Karin Strand

Vice President of Expedition Development, HX Expeditions

Karin serves as Chair of AECO’s Executive Committee. She brings over 20 years of experience in the expedition cruise industry in both the Arctic and Antarctic, primarily as an Expedition Leader and later as an Operations Manager.

Sam Seward

President of Quark Expeditions

Sam has an extensive experience in active and experiential group travel, having previously led Travelopia’s Adventure Travel division, and will share insights into the future of polar tourism and Quark’s approach to shaping it.

Kristin Westdal

Science Director at Oceans North

Dr. Westdal works for Oceans North, a Canadian not-for-profit that supports marine conservation in partnership with Indigenous and coastal communities. She is a marine mammal expert with unique Arctic experience and scientific knowledge having spent over two decades researching belugas, narwhals and killer whales in Canada’s Eastern Arctic.

Lars Fause

Governor of Svalbard

Lars has served as the Governor of Svalbard since June 2021. With a longstanding interest in Arctic governance and policy, he will share a seasonal update and perspecitves from the Governor’s office. (Photo: Trygve Olsen)

Frigg Jørgensen

Executive Director of AECO

Frigg brings over 30 years of experience in Arctic tourism and is a leading voice for sustainable and responsible practices in the region. Before becoming Executive Director of AECO, she held key roles with Visit Svalbard, the Governor of Svalbard, and helped establish the Svalbard Tourism Board.

Andreas Østhagen

Research Director at the Fridtjof Nansen Institute

Professor Østhagen is a renowned expert on Arctic security and international relations. He will talk about the shifting geopolitical landscape of the Arctic, raising questions about cooperation, competition, and the role of global powers in a rapidly changing environment.

Gyða Guðmundsdóttir

Head of Community Engagement at AECO

Gyða is responsible for AECO’s community engagement program. She brings broad experience from the cruise industry, having worked across destination marketing, port agency, and logistics across the Arctic.

Geir Wing Gabrielsen

Senior Research Scientist at the Norwegian Polar Institute

Professor Gabrielsen is senior research scientist in environmental pollutants at the Norwegian Polar Institute and holds an adjunct position at UNIS.

Arnheiður Jóhannsdóttir

Spokesperson for the Destination Management Organizations of Iceland

For over 12 years, Arnheiður has led a team at Visit North Iceland to develop and promote the region as a destination for leisure and business travelers, aiming to reduce seasonality in tourism. She has helped establish direct international flights, led regional marketing cooperation, and serves as spokesperson for Iceland’s Destination Management Organizations.

Joshua Jones

Oceanographer at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego

Dr. Jones is an expert in the use of passive acoustic monitoring for the study of marine mammals and ocean environments, with a research focus in the Arctic. His research has involved a combination of underwater passive acoustic recordings and satellite remote sensing data, as well as collaboration with Indigenous communities and non-governmental organizations.

Trine Krystad

Head of Government Affairs at AECO

Trine is based in Longyearbyen and brings over 30 years of experience from Svalbard. She has a background in local governance and administration, with a focus on sustainable destination management and community development. At AECO, Trine is involved in coordinating the Stakeholder Cruise Program.

Christopher Gerlach

Manager, Tourism Development, Government of Nunavut

Christopher has devoted nearly 20 years to the tourism industry. His journey began in 2005, gaining valuable experience in luxury hotels across South America and onboard cruise ships in the UK. In 2016, he transitioned to a role with the Government of Nunavut.

Ronny Brunvoll

CEO of Visit Svalbard

Ronny is responsible for the overall efforts of on behalf of the 80ish member companies in Svalbard Tourism Council. Main focus is responsible marketing, corporate responsibility and destination sustainability and development.

Trevor Wright

Intern Director of Tourism and Cultural Industries, Government of Nunavut

Trevor helps oversee the Government of Nunavut’s Tourism and Cultural Industries Division and has substantial experience in Canadian Arctic and Indigenous affairs through both the public service and news journalism. He will be sharing insights from Nunavut on AECO’s Arctic Stakeholder Cruise.

Sigurdur Jokull Olafsson

Managing Director, Cruise Iceland

During the last decade Sigurdur has had various roles in the Scandinavian tourism industry, within the fields of sales, marketing, and business development. Previously he worked within the media industry both in Iceland and Denmark. Sigurður has an M.Sc. in marketing and international business from the University of Iceland.

Salik Hard

Senior Advisor, Ministry of Business, Trade, Mineral Resources, Justice and Gender Equalityes

Salik leads the Greenland Government tourism strategies, legislation, business development and concessions. He has more than 30 years of senior-level experience in various tourism companies and institutions in Greenland.