- Destinations
Our Team
Our job is to make your travel as well-planned and enjoyable as possible. Our expertise is broad-ranging, with travel consultants, product managers, tour leaders and general administrative staff forming the team. Our staff are located in Australia, Italy, Germany, Denmark, the UK and the United States, ensuring great support for our tours and tour leaders. Academy Travel also has its own office in Rome, headed by Claudia Pfeiffer; in London, headed by Grace McLean; and in the USA, headed by Dr Matthew Laing.
Lynsey Jenkins
Groups Coordinator
Lynsey manages the work of our Group Travel Managers and provides administration support on all Academy Travel tours. She is usually the first point of contact for those making enquiries about our tours. Lynsey comes to us from the UK, where she pursued extensive vocational training in travel and tourism and gained fourteen years’ experience in the industry.
lynsey@academytravel.com.au
Jamal Fairbrother
Groups Travel Manager
Jamal is a groups travel manager, working on all aspects of our clients’ travel requests. He comes to us with a significant amount of experience in the travel industry and has worked in Australia for both Flight Centre and Globus. Jamal has specific expertise in our tours to Europe, the United States and Africa. Jamal grew up just outside Wellington, New Zealand.
jamal@academytravel.com.au
Hannah Kleboe
Groups & Product Manager
Hannah is a groups travel manager, working on client bookings, and a product manager, developing many of our tours to Spanish and French speaking countries. Originally from the UK, Hannah studied Modern European languages and literature at Cambridge University and has over twenty years’ experience in the travel industry in the UK and Australia.
hannah@academytravel.com.au
Damien Flint
Marketing Manager
Damien coordinates our marketing objectives, overseeing and creating our print advertising and publications, digital creative and assets, and website management and design. Damien also manages our external agencies, who help implement our strategies. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Western Sydney University, and has been with us for nearly a decade.
damien@academytravel.com.au
Jackie Colonnelli
Product Coordinator
Jackie is the product coordinator, and works with product managers and the marketing area to prepare the upcoming tour program for sale and promotion. Previously the manager of Academy Travel’s school and university program for a decade, Jackie has a Master’s degree in history and has many years’ experience tour managing in Europe and Japan.
jackie@academytravel.com.au
Mark Lalor
Product Manager
Mark is a groups product manager, designing itineraries and implementing their arrangements. He specialises in our tours to the Middle and Near East, Africa, Asia and Australasia. During twenty years in the travel industry, Mark has worked in Japan, been cabin crew with Qantas, and coordinated the study tour program at the CCE, University of Sydney.
mark@academytravel.com.au
Chantal Simms
Product Manager
Chantal is a groups product manager, with over 25 years’ experience in the travel industry. Chantal designs new itineraries, and has had a varied career, working for Virgin Australia, Flight Centre head office, and in product and team management. Chantal has numerous qualifications in travel, tourism and business management, and has travelled extensively.
chantal@academytravel.com.au
Dr Nick Gordon
Product Manager
Nick is a groups product manager and tour leader for art-focused and study tours to Italy and Europe, and coordinates our lecture program. Nick’s educational background is in European history, and he gained both a University Medal and PhD in the subject from the University of Sydney. He is also a painter, exhibiting regularly at galleries in Sydney.
nick@academytravel.com.auDr Matthew Laing
Product Manager
Matthew is a groups product manager who specialises in developing our Northern America tours. Matthew holds a BA and PhD from the Australian National University, and wrote his doctorate on the history of the US presidency. He was also an intern in the United States Congress, has travelled extensively throughout the country and currently lives in the US.
matthew@academytravel.com.au
Dr Matthew dal Santo
Product Manager
Matthew is a group products manager specialising in tours to Russia, Central Asia and Croatia. A writer, historian and foreign affairs commentator, Matthew has a BA (Hons I) from the University of Sydney and a PhD from the University of Cambridge. He lives in Copenhagen and has travelled extensively throughout the Russian-speaking world.
matthewds@academytravel.com.au
Royna McNamara
Product Manager
Royna is a groups product manager specialising in developing our music tours. She has been managing and leading overseas music tours for more than 20 years, has degrees from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and the University of Sydney, and has a broad knowledge of both vocal and orchestral performance, with Italian music a particular focus.
royna@academytravel.com.auGrace McLean
London Office – United Kingdom
Grace is the General Manager of Academy Travel’s London office, responsible for product development, sales and marketing in the UK. Grace holds a Bachelor of Business and a Master’s of Education and has more than fifteen years’ experience in the travel industry. She has lived and worked in Australia, Greece, the USA and UK and has travelled extensively.
grace@academytravel.uk
Dr Kathleen Olive
Academic Researcher and Writer
Kathleen is known to Academy Travellers as one of our most skillful tour leaders. When not abroad, Kathleen works as our academic officer creating and editing tour notes. Kathleen’s doctorate is in Italian literature, and she has a strong interest in medieval history and contemporary fiction writing. She leads tours to Italy, America, Spain, Japan and Australasia.
kathleen@academytravel.com.au
Stuart Barrie
Director – General Manager
Stuart is a director of Academy Travel, bringing 25 years’ experience in the travel industry to his role. In addition to studying social history for a Bachelor of Arts at Macquarie University and communications for a Master’s at UNSW, Stuart worked as a tour leader with a major coach tour company. Stuart now leads tours with a focus on modern history and architecture.
stuart@academytravel.com.au
Fergus Geddes
Director – Retail Consultant
Fergus has more than 20 years’ experience in the travel industry and is a director of Academy Travel. Fergus manages the retail side of our operation, using his extensive knowledge of airlines and fares to ensure our clients have access to the best travel options available. Fergus has many years experience as a tour manager for groups in Europe and Australia.
fergus@academytravel.com.au
Robert Veel
Director – Creative Director
Robert has 20 years’ experience designing and leading educational travel programs and is a director of Academy Travel. He has designed and led many tours to Italy, Turkey and the United States, as well as travelling to Asia, North Africa, the Middle East, Russia and Canada. Robert’s special interest is in Italian medieval and Renaissance history.
robert@academytravel.com.au
Claudia Pfeiffer
Academy Europe
Claudia is the manager of Academy Europe, our Rome-based company which is responsible for managing relations with hotels and other suppliers in western Europe. Claudia has over 25 years’ experience organising incoming travel in Europe. She speaks fluent English, German, Italian and French and is also an Academy tour manager.
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