A2A SAFARIS - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Head of Product and Sales
Alex is originally from the UK but now calls Bangkok home. After an early career in luxury and lifestyle consultancy Alex found his calling to turn his passion for travel into a career. After over a decade working for a leading tour operator in a variety of roles, he now supports the team to deliver exceptional travel experiences. He can often be found keeping up with his favourite sports and getting his family out on the road travelling.
Anna is a passionate, adventurous, and eco-conscious traveler, always fascinated by different cultures and the beauty of the world. From a young age, she was very eager to explore new places and learn about their history and traditions, thanks to the influence of her favorite cartoon, The Wild Thornberrys.
Later on, Anna realized that her love for travel was not just a hobby but a way of life. She began planning trips aronud the globe for her family of 20, and while planning her honeymoon with A2A Safaris, she realized she could turn her passion for travel and event planning into a lifelong career.
Growing up in Qatar, Japan, and UK, traveling has been a part of Chelsea's life ever since she can remember. After working for a travel agency in Japan and chasing winters in Canada, Australia and Japan, she has moved to Singapore to pursue her passion of traveling through a career at A2ASafaris. She truly enjoys assisting her clients in turning their dream holiday into a real holiday.
Cherine has travelled extensively. She loves the experience of seeing new places and understanding the diverse cultures. After working many years in the corporate world, she turned her passion in travel into a career. She enjoys planning custom holidays to meet the requirements of her clients.
Since her first job as a reporter in Costa Rica, Claire designed her career path to enable her passion for exploration, and has spent the past 15 years as a marketing manager in the luxury travel space. Originally from the US, she's lived in Costa Rica, Panama, Chile, and now calls Spain home with her husband and toddler. Her favorite adventures include sleeping under the stars in the desert of Namibia, floating in a hot air balloon above the rainforest in Costa Rica, tracking tigers on safari in India, hiking the Salkantay Trail in Peru, and an unexpected self-drive safari in South Africa's Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Park.
Deacon is a passionate traveler and adventurer, born in the vibrant province of Bulacan, Philippines. With a rich background in the corporate sector, particularly in managing telecommunications accounts within the call center industry, Deacon has seamlessly transitioned into the travel industry. His love for exploring new horizons and uncovering the world's hidden gems drives him to inspire and guide others on their own journeys of discovery.
Edwin was an avid client of A2A Safaris before joining the team in 2013 and he is spearheading its expansion into New York City where he has lived for over 20 years with his wife and daughter. Like Jose and Victor, he has traded Wall Street for wildlife. Previously voted by institutional investors as a top-ranked equity salesperson, Edwin's new goal is to be a top-ranked safari specialist!
Ellah holds a distinguished degree in International Tourism Management with a major in Travel and Tour Operation (Latin Honor awardee). With an inherently positive mindset and an adventurous spirit, Ellah is also well-equipped for success in a myriad of roles within the dynamic field of international tourism. Her combination of expertise, dedication, and a forward-thinking approach positions her as a valuable asset for A2A Safaris and its diverse and discerning clients.
Jeff is A2A's data and tech guru with his decades of experience as a full time systems analyst, particularly as a network specialist in the luxury travel industry. He is an adrenaline junkie who loves adventures and challenges from scaling tall mountains to free diving on the ocean floor.
Jeremy is A2A Safaris' bachelor businessman cum travel junkie and foodie. Passionate about his restaurants and other enterprises, he says there is nothing he loves better than seeing his clients' faces light up when they come back from their safaris.
Jose cut his teeth in the jungles of Wall Street and hung up his gloves as managing director of a global investment bank in Hong Kong. He is a keen photographer, usually out documenting the forests, deserts and windswept plains of Central Africa, South America, South Asia and the polar regions. When not out exploring and researching new destinations for A2A's clients, he spends his time around Asia and in Cape Town with his wife Kitty and their hounds Lucca and Lola. Jose is also a member of African Parks' APN-X private guide team.
To travel the world has been one of Karel's biggest dreams since her teenage years. To explore God's breath-taking creations and to help others visit a paradise like Africa is a source of great satisfaction for her.
As an active person, Ken cherishes spending time outdoors surrounded by nature. While his first passion was for sports, he developed a deep interest in traveling in his 20s. Combining with his love for animals, he became invested in conservation and wildlife. Some of his favorite travel experiences include a hiking trip through the Swiss Alps and floating on a Mokoro in the Okavango Delta.
Job Titles:
- Senior Travel Consultant
- A2A Senior Travel Consultant
A2A Senior Travel Consultant Kevin grew up watching David Attenborough's early wildlife documentaries on black and white TV, dreaming of one day travelling to Africa. Since then he has spent years living in Kenya and Cape Town and travelled extensively through some 17 countries in between. He now calls Hong Kong home, but Africa is always a close second.
Job Titles:
- Marketing & Design Associate
Kim is a Cape Town based Graphic Designer with both in-house and design agency experience. She graduated with a three year degree in Visual Communication Design at Vega School of Brand Leadership - specialising in Graphic Design. She is extremely passionate about travelling to new places, reading, food, wine and art. Kim has been working in the industry for over 4 years and on top of her Graphic Design skills, her expertise includes Social Media, Packaging, Branding, Illustration, Print Collateral, Advertising and Web Design. She also does Digital and Film Photography on the side.
Lieze joined the A2A team with a slate of diverse work experiences and was ultimately drawn to eco-tourism because of her passion for nature and exploring new places. A native of Cape Town, Lieze looks forward to planning unforgettable safari experiences for clients, and hopes that they enjoy the magnificent wildlife and breathtaking views that her home continent has to offer. Lieze has traveled around the United States and currently lives in New York, a city she loves for its vibrant culture and diverse culinary scene.
A2A's resident CPA, Mark is always mesmerized everytime he watches wildlife in their natural habitat showcasing their survival skills. And being with A2A gives him an extra ordinary shot of adrenaline as merging work and encounters with wildlife and other stunning gifts of nature is such a once in a lifetime opportunity.
From an early age, Michael would spend hours poring over the family atlas planning his future travel plans - and travel he did! He has visited over 85 countries as well as having lived in Melbourne, Tokyo, Madrid, New York and now Hong Kong. In all his travels, it is the unique and diverse experiences to be had in Africa and Latin America which have really captured his imagination, and sees him returning to time and time again. This passion for travel has extended to his love of designing tailored made, bespoke travel experiences for his clients, whether they be street food tours in Peru and Mexico, authentic cultural exchanges in Bolivia, or horse riding safaris in Kenya.
Michelle began her career in travel 20 years ago as a leisure and corporate travel consultant. These roles allowed her to enjoy her passion for travel while planning holidays filled with unforgettable memories and experiences for her clients. Michelle grew up in Cape Town and now calls the Garden Route home and here she gets to enjoy hiking, kayaking, exploring forests, lakes and spectacular scenery. She is always looking for memorable activities to share with her clients.
Monica has a passion for travelling, photography, nature, and the ocean. Her "Out of Africa" dream came true in 2004 when she went on safari with A2A Safaris' co-founder Jose Cortes III. She continues her love affair with adventure travel, representing A2A Safaris/A2A Journeys in Thailand. A Thai national, Monica is determined to spread her love for safaris to new clients. She wants them to experience what she has experienced - not just the wilderness and stunning landscapes but the African lifestyle, culture, people, and the unique safari way of life.
Nicole's lifelong passion for globetrotting began early. As the daughter of a diplomat, Nicole was brought up living and traveling between the US, Brazil and Portugal. After graduating with a degree in Environmental Biology she spent a semester in Kenya. During this time she became passionate about the continent, its people, wildlife and wide open spaces. Since then Nicole has devoted almost 2 decades to creating life changing journeys to Africa for her clients. She lives and breathes safaris and has a diehard loyal following of clients (now friends) because of her highly personalized, detailed and knowledgeable style. Nicole is based in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Born and raised in Manila, Pat is an ambivert who has always had a passion for art and travelling. Although she prefers city life rather than wildlife, Pat would spend hours painting landscapes of nature. As someone who enjoys planning trips, Pat graduated with a degree in Travel & Tourism Management and has worked in the industry before exploring the hotel and banking industries. Realizing that travelling is her true passion, she decided to go back to her roots. She believes that travelling is one of the best investments you can make that will surely enrich you in more ways than one.
A banker in her past life, Penny took a break from her fast-paced lifestyle to re-assess what career she wanted to pursue. Her passion was to talk about her travels - how she is captivated with history and culture, inspired by beautiful sceneries and just happy to experience the vibe amidst locals. The opportunity to share her enthusiasm in helping friends and family plan trips of a lifetime always enlivens her.
While working in event management hosting the likes of Prince Philip, Pru undertook her first safari in 2008 and was immediately smitten. Within 3 years she was living in Africa and became firmly entrenched in the safari world. Her children were initially raised in Cape Town, giving her a unique insight into family experiences, while she and her safari guide husband searched out the best places for fine dining or more informal and relaxed getaways. She's travelled the continent extensively, and particularly enjoys more diverse experiences such as horseback safaris, hot air balloons or sunken hides, where the wildlife comes to you.
Rochelle is an adventure enthusiast with a deep love for nature. A true thrill-seeker, she's constantly chasing the sun - whether it's through hiking, exploring new terrains, or immersing herself in the great outdoors. Rochelle's passion for discovery fuels her desire to live life to the fullest and inspire others to embrace the beauty of the world around them. Now, her dream is to continue exploring the wonders of the world alongside her son, sharing the joy of adventure and nature's magic with the next generation.
Tom began his passion for travel with an epic journey across 34 states in North America. Since then his career has taken him across multiple destinations across the world. His true love came when he took an adventure across Latin America and was inspired by its diversity, passion, culture and food. From the wetlands and jungles of Brazil to the ancient civilisation of Peru or the stirring landscapes of Patagonia, Tom believes Latin America can truly offer spectacular experiences for everyone. Tom is based in the UK and has a passion for wildlife, history and food.
An art director, artist, and former Manhattanite, Tracie thought New York City was the center of the universe, until she went on a honeymoon safari to Africa with her husband. As A2A's marketing director, she still wears black, but never on safari.
Ever the "control freak", Tung Ling has been put in charge of planning mother-daughter holidays from a young age. This sparked a travel planning passion so strong that she decided to design holidays professionally. Always on the quest for meaningful & authentic travel experiences, you'll find her sprinkling hidden gems & interaction with local communities onto your holiday itineraries wherever possible. When not concocting up exciting vacation plans for clients, she loves seeing independent films, scrolling through cat accounts on Instagram & hiking the different nature trails around Singapore.
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder
- Ex - Investment Banker
Victor is an ex-investment banker who has lived and worked in the US, Europe and Asia. He has always had a passion for travel and that is what led him to co-found A2A Safaris. He has experienced all kinds of safaris including one as a solo traveler on his early safaris, a honeymoon safari with his wife and lately family safaris with his two children.
An ex-fashion buyer, entrepreneur and indoor cycling instructor when she's not designing trips, Yessa is not one to shy away from adventure and pursuing the road less taken. Her philosophy in travel is to get out of your comfort zone, with luxury and style.