing your identity is hard. That’s me, my name, Dustin Ebey was … who I’ve been for 35 years, and now I have to put that identity on hold to assume the persona and identity of someone who can run the country."

Else said he's seeking counsel from experts in various fields to flesh out the details of his policy agenda. In the meantime, his website lists his positions on a handful of topics including healthcare, education and the border with Mexico. 

Various news outlets including USA TODAY , KSAX-TV in Dallas and the Hill also reported on Else’s presidential run. 

USA TODAY reached out to the user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Our fact-check sources:

• Literally Anybody Else, April 1, Phone call with USA TODAY 
• LiterallyAnybodyElse.com, April 1, Policies
• KXAS-TV, March 28, North Texas man changes name to ‘Literally Anybody Else’ to run for US president 
• USA TODAY, March 28, V ote for Biden, Trump or ‘Literally Anybody Else,’ the name a Texas teacher is using to run 
• The Hill, March 25, Texas man running for president under name Literally Anybody Else 
• WFAA-TV, March 25, North Texas man changes name to ‘Literally Anybody Else,’ is now running for president 

Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or e-newspaper here .

USA TODAY is a verified signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network, which requires a demonstrated commitment to nonpartisanship, fairness and transparency. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Meta .

USTR Releases 2024 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers

• USTR Announces Brendan Lynch as Assistant United States Trade Representative for South and Central Asia
• United States and Kenya to Hold Fourth Negotiating Round Under the Strategic Trade and Investment Partnership
• Statement from Ambassador Katherine Tai on the People’s Republic of China’s Request for WTO Consultations Regarding the Inflation Reduction Act
• Readout of Ambassador Katherine Tai’s Meeting with France Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade Economic Attractiveness, Francophonie and French Nationals Abroad Franck Riester
• USTR Restores Market Access to Colombia for U.S. Poultry Producers
• Ambassador Katherine Tai to Travel to North Carolina
• Joint Statement of the First Meeting of the Trade Ministers of the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity
• USTR Announces Fiscal Year 2024 Allocation of Additional Tariff-Rate Quota Volume for Raw Cane Sugar
• Joint Update by the Office of the United States Trade Representative, the Department of State, and the Department of Health and Human Services on APEC Regulatory Harmonization Steering Committee of Medical Products
• U.S. Trade Representative Tai and HHS Secretary Becerra Commemorate Third Anniversary of Atlanta Spa Murders
• Readout of Ambassador Katherine Tai’s Meeting with Republic of Korea Trade Minister Cheong Inkyo
• USTR and U.S. Department of Commerce Announce Public Release of Indo-Pacific Economic Framework Fair Economy Agreement
• Statement by Ambassador Katherine Tai on Petition Filed Under Section 301 Related to the People’s Republic of China’s Acts, Policies, and Practices in the Maritime, Logistics, and Shipbuilding Sector
• USTR Releases Fiscal Year 2025 Congressional Budget Justification
• United States Releases Joint Statement with Türkiye Extending Digital Services Taxes Transition
• Ambassador Tai to Travel to Las Vegas, Nevada
• Joint Statement from the United States and Colombia
• Ambassador Tai to Travel to Austin, Texas
• USTR Seeks Public Comment on Promoting Supply Chain Resilience
• ICYMI: USTR Secures Extension on E-Commerce Moratorium at MC13
• Statement from Ambassador Katherine Tai on the Thirteenth Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization
• Ambassador Tai to Travel to Cambridge, Massachusetts
• USTR Releases President Biden’s 2024 Trade Policy Agenda and 2023 Annual Report
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March 29, 2024

WASHINGTON – United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai today released the 2024 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers (NTE Report), which provides a comprehensive review of significant foreign barriers to U.S. exports of goods and services, U.S. foreign direct investment, and U.S. electronic commerce in key export markets for the United States.   “Statute provides that the NTE Report identify significant barriers to trade and investment, for the U.S. government to use to open those markets. As in years past, USTR is using this year’s NTE Report as a part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s trade policy tool kit to open markets for hardworking American workers, farmers, ranchers, small businesses, and communities,” said Ambassador Tai.   “The NTE Report has received unprecedented attention this year because we are taking steps to return it to its stated statutory purpose. We respect that each government—including our own—has the sovereign right to govern in the public interest and to regulate for legitimate public policy reasons. Over the years, the NTE Report expanded from its statutory purpose to include measures without regard to whether they may be valid exercises of sovereign policy authority. Examples include efforts by South Africa to render its economy more equitable in the post-Apartheid era; import licensing requirements for narcotics and explosives; and restrictions on imports of endangered species. By carefully editing and returning the NTE Report to the statute’s intent, USTR is making it a more useful document that enumerates significant trade barriers that could be addressed to expand market opportunities and help our economy grow.   “The NTE Report has been, is, and will always be a work in progress, and we welcome input from all our stakeholders. We recognize that American trade policy must reflect the values of the American people.”   Published annually since 1985, this year’s NTE Report covers significant foreign trade barriers in 59 markets. Examples of these significant barriers include:  

• Barriers to U.S. agricultural exports . The NTE Report highlights cross-cutting barriers affecting U.S. agricultural trade, including opaque and burdensome facility registration requirements, such as Indonesia’s facility registration requirements for dairy, meat, and rendered products, and the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) requirements across a wide range of food and agricultural products; sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures that are not based on science, are maintained without sufficient scientific evidence, or are applied beyond the extent necessary to address SPS issues, such as India and Turkey’s procedures and requirements for agricultural biotechnology approvals, Mexico’s policies regarding products of agricultural biotechnology, and the European Union’s non-science-based policies affecting innovative crop protection technologies; and lack of adherence to science- and risk-based standards and commitments related to trade in poultry products from regions impacted by highly pathogenic avian influenza, including by the PRC. USTR is determined to use all available tools to ensure that U.S. agricultural producers are provided fair access to compete on a level playing field globally, and to ensure safe, wholesome food and agricultural products to consumers worldwide.
• Failure to recognize U.S. motor vehicle standards . Certain countries effectively exclude U.S. vehicles built to conform to the U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). These standards provide a high level of protection that matches or exceeds that of other countries. Over the coming year, USTR will continue its engagement with foreign government and authorities on this issue, to ensure that U.S. exports of FMVSS-compliant vehicles are able to access these markets, including Colombia, Egypt, Laos, Morocco, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, and Taiwan.
• Lack of uniformity in the European Union. U.S. stakeholders continue to face challenges in the European Union in having to address disparate policies or procedures across Member States. Areas of concern include customs, labeling, agricultural biotechnology, packaging and packing waste, government procurement, investment, and intellectual property protection and enforcement.
• Non-Market Policies and Practices. The PRC’s state-led, non-market approach to the economy and trade continues to shape the industrial policies that the PRC pursues, and provide unfair competitive advantages to PRC companies. This includes massive financial support and regulatory and other preferences and formal and informal policies and practices that seek to disadvantage foreign competitors. This behavior is heavily distorting and disrupting markets, which has led to severe and persistent excess capacity, as evidenced by the ongoing situations in the steel, aluminum, and solar industries, among others. The PRC is focused on numerous industries in advanced manufacturing, high technology, and other key economic sectors, where the PRC is setting and pursuing production and market share targets that can only be achieved through non-market means. USTR is determined to pursue all available domestic trade tools to protect the competitiveness of U.S. workers and businesses and will continue to work closely with like-minded allies and trading partners to address the PRC’s harmful policies and practices.
• Data policies in furtherance of state intrusion. The United States is aware that data localization policies can be use by government to surveil their populations, interfere with labor rights, and otherwise compromise civil and political liberties. There are also circumstances in which data policies lack clarity and pose compliance challenges. USTR has identified problematic data policies across a range of countries, including the PRC and Russia.

  The 2024 NTE Report can be viewed here .   The release of the 2024 NTE Report follows the March 1, 2024 release of the 2024 President’s Trade Policy Agenda and 2023 Annual Report. USTR plans to release its annual Special 301 Report on the adequacy and effectiveness of trading partners’ protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights within 30 days.

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Microsoft to separate Teams and Office globally amid antitrust scrutiny

By Foo Yun Chee

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Microsoft will sell its chat and video app Teams separately from its Office product globally, the U.S. tech giant said on Monday, six months after it unbundled the two products in Europe in a bid to avert a possible EU antitrust fine.

The European Commission has been investigating Microsoft's tying of Office and Teams since a 2020 complaint by Salesforce-owned competing workspace messaging app Slack.

Teams, which was added to Office 365 in 2017 for free, subsequently replaced Skype for Business and became popular during the pandemic due in part to its video conferencing.

Rivals, however, said packaging the products together gives Microsoft an unfair advantage. The company started selling the two products separately in the EU and Switzerland on Oct. 1 last year.

"To ensure clarity for our customers, we are extending the steps we took last year to unbundle Teams from M365 and O365 in the European Economic Area and Switzerland to customers globally," a Microsoft spokesperson said.

"Doing so also addresses feedback from the European Commission by providing multinational companies more flexibility when they want to standardise their purchasing across geographies."

Microsoft said in a blogpost that it was introducing a new lineup of commercial Microsoft 365 and Office 365 suites that do not include Teams in regions outside the EEA (European Economic Area) and Switzerland, and also a new standalone Teams offering for Enterprise customers in those regions.

Starting April 1, customers can either continue with their current licensing deal, renew, update or switch to the new offers.

For new commercial customers, prices for Office without Teams range from $7.75 to $54.75 depending on the product while Teams Standalone will cost $5.25. The figures may vary by country and currency. The company did not disclose prices for current packaged products.

Microsoft's unbundling may not be enough to stave off EU antitrust charges which will likely be sent to the company in the coming months as rivals criticise the level of the fees and the ability of their messaging services to function with Office Web Applications in their own services, sources said.

Microsoft, which has racked up 2.2 billion euros ($2.4 billion) in EU antitrust fines in the past decade for tying or bundling two or more products together, risks a fine of as much as 10% of its global annual turnover if found guilty of antitrust breaches.

($1 = 0.9265 euros)

(This story has been corrected to say that Microsoft started selling the two products separately in the EU and Switzerland on Oct. 1, not Aug. 31, in paragraph 4)

(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; editing by Jason Neely)

Israeli airstrike on Gaza kills seven working for food aid NGO

• Seven aid workers killed when their convoy was hit
• World Central Kitchen says strike was 'unforgivable'
• Israel promises independent investigation

AUSTRALIA CONFIRMS DEATH

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Reporting by Nidal Al Mughrabi and Ahmed Tolba; Writing by Lincoln Feast; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Philippa Fletcher

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Thomson Reuters

A senior correspondent with nearly 25 years’ experience covering the Palestinian-Israeli conflict including several wars and the signing of the first historic peace accord between the two sides.

Russia's third biggest refinery struck with Ukrainian drone, endangering a chunk of production

Ukrainian drones attacked Russia's third largest oil refinery on Tuesday about 1,300 km (800 miles) from the front lines, hitting a core unit which processes about 155,000 barrels of crude refining per day.

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Letter to the nation’s teaching hospitals and medical schools

To the nation’s teaching hospitals and medical schools:

Today, the Department of Health and Human Services (the Department), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), released new guidance to reiterate and provide clarity regarding hospital requirements for informed consent from patients as it relates to medical professionals performing sensitive examinations, particularly on patients under anesthesia. Please share this guidance with your members.

The Department is aware of media reports as well as medical and scientific literature highlighting instances where, as part of medical students’ courses of study and training, patients have been subjected to sensitive and intimate examinations – including pelvic, breast, prostate, or rectal examinations – while under anesthesia without proper informed consent being obtained prior to the examination.  It is critically important that hospitals set clear guidelines to ensure providers and trainees performing these examinations first obtain and document informed consent from patients before performing sensitive examinations in all circumstances.  Informed consent includes the right to refuse consent for sensitive examinations conducted for teaching purposes and the right to refuse to consent to any previously unagreed examinations to treatment while under anesthesia.

In addition, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) investigates complaints alleging that patients’ protected health information was used or disclosed to medical trainees in violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy Rule.  The HIPAA Privacy Rule safeguards protected health information (PHI) from impermissible use and disclosure and further gives individuals the right to restrict who has access to their PHI, including in scenarios where they may be unconscious during a medical procedure. OCR recently issued a Frequently Asked Questions document explaining this right.

OCR also enforces federal civil rights laws, such as Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, race, national original, age, and disability.  OCR has previously worked with, and will continue to work with, covered entities to ensure that their policies and practices related to sensitive examinations do not discriminate against patients on any of these bases.

While we recognize that medical training on patients is an important aspect of medical education, this guidance aligns with the standard of care of many major medical organizations, as well as state laws that have enacted explicit protections as well.  Informed consent is the law and essential to maintaining trust in the patient-provider relationship and respecting patients’ autonomy.  We welcome the opportunity to work with providers to promote compliance with existing federal laws and plan to hold a webinar regarding this requirement soon.

Xavier Becerra Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Chiquita Brooks-LaSure Administrator, CMS

Melanie Fontes Rainer Director, OCR

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