Meet the Team

Andy Woods-Ballard - Director Of Operations

Andy joined GVI Mexico in October 2003. He has worked in America and Scotland with marine mammals; and extensively in the tropics studying lemurs and a range of freshwater, sub-tidal, inter-tidal and coastal habitats and species in Zambia , Tanzania and Madagascar. Using Participatory Appraisal techniques he has aided the interaction of local peoples and protected area managers. Andy has experience working internationally with non-profit and commercial, governmental and non-governmental organisations through the set-up and successful continuation of various projects. When he moved from Mexico back to the UK at the end of 2005, he had run 19 expeditions in the field.

Andy is a qualified PADI Instructor, EFR First Aid Instructor, BSAC Dive Leader and RYA Power Boat driver and has a BSc. (Hons) in Zoology and a MSc. in Environmental Sustainability from the University of Edinburgh. He has taught field-work techniques and a Level 3 Advanced BTEC Diploma in Tropical Habitat Conservation to local students and international volunteers in Tanzania and Madagascar.

Sarah Green - Volunteer Coordinator

After spending five years working as a journalist for the UK tabloids and ITV regional news, Sarah decided to pursue a lifelong ambition to travel the world. After hearing about GVI through a friend, she signed up for the Seychelles marine expedition and Vervet monkey project in South Africa, both of which proved to be life-changing experiences. Sarah has described her five weeks diving in the Seychelles as “the best experience of my life thus far” and feels privileged to have been part of such an exciting expedition in “one of the most beautiful places on earth.”

Upon her return to the UK in November of this year, following visits to Mauritius, Australia and a whirlwind tour of Thailand, she spotted the vacancy for Africa Regional Co-ordinator whilst perusing the GVI website in search of her next adventure. Sarah is keen to pass on her enthusiasm for volunteer travel and is looking forward to helping others experience adventures of their own.

Chris Ash - International Projects Director

Chris works as GVI’s International Projects Director, managing GVI projects around the world and working to establish and liaise with future and existing partners. He has been instrumental in developing GVI projects and since joining GVI in 2004 he has set up and established more than 30 new conservation and humanitarian projects across the world. His previous background and experience includes work as a volunteer teacher in Tanzania, and working in environmental education and conservation in the National Parks of South Africa. Chris has extensive travel through much of Southern Africa, to include Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe.

Steve Gwenin - GVI Corporate Alliance Director

Steve Gwenin is the founder of Global Vision International's Marine Conservation Expeditions, and has been key in the set up and running of almost all of GVI’s Expeditions, including 3 in Mexico, and one each in Costa Rica, Ecuador, Patagonia, Kenya, Seychelles and Thailand, and has also spent time on the South African expedition and helped in its development.

In 2007 he co-founded the GVI Corporate Alliance and has since created and managed international programs with Whole Foods Market (Fortune 100), Grameen Trust (Nobel Prize Laureate 2006), Global Giving, Kraft Foods, Emirates Foundation (UAE National Volunteering Program), Explore Travel and many others.

Steve is a qualified commercial diver, PADI Instructor, EFR Instructor Trainer, certified powerboat driver and Health and Safety off-site advisor and Off-Site Safety Management trainer, whom holds a B.Sc. in Oceanography and Fisheries Science and is certified in Firefighting and Offshore survival. Prior to joining GVI, Steve worked in the scientific field around Europe, Africa, South and Central America, and had used these opportunities to travel extensively. He disbanded his own successful and growing marine mammal research company, which operated around Northern European, Artic, and African waters, to join GVI and has now been part of the team for almost 6 years.

Steve has over 13 years field research experience spanning 5 continents, 4 oceans and a host of different eco-systems, including marine, coastal, tropical dry and rainforest, artic and savannah. His boundless energy and enthusiasm, commitment to conservation and determination to work with local communities, his strong background in working internationally with governmental, non-profit and commercial organisations in conservation, research and sustainable development initiatives, and his experience of living, training and working with volunteers, make him ideal for GVI.

Charlotte Rix - Latin America Regional Manager

Charley joined GVI in October 2003, working on the marine projects in Mexico, combining her passion for conservation and the marine environment. She set up the Mahahual expedition at the beginning of 2004 and then helped to set up and run the regional office in Mexico, co-coordinating all 3 of GVI Mexican expeditions. Charley returned to the GVI UK Office in 2006 and is now Regional Coordinator for Central America. Charley has a strong background working internationally with non-profit organisations and Universities in Mexico, Tanzania and Madagascar. She has a BSc (Hons) in Zoology from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne and is a qualified PADI Divemaster. Charley has taught several methodologies and field work techniques and a level-3 Advanced BTEC Diploma in Tropical Habitat Conservation and she is firmly committed to GVI's programme of conservation and sustainable development.

Richard Walton - Director and Founder of Global Vision International

Having lived and worked overseas for many years as a volunteer and expedition leader, Richard has been largely responsible for the development of Global Vision International from its early days on an island off the coast of Honduras. Richard has led and taken part in expeditions to Patagonia, the Amazon, Honduras and Malawi and is a Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society. He continues to be involved in all aspects of the day to day running of GVI and travels extensively throughout the year to GVI field stations.

Neil Finnie - Partners Manager

A decade of living overseas in a variety of diverse countries gave Neil a real insight into how important international travel can be to both the visitor and local communities. A year travelling through Central and South America, after studying for a degree in International Tourism Management, opened a whole new world. Neil immersed himself in the communities of Latin America, swapping sight seeing for teaching English at local schools. Neil continued to Teach for a further 2 years in Japan, but felt he wanted to be more proactive with his time and help raise awareness of volunteer opportunities overseas. Neil approached GVI in January 2008 and the rest is history!

Pre University Neil became self-employed at 18 as a subsidence engineer before heading to the French Alps where he would spend the next 5 years, gaining first hand experience in setting up, building and running a business.

Chloe De La Harpe - School Liaison Manager and Gap Year Adviser

Having grown up in South Africa, Chloe had a wild childhood filled with sun, sea and, yes, sunburn! Having moved to a cooler climate, she worked for a conference company in London where her claim to fame is hanging out with David Blunketts guide dog, Sadie. With extra jobs such as dressing up in a banana suit selling smoothies, as well as fundraising, she was able to save all her money and go exploring! From inter-railing around Europe, selling ice creams at Disneyworld to studying Hinduism in India, Chloe is dedicated to helping others achieve their dreams through Gap Years. After completing a degree in Event Management from Glasgow Caledonian University she is now the newest member of our team, and excited to share her passion for community and conservation work with students, schools and universities all over the UK.

Karina Berg - Agents Liaison and Volunteer Coordinator

Karina has always had a passion for travel and after studying and working in the media, she finally succumbed to the open road. She worked for 7 years as a tour leader for an adventure travel company basing herself in Latin America, where she became fluent in Spanish. Both her work and personal travels took her as far afield as the Amazon basin, Patagonian Mountains, to coastal Central America and she realised that she wanted to give something back to the people and places which had given her so many amazing experiences over the years. To this aim, she got involved with animal charities in Northern Peru and teaching English in small communities. On return to the UK she discovered a spot in the GVI office, where her goal to use her extensive travel knowledge and be involved with an organisation focussed on sustainable conservation and community development could be fulfilled.

Jeremy Levitsky - Marketing Intern

Jeremy’s first experience of volunteering was as an English teacher in Nepal for six months, where he discovered a passion for travel and volunteering that took him across the globe to Cuba, Kenya, New Zealand, Thailand, Malaysia, and anywhere he could manage on a shoestring! He then studied at Sussex University for a degree in International Development Studies and English in Brighton, UK. Since graduating, Jeremy has been pursuing his life long fascination with music, teaching music to classes in schools and working as a musician gigging all around the UK. However, his interest in travel and volunteering lead him to GVI, where he hopes to develop his volunteering and conservation experience both in the UK and in the field itself.

Tara Devine - Project Development Intern

Moralistic work has always been important to Tara who volunteered for a peer-led drug awareness organisation for three years. She graduated from the University of Leicester earlier this year with a degree in BA Politics; her degree course focused on South African politics and fed her keen interest in global inequality, it also secured her belief in sustainable development and conservation from the grassroots. When organising her travelling plans she came across GVI and initially wanted to incorporate a GVI project in her travels, but on noticing the Internship offer available she applied and is now working in the St. Albans office alongside Chris on Project Development and Project Management. She still plans on travelling after taking part on one of GVI’s expeditions and hopes to find a job in this field of work when she returns.