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Our Expedition Team
LEX Leadership
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Sven Olof Lindblad, Founder
Sven-Olof Lindblad is the Founder of Lindblad Expeditions. Lindblad was born in Switzerland and traveled extensively with his father, renowned adventure-travel pioneer Lars-Eric Lindblad, who led some of the first non-scientific groups of travelers to Galapagos (1967) and Antarctica (1966). For six years, Sven lived in East Africa photographing elephants and wildlife in Kenya and assisting filmmakers on a documentary on the destruction of African rain forests. Lindblad’s early exposure to nature and wildlife taught him the importance of maintaining natural resources and understanding the cultural background of remote regions of the world. Read more
In 1979, Lindblad launched Special Expeditions (now Lindblad Expeditions), a unique travel company aimed at offering marine-focused expeditions aboard small ships for adventurous travelers. Lindblad Expeditions’ itineraries are staffed with expedition leaders, historians, naturalists, cultural authorities, marine biologists and undersea specialists who help to bring expeditions to life for the active and curious traveler. In 2004, Lindblad formed a multifaceted strategic alliance with National Geographic that combines the strengths of two pioneers in exploration and travel, with the goal of further inspiring the world through expedition travel.
Lindblad’s personal experience led to the company’s long-standing commitment to environmentally responsible travel, which has resulted in numerous travel and environmental awards, including the 2007 Global Tourism Business Award from the World Travel and Tourism Council and the 2007 Seafood Champion Award. The company has also received the Condé Nast Traveler 2002 Ecotourism Award and received honors for their environmental achievements by ASTA/Smithsonian magazine and the National Audubon Society. The United Nations Environment Programme recognized Lindblad’s accomplishments, naming him to their Global 500 Roll of Honor. Latin Trade magazine named him Environmentalist of the Year for 2001. Lindblad Expeditions is on Condé Nast Traveler’s Gold List 1997-2002, 2005, 2006 and has been rated among the top ten cruise lines in the world on the magazine’s prestigious Readers’ Choice Awards 1996-2005. Travel + Leisure magazine named the company one of the World’s Best Outfitters and Tour Operators in 2000-2006, ranking Lindblad number one for “World’s Best Values” among cruise lines in 2006.
Lindblad’s vision of his guests visiting a unique location, learning about it, and leaving it intact the way nature created it, has positioned Lindblad Expeditions at the forefront of environmentally sensitive expedition travel. His mission is simple: to provide travelers the opportunity to discover for themselves the natural, cultural and historic regions of the world and to provide thoughtful approaches that make such travels enriching, responsible, safe, fun and memorable.
Lindblad is a member of the General Assembly of the Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos Islands. In May 2006, he received international recognition for his innovative and successful model of tourism in a ceremony hosted by HRH, Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg at the Grand-Ducal Palace. He also had a newly discovered endemic species of moth in the Galapagos Islands, Undulambia lindbladi, named in honor of his conservation work in the archipelago. Additionally, he serves on the Board of Blue Ocean Institute and National Geographic Conservation Trust. He is a past Board of Directors member of the Mexican Fund for the Conservation of Nature and is a past member of the Bi-National Advisory Board of the San Diego Natural History Museum. He is a founding member of the Galapagos Conservation Fund and founding chairman emeritus of Tourism Cares, associated with the United States Tours Operators Association.
Lindblad is also founding chair of Adventure Collection, a family of the world’s most trusted and experienced active travel companies. His photography has appeared in Smithsonian and National Geographic magazines. In addition, he has produced exquisite photography books on Alaska, Baja California and Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park published by Rizzoli.
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Ian Rogers, VP, Chief Financial Officer
Ian joined Lindblad in the Spring of 2009. Ian is a seasoned hospitality executive with broad experience in the hotel, leisure and cruise business. Ian combines both significant domestic and international experience in locations as diverse as Eastern Europe, the Caribbean and the Middle East. Ian holds an MBA from the University of Minnesota. Ian previously held senior finance roles within several divisions of Carlson Companies, Tauck World Discovery and Hyatt International.
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Peter Butz, Chief Operating Officer
Mr. Butz received his BS degree in Development and Resource Economics from the University of California at Davis in 1977. After extensive independent travels around the world, he joined Lindblad Travel in 1979, working first in the reservations and operations department, then on board the Lindblad Explorer as a Zodiac driver and staff member on the vessel's worldwide voyages. In 1981, he joined Sven-Olof Lindblad's newly-formed company, Special Expeditions (now Lindblad Expeditions). Read more
From 1981 to 1989, Mr. Butz was Expedition Leader on the vessels that Lindblad Expeditions chartered in Alaska and Baja California, and on the Polaris in the British Isles, the Baltic, the Arctic, the Amazon, and the Caribbean. During that same period he helped research and develop land programs in Alaska, the American Southwest, and PapuaNew Guinea. When Lindblad Expeditions acquired the m/v Sea Lion in 1989, he began managing vessel operations for the company. Mr. Butz is currently Vice President of Fleet Operations for Lindblad Expeditions. This vessel management division of the company oversees the marine operation of all of Lindblad Expeditions’ ships: National Geographic Sea Lion, National Geographic Sea Bird, National Geographic Islander, National Geographic Endeavour, and the newest addition to the Lindblad Expeditions fleet, National Geographic Explorer.
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Trey Byus, Chief Expedition Officer
Trey Byus has worked in the travel industry since 1991, but immediately knew he found a home when he started working for Lindblad Expedition in 1993. He started as an Expedition Leader, working all over the world for 6 years before accepting the newly created position of Director of Field Staff. In that role, Trey led the department responsible for scheduling and managing all of Lindblad's Naturalists, Historians and Expedition Leaders. Read more
Along with an impressive team of colleagues, Trey expanded the company's field vision to implement a wide variety of high-tech tools – video microscopes, hydrophones, underwater cameras, an ROV, and more – that have helped to illuminate the integral role the undersea plays on every expedition. Soon thereafter, the next innovative phase took place, putting Video Chroniclers on all LEX vessels, and forming an in-house video productions department.
As Director of Field Staff & Expedition Technology, Trey joined the Management Committee in early 2002.
In January of 2004, Trey became the Vice President of Field Operations and Program Development and in 2006, the VP of Expedition Development & Management. In this expanded role Trey now collaborates with a very talented team of Land Managers and Expedition Developers to oversee all programs for the National Geographic Endeavour, National Geographic Explorer, Panorama, Lord of the Glens and Sea Cloud II.
Recognizing that the field/office link is absolutely crucial to success, Trey continues to oversee and work integrally with the Field Staff Department organizing workshops, Expedition Leader meetings, training seminars and itinerary development meetings.
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Elizabeth Crabill, VP, Sales and Marketing
Elizabeth joined Lindblad Expeditions in 2007 as Vice President of Marketing to oversee the day-to-day operations of the marketing department as well as web development and digital marketing to further expand Lindblad’s online brand and community. Elizabeth comes to Lindblad from Travel Impressions, a subsidiary of American Express, where she led the marketing department, including responsibility for brand and partnership marketing, creative strategy, advertising and communications. Read more
Previously she oversaw marketing for Global Adrenaline, a high-end adventure tour operator specializing in luxury adventure travel for affinity and educational groups. Earlier experience also includes marketing, sales and strategy in consumer products and entertainment.
Elizabeth is a graduate of Smith College, with an A.B. in Spanish Literature. She also holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.
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Pamela Fingleton, Sr. VP & Asst. to Sven-Olof Lindblad
Pamela began working for Sven Lindblad in 1978, first at Lindblad Travel. In 1979 when Sven started his own company, Special Expeditions, she joined him. In the early years Pamela was involved in just about every aspect of the company from reservations to operations to bill paying to the hiring of the field staff on the ships. For the past several years, though, she has focused on assisting Sven in the management of the company and the many projects in which the company is involved.
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Karen Kuttner-Capato, VP, Affinity Sales
Karen launched her career in the travel industry in 1987 when she spent five years on-board cruise ships serving as Social Director, Shore Excursion Manager and Fitness Director. This led her into her sales career at Lindblad Expeditions in 1993, where she was the Director of Sales, Mid-Atlantic States. After three years of rapid growth in regional sales revenue, she focused on the development of affinity and travel agency accounts nationwide. Read more
Seeking new challenges, Karen left for Natural Habitat Adventures in Boulder, CO in 1997 to direct and oversee all sales, marketing and operations for affinity and incentive markets. Here she was instrumental in generating over 75 new accounts within just two years. Most recently, Ms. Kuttner-Capato was the Director of Sales at Grand Expeditions where she directed and oversaw all affinity sales and marketing for the Nature Platform which included International Expeditions and Park East. She has also been Co-Chair of the Programming Committee for the Educational Travel Conference for the past eight years.
Ms. Kuttner-Capato holds dual Masters degrees in Education and Personnel Administration as well as in Arts and Counseling Psychology, both from Columbia University. She lives with her three children in New Jersey.
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Jacinta McEvoy, VP, Expedition Sales & Service, Operations & Travel Agency Sales
Born and raised in Ireland, Jacinta McEvoy graduated from the Regional College of Galway with a degree in Hotel Management. She spent three years working in Ireland and London before moving to the United States in 1987. Read more
She worked in the restaurant and catering business in New York for several years, before moving to the travel industry in 1993. Before joining Lindblad Expeditions (LEX) in 1997, Jacinta gained valuable experience in the airline industry, and as a product development manager for a local tour operator. Since joining Lindblad, she has worked in several departments and risen steadily through the ranks. Prior to assuming her current role as Vice President of Operations & Travel Agency Sales, Jacinta was the Manager of Reservations and Operations. Jacinta’s passion for travel led her to LEX while her remarkable work ethic has allowed her to manage many different areas of the company.
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Leif Skog, VP, Marine Operations
Captain Leif Skog joined Lindblad Expeditions in 1997 after working for many years internationally as Master onboardthe most celebrated expedition cruise ships as MS Lindblad Explorer, MS Polaris, MS Frontier Spirit and MS Explorer, taking passengers to the world’s most remote polar and tropical destinations. Read more
With tremendous skills and experience in ice navigation, Captain Skog began working for expedition ships in the Arctic and Antarctic in the late 70s. He worked as Ice Masteronboard MS Thuleland, MS Columbialand, MS Ocean Princess and MS Illiria. The Brostroms Shipping Company appointed Captain Skog as consultant for a mission in the Beaufort Sea, Canadian Arctic, and Antarctica with their specially designed ice-going lumber/bulk carrier, MS Thulelandand Columbialand. The mission in Antarctica was to transport all necessary equipment, explosives, fuel and provision to build the largest airstrip in Antarctica at the Rothera Base for the British Antarctic Survey. Captain Skog was appointed as Ice Master and Project Leader for the shipping and landing of all the heavy equipment.
Lindblad Expeditions is a member of International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO), and Captain Skog was recently the chairman of the Marine Committee and he was the architect for an IAATO-wide Emergency Contingency Plan for all passenger ships cruising in Antarctica. The plan focused on how ships in the vicinity of the peninsula would communicate, coordinate and respond in the event of a marine disaster.
Captain Skog holds a Master Mariner’s Degree and a Marine Engineering Degree from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, and a diploma in advanced Shipping Business Economics and Trading. Before he became a Captain in 1984, he worked as Officer on a number of different types of vessels including general cargo ships, LPG-gas tankers, O/O-ships of 275,000 MT DW and ULCC-ship of 375,000 MT DW, 800 passenger ship, 1,200 passenger ship and multi-purposed Helium Deep Diving Support Vessel.
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