Mathilde Siccardi

Brand Director Viventura

Mathilde left a previous career to follow her passion for travel, starting as a tour leader in Europe before falling for South America. As Brand Director, she ensures Viventura trips are designed by real experts, built around real sustainability, small groups, and surprises. Her team obsesses over small details others overlook, because she believes the difference between a good trip and a great one lives in the details. Travelers end up connecting deeply with the people and places, worry-free. Outside work, she brings the same care to cooking and baking for friends and family.

Soledad Cruz

Trip Specialist

For Soledad, designing trips is a joyful expression of her passion: traveling, discovering cultures, flavors, and landscapes, and celebrating the unique beauty of each destination. Guided by curiosity, creativity, and a keen eye for detail, she creates warm, authentic experiences deeply connected to the spirit of every place.

David Thebaud

TC Ops Specialist

David, a Breton with a South American heart, spent six years traveling across Argentina and Chile as a tour guide. Now a member of our coordination team, he draws on his field experience to find the perfect guide for you, he is the one who will truly elevate your journey.

Pablo Calla

Operations Specialist

Pablo came to Ventura through a former colleague who knew he had a knack for tourism operations, but he stayed because he likes solving the messy parts others never see. He builds trips with enough detail to keep things moving and enough contingency planning to handle the unexpected. That means travelers get smoother days, better options, and a trip shaped with real destination knowledge, not guesswork. Colleagues know him as the person who keeps looking for a stronger answer. Outside work, he follows technology, gaming, and new gadgets. He also likes comparing options the way he compares travel fixes.

Alec Krishna

Director and Founder Karmaventura

Alec is the Brand Director working remotely on an exciting new brand for the South Asia region. With a deep love for nature and culture, he brings a genuine passion for travel and sustainable tourism to the team.

Andre Kiwitz

CEO & Founder

Andre started his journey in 2001 after realizing that most organized travel lacked depth or genuine connection. He built Ventura to scale authentic, specialist travel experiences by cutting through complexity and prioritizing local partnerships over industry standards. He runs the company with a focus on speed and ownership, pushing his teams to ditch excuses and take full accountability for their results. Outside of the office, he avoids comfort to prioritize freedom, fitness, and finding places with a bit of real edge.

Brian Heyel

New Market Director

Brian came to Ventura because he wanted travel to match the values it talks about. As Market Entry Director, he helps open new places with a clear rule: if a trip is going to work, the local community has to benefit from it too. He keeps looking for smarter, more responsible ways to build those relationships, and he is not afraid to scrap an idea if it will not hold up on the ground. Travelers get a trip shaped by people who know the destination, trust it, and have a stake in its future. Outside work, he is happiest with his family or heading somewhere new.

Damian Myrda

Brand Director Puraventura

Damian loves helping people discover Central America & the Caribbean in a way that feels personal and easy. He knows the region well and cares about the small details that turn a good trip into a great one – from the rhythm of the route to the moments that really stay with you. He has a special affection for Mexico, but above all, Damian enjoys creating journeys where guests feel well looked after, curious and relaxed at the same time. As team lead at Puraventura, he makes sure every trip is thoughtfully planned, responsibly organized and simply enjoyable.

Erick Feijoo

Integrator, Head of Business Operations

Erick works from our Berlin office as Integrator and oversees our company's business operations. From a very early age, he's been fascinated by new languages and cultures, and he especially enjoys getting to know countries' politics and history. Erick's family is from Ecuador and Peru, and he previously worked on economic development issues across different Latin American countries. He joined Ventura TRAVEL after working in Washington D.C., Germany, Belgium, and Costa Rica.

Kathleen Ishibashi

Central Operations Specialist

Kathleen joined Ventura to use her Japanese skills and love for Japan. She started with Japaventura, then moved to Central Operations to coordinate across all brands. She sees how each brand builds locally owned, culturally specific trips far from the tourist path. Travelers get personal experiences because operations are built with that same care. Kathleen brings her fun, easygoing energy to every project and is known for being open to new ideas. Outside work, she plays online games and watches Chinese dramas. That mix of precision and play gives every trip she touches real depth and heart.

Kim Poissant

Customer Success Director

Ever since she can remember, Kim was driven by a natural curiosity that brought her to new places and cultures. Always searching for the unknown, she has lived and worked in Germany, Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama and the Canary Islands, before she finally settled down in France. Despite her adventurous heart, Kim loves when things are in order. As part of the Ventura team she can live out her two sides: organization geek and passionate adventurer.

Lizelle Gevers

Trip Specialist

Lizelle came to Ventura straight from backpacking Europe, wanting a role that mixed sales with real trip design. As an Africaventura trip specialist, she builds itineraries that refuse to show just one face of a country — you get the game reserves and the vibrant townships, the coastal drives and the local markets. Her easy-going style and preparation mean you never feel rushed or lost. Guests call her passionate, kind, and thorough. Outside work she cycles, rides horses, and plays piano — the same steady rhythm she brings to making sure your trip surprises you at every turn.

Michael Guiet

Head of Group Travel

Michaël has always been passionate about traveling and discovering new cultures. After studying tourism in Paris, he decided to settle in Santiago de Chile where he worked in a travel agency. He took the opportunity to discover the richness of Latin America. Upon his return, he chose to live in Berlin where he works as a tour guide. In December 2014, he joined the Ventura team in the Berlin office. He now knows South America like the back of his hand, with a preference for Brazil and Patagonia. Passionate about creating new itineraries and finding unique experiences, he will be able to give you all the details you need for your travel plans.

Dai Tatai

Brand Director Japaventura

Servus Everyone! A Japanese, born in Berlin, raised in Bavaria, studied in Australia, UK, Italy and Switzerland. Worked in Canada and Japan. Dai has lived, worked and learned in different cultures throughout his life. Dai leads the Japaventura team and is responsible for the operation, sales and product. He speaks English, Japanese and German fluently and a little bit of French and Bavarian. His passion is to create a bridge between Japan and the world and show our guests the wonders of Japan as seen through his eyes. If he is not working on creating unforgettable trips to Japan, then you will see him on the football pitch somewhere in the suburbs of Munich, as a compassionate coach or a fan of a club which will not be mentioned here to keep objectivity :)

Ericka Amurrio

Flight Operations Manager

Ericka works from our La Paz office as a Flight Operations Manager and is in charge of providing flights for all Ventura brands by negotiating with airlines in order to provide our customers with an exceptional flight experience to start an amazing trip.

Gustavo Cataño

IT Director

I love tech things, and use this passion every day in my work with our IT team to deliver great value for Ventura Travel. I like to travel and enjoy riding my bike along unknown roads. However, above all things, I really enjoy spending my free time with my family and my daughter.

Johan Jansen

TC Operations Specialist

Hiking and running in the mountains from a tender age instilled into Johan a passion for the outdoors that has only grown stronger over the years. He grew up in a small town close to the Kruger National Park, a setting that reinforced his love for nature. Johan has been actively involved in the Adventure industry since 2010, when he earned a National Diploma in Adventure Tourism Management. Since then, he’s been registered and qualified in Mountain Walking Leader, Off-Trail Overnight Mountain Guiding, Level 3 Wilderness First-Aid and Single-pitch sport-climbing. Johan has also led operations for various adventure companies based in South Africa and the UAE. Johan will be responsible for TC Ops topics for brands situated in Africa, Asia, and Europe.

Marcia Sanchez

Human Relations Director

Born and raised in La Paz, Bolivia she is mad in love with the cultural diversity of her country. She loves working with people and found her passion working in Human Resources. In her spare time, she loves to read historical novels, travel and feels the happiest when she can get to know a new country, a new culture and new people.

Matthew Jones

Sales Specialist UK Market

Matthew is the Sales Specialist – UK Market for Ventura TRAVEL, based remotely in Sicily and focused on growing the UK market across all Ventura brands. With a strong background in travel sales and customer experience, he is passionate about connecting travellers with authentic, culture-led experiences around the world. Driven by a love for adventure and discovery, Matthew works to expand Ventura’s presence in the UK while helping travellers find meaningful and unforgettable journeys.

Patricio Grez

Finance Director

Patricio joins our Ventura Team as Head of Finance, bringing a vast experience with him. Not only in pure finance topics, but also in its relation across different areas of an organization. Passionate traveler, but the slow travel. Spending time and living in different countries and cultures has always given him good experiences. He is open to new challenges and willing to share with others.

Ralf Spielberger

Finance Director

My finance team and I manage all the financial aspects of ventura Travel. Our mission is to deliver accurate, prompt and useful financial information to the different stakeholders.