Meet the Team

Here are some of the great people who work for Kukri Events.
They are picked because they are the best in the business at what they do and also because they have great fun doing it.

		Crispin Vitoria – MD & Founder Hi, I thought I should tell you a little bit about myself, I started my working life as a sales rep selling all sorts of things from horticultural packaging to drain cameras! Then at the age of 28, having eventually become a Sales Director, I decided that, if I wasn’t careful, life would pass me by without getting very exciting. So I ditched my job and joined Raleigh International as a Project Manager on one of their expeditions to Namibia.I loved the expedition life so much, and was lucky enough to be asked back. So I stayed and did another three month expedition as Deputy Expedition Leader. Following this I moved to London and started working in events, firstly, in corporate hospitality but then I got the job at Raleigh’s Head Office to set up their events team. This was in 2002 and it was then that I started running the Kinabalu Challenge (and started climbing Mt Kinabalu – 13 times so far!).After 5 fantastic years with Raleigh I moved to British Military Fitness, which was then a very small company with only 5 of us in the office and 2,000 members. Again I was setting up their events department from scratch which included the Kinabalu Challenge and it was a fun time to be with such a dynamic company. BMF grew to having 30 staff and 20,000 members in the 5 years I was with them though I can’t take the credit for all of that!Finally, I made the decision that it was time to set up my own company and so Green Light Adventures was born. I ran this for a year until I met a great guy Phil Morris, who runs Kukri. Phil shares my passion for adventures and giving people the chance to take part in something amazing so we decided to team up and form Kukri Events. As you can probably tell I love organising events, especially the Kinabalu Challenge, which is running in my veins!I do hope you will join us on one of our great adventures – I’m proof that if you take the leap of faith then it can be the start of something amazing!
		Nathan Roberts Nathan has been involved in expeditions since his first trip to Ghana in 2001. Since then he has been on expeditions to Namibia, Australia and is a veteran of 7 Kinabalu Challenges.Nathan works as a consultant, trainer and coach across the not for profit sector.
		Bob Hartley Jungle Expert Bob spent 30 years as a Met Police officer. He now lives in Borneo where he runs his own security company, Total Project Services, which helps companies around the world look after the security of their employees and sites. Bob is also a veteran of over 80 expeditions and is a jungle specialist earning him the affectionate title of ‘Jungle Bob’.
		Stephen Flanagan Expedition Medic Stephen is a qualified intensive care nurse and combines working in the UK with time overseas providing medical cover for expeditions. This work has taken him to Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Borneo – twice as part of the Kinabalu Challenge. More recently, his involvement with the aid organisation Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has resulted in completed missions in Sudan, Papua New Guinea and Pakistan.“The nature of expeditions mean those taking part can find them really challenging, both physically and mentally. Ensuring participants have a healthy and safe time overseas is very personal to me, one that drives me to fully support each and every individual”
		Sally Orange There is lots we can tell you about Sally! First of all she is a physiotherapist but she is also a Major in the British Army who has completed an Operational Tour of Afghanistan where she was the OC of the Medical Rehabilitation Team.She has worked as a physio on many adventurous events and was the physiotherapist to Lawrence Dallaglio and Freddie Flintoff on the Dallaglio Cycle Slam in 2010. We first met Sally though when she took part in the Kinabalu Challenge as a competitor and we have been working together ever since.Sally has completed expeditions to Australia, Nepal, Bolivia, India and in her free time likes to run marathons dressed in ridiculous costumes. She even holds 2 Guinness World Records, one for the Fastest Marathon Dressed as a Superhero and the other for the Fastest Marathon Dressed as a Piece of Fruit (an Orange of course!). She even ran a marathon whilst serving in Afghanistan dressed as a banana! This year she opted for a ‘Stuffed Crust’ pizza but only because her new fruity pear costume didn’t arrive in time!Sally’s passion is to help members of the armed forces who have been injured and when she is not being paid to do this she also volunteers. She is an excellent physio and works tirelessly to fix people and get them back in the game, as you can tell you will be very fortunate if she is working on your event!
		Kevin Lomas Kev is an ex-Royal Marine and also spent some years as a fire fighter until he joined British Military Fitness as a fitness instructor, and then for 10 years as their Operations Director. Kev is one of those guys with spades of energy and enthusiasm for everything he does, a great man to have around when the going gets tough.
		Emily Hufton Emily has an A&E nurse background, and qualifications in adventure and tropical medicine… so it’ll be no surprise to hear that she takes herself overseas at every opportunity. Whilst stuck in rainy Manchester she lives the travel excitement vicarious by working as a travel health advisor for Nomad. Expedition medicine cover has taken her on several trips to Central America and Asia, and most recently she has been working in Public Health in India and South Africa. A glutton for punishment, she is currently doing a full time masters in International Public Health – a lot of desk work for an energetic girl – but the hills, the fresh air and her trainers have kept her sane!