Get to Know Our Team

Head of Marketing + Legal

My husband Darren and I have many similarities in our career paths. I left a rewarding career as a lawyer, to turn my love of travel into a profession. I grew up in the small seaside town of Duxbury, Massachusetts but always had eyes focused overseas. For my birthday, I always hoped for a trip—cruising the Mediterranean, exploring Europe, and seeing wildlife in Africa.

I have a special place in my heart for Southern Africa. The combination of safari, culture, and gorgeous beaches ticks every box. However, special parts of Europe will always be my first-discovered gems. I spent many summers traveling through Italy and staying on the Amalfi Coast, where I fell in love with the culture, food, and beauty. I also have a soft spot for St. Barths … the beaches, shopping, and European flair make the island the jewel of the Caribbean in my eyes.

The most exciting aspect of Travel Sommelier is that we are continuously exploring and discovering new locations around the world. We love to share our “hidden gems” with our clients! Our mantra is not to send you anywhere unless we have first-hand knowledge that a given product is unique, unforgettable, and best-in-show.

Caitlin serves as a Board Advisor to the Safari Professionals of the Americas.

caitlin@travelsommelier.com

Vice President of Sales

It seems a rarity these days to turn a passion into a profession. After joining a Boston start-up and experiencing the immensely valuable lessons an environment best described as a “living MBA” of hypergrowth, capital raises, and varying product offerings can have, I decided to take the multitude of learnings gained and apply them to a new industry and component of life that is widely sought after for enhancement and universally revered, transformative travel experiences.

I’ve been fortunate to have come from a family that prioritized exposure to amazing new experiences throughout the world. Among some of the more memorable include family vacations in Central America and harrowing backpacking expeditions throughout America’s national parks, studying abroad in Barcelona and traversing the European continent, and more recently seeking out hidden surf breaks along the Nicaraguan coastline.

My goal as Vice President of Sales is to share my passion for travel and provide immense value across the entire continuum of trip development, with those interested in seeking unique experiences that make you pause in awe, reconsider perspectives, or simply satisfy an appetite for adventure in remote parts of the globe.

michael@travelsommelier.com

Vice President of Sales

I was born with wanderlust ... an inclination fostered by my parents, who prioritized new experiences and cultures. After studying abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark, I traveled throughout Europe exploring off-the-beaten-track places such as Matera, Interlaken, and the Cotswolds.

As my interest in the wondrous corners of the world grew stronger, so did my firsthand knowledge. I have spent the last ten years working with high-end clientele in the global luxury travel space. To gain a deep understanding of the nuances of each destination, I’ve traveled to more than 30 countries across five continents.

Some of my fondest memories include: sleeping under the stars in the Namib Desert; trekking the ruins of Machu Picchu; whale watching in Kaikoura, New Zealand; chartering a sailboat around Sardinia; and spotting lemurs in Madagascar. I combine travel with my hobbies and family, which includes my two young kids and husband. We enjoy skiing (preferably in the Alps!) and the beach (Turks and Caicos is a new favorite!).

In my role as Vice President of Sales, I pride myself with a heightened focus on the client experience, ensuring that they are in the best possible hands during the planning process, while traveling, and helping plan their next adventure.

Working in travel is a daily reminder that there is so much more of our beautiful planet to discover.

hailey@travelsommelier.com

Vice President of Sales

Originally from the countryside of Oxfordshire, England, I have spent a good chunk of my life traveling around the globe, to over 80 countries and 250 wildlife reserves and national parks. A few of my personal highlights include: a multi-day walking safari in Tanzania, rafting the Maranon River in Peru, hiking the W trek in Patagonia, and kayaking the river Wye in Wales. I am now based just outside of Boston, MA, with my wife and daughter, where we enjoy the dramatic seasonality of New England.

For over a decade, I have been immersed in the luxury travel industry, embarking on excursions with some of the world’s great guides and being bowled over by top-tier hospitality. As VP of Sales for Travel Sommelier, I take pleasure in sharing these extraordinary experiences with clients.

Travel planning itself can be an enjoyable, exciting, and enlightening process. I take great pride in crafting the most remarkable journeys possible, collaborating with clients, and tailoring each itinerary to match their specific aspirations.

Hearing my clients recount their adventures—whether it is spotting the elusive desert lions of Namibia, savoring a bespoke omakase in Tokyo, tracking chimpanzees in the Mahale Mountains, or joining the vibrant Lao New Year festivities in Luang Prabang—is my favorite aspect of the job. 

jack@travelsommelier.com

Controller

My husband and I first met Darren at a Thai restaurant in NYC in 2000. We all worked on Wall Street at the time but the conversation turned quickly to vacations. It was immediately obvious that we had a collective love and appreciation for the wonderful experiences that travel brings. In fact, I believe it was at that very dinner that Darren noted that life after Wall Street would include running a high-end and bespoke travel consultancy, a dream, as it turned out, that we all shared!

I had not visited Southern Africa at the time of our first meeting but have had four wonderful trips since. I have been fortunate to experience some of the best that Europe, North America, and the Far East have to offer but there is little doubt, that the Southern Africa experience is one that is very difficult to beat. Our favorite trip to date was without question, South Africa and Mozambique with our children and parents.

My role at Travel Sommelier is to ensure that the nuts and bolts of your vacation are in place. My favorite part of my job is hearing the wonderful feedback from our clients once they return from a trip we have curated for them.

natalie@travelsommelier.com

Vice President of Operations

I caught the travel bug at a young age thanks to my parents. I have always loved the sense of adventure that an upcoming trip brings. We mostly traveled the U.S. as a family, including spending a month camping in our van and hitting the majority of National Parks. When I went out on my own, I knew I wanted to go overseas … At the age of 25, I quit my job and decided to go to Europe for three months by myself. It was hands-down one of the best things I have ever done.

When I got married, my husband Mike had never been outside the U.S. and I remember telling him “I don’t know what I will do if you don’t love international travel … ”. Luckily he loves it just as much as I do, and we are passing that love onto our children at an early age.

My favorite aspect of working at Travel Sommelier is planning trips and getting excited about the itineraries we put together for clients. I love to hear about trips when clients return and to share their genuine passion for travel. If I had to pick a favorite destination, it would be a toss-up between Italy, Iceland, and South Africa!

stacy@travelsommelier.com

Journey Destination Specialist

Some of my fondest childhood memories include jam-packed car rides to Cape Cod, Disney World, and weekend sports tournaments. Over the years the scope of my travel grew, first domestically, with New Orleans, San Francisco, Napa Valley, and Hawaii among my favorites. Soon to follow, I expanded my travels abroad to Central America and beyond. Dublin, where I ran my first marathon, will always be my top choice.

Luckily, my husband shares my passion for travel. After starting our family in Aspen, we traded the mountains for the ocean and put down roots in Duxbury, Massachusetts. These days vacations with our two daughters almost always involve a sandy beach or a ski mountain.

The travel memories I have amassed are as much about the people I was with, or encountered, as they are about the beauty of the destination. However, it was not just the people—it was the smells, the tastes, and the music I heard, that created such special moments. As part of the Travel Sommelier team, I enjoy creating life-enhancing trips for clients and find myself adding destinations that I have yet to experience to my personal bucket list!

tara@travelsommelier.com

Journey Destination Specialist

Hands down, my favorite travel memory is spotting the “Big 5” in one day while on safari with my husband and close friends. In addition to exploring South Africa’s Kruger National Park, we had the opportunity to spend New Year’s in Cape Town. It was a special time of year to visit such an amazing city—the celebratory parades were fantastic.

Fortunately, my husband enjoys travel as much as I do, and we have enjoyed a range of travel from skiing the Rockies to relaxing on white sand beaches in the Caribbean. Now that we have three children, our travel looks a bit different, but since our kids have grown to love skiing as much as we do, we are able to enjoy family adventures that include snowy mountaintops in addition to road trips to see extended family.

I love that Travel Sommelier has roots in southern Africa and a passion for safari—which also holds a place in my heart. My favorite aspect of working at Travel Sommelier is helping people to craft trips—which I find very rewarding. I am constantly learning about amazing destinations and adding them to my personal bucket list.

christen@travelsommelier.com

Journey Destination Specialist

As a child, I grew up traveling with my parents. We discovered cities across the U.S. and took road trips from Northern Virginia to Cape Cod to spend time with family. My love for international travel began in High School when I participated in a student exchange program to France. I was completely captivated by the culture, the food, and the history. This experience left a lasting impression on me that motivated me to continue exploring the world.

My husband and I both share a passion for travel—especially to tropical locales from Kauai to the Virgin Islands. One of our favorite European destinations is Italy. We relished traveling throughout the country from Venice to Rapallo to Positano to Rome. It was important for us to pass on the value of travel to our four children. To date, their fondest travel memory is an adventure to Costa Rica that immersed us all into the beauty of rainforest living!

My favorite part of working at Travel Sommelier is the daily reminder of the amazing world that exists beyond our small town. Helping build an itinerary from the ground up and making our clients' dreams become a reality is truly rewarding.

kimberly@travelsommelier.com

Journey Destination Specialist

What inspired my love for travel and adventure? In one sentence, the answer is quite simple: It’s all my tonton’s fault. My aunt married a Frenchman, a classically trained chef from Bordeaux, who my family visited every year. Together, my aunt and uncle inspired my parents to travel, and everything trickled down the family tree.

I was raised in a suburb of Boston with close ties to Cape Cod where there was always a great emphasis on good food and discovering the outdoors. As an only child, my parents prioritized trips throughout the US to dive into our history and always do as the locals do. Although I find myself back in Massachusetts with my husband and two littles, I lived in South Carolina and Texas before putting down roots.

While France is where I was first infected with the travel bug, I have since broadened my horizons and have been fortunate to have explored several different parts of the world. In the last ten years, I ventured to Croatia, Italy, Monaco, France, Barbados, Antigua, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Thailand, and Ireland. Up next: Portugal!

rae@travelsommelier.com

Journey Operations Specialist

My travel experiences began at a very young age thanks to my adventure-seeking parents! From infancy through our teenage years, my family spent many summer weeks sailing the Great Lakes out of our home port in Fish Creek, Wisconsin, and escaping a couple of cold winter weeks with sailing trips through the Caribbean.

When I was twelve years old my parents decided it was time for a real family adventure and we sold our home and moved to Christchurch, New Zealand for a year. My sisters and I attended school, but our family spent every spare second discovering all that this beautiful country has to offer, from glaciers to beaches and everywhere in between. In my adult life, highlight destinations have been Sydney, Melbourne, Rome, Florence, Salzburg, Paris, Munich, Barcelona, Valencia, Athens, Paros, Naxos, and Santorini – each locale is conducive to combining culture and history with unbelievable food and wine experiences.

My job at Travel Sommelier has provided me with an incredible opportunity to share my love of travel by supporting a fantastic team in the development of a personalized, luxury travel experience for our clients.

laurel@travelsommelier.com

Journey Operations Specialist

My earliest (and some of my best) travel memories are cruising with my family on our sailboat. We spent each summer living aboard the boat and sailing from our home base in Mystic, Connecticut to Maine, stopping at coastal towns along the way. Visiting by sea is such a special experience. My sister and brother and I would spend hours reading about each potential port in the well-worn cruising guide. Is there a town? Laundry? Can we get ice cream or perhaps a new book? Eventually, we went further, sailing from Marion, Massachusetts offshore to Bermuda. This sense of adventure and love for the ocean led me to work for a sailing camp based in the British Virgin Islands where I met my now husband.

Since starting our own family, we have continued to explore. Our travels have taken us from large cosmopolitan cities to beautiful remote islands. Without a doubt, the people we have met along the way have made each destination that much more special—and seeing our children experience some of our favorite spots for the first time has been very rewarding.

I feel so fortunate to be working with such a talented and dedicated team. Watching a trip come together for clients is exciting and inspiring!

jill@travelsommelier.com

Journey Operations Specialist

I grew up in Sunnyvale California, now affectionately known as Silicon Valley. As a child, my Dad instilled a real sense of adventure in me and I loved visiting new places. Our family took road trips in our VW Bus over the mountains of Highway 17 to the ocean (California in the 1970s). My Dad also had his pilot's license, and as kids, we would explore the California coastline in his two-seater plane. 

My interest in travel continued as I visited my East Coast grandparents in Scituate Massachusetts. We learned to love "lobstah" and began to understand my Dad's Boston accent. As an adult, I have learned that one of my favorite parts of travel is sampling new food. I love to cook and experience new cultures through the local cuisine. My trips through the US, Mexico, and Europe make me excited about what food I will learn to cook next. 

I have spent my career in operations working for banks and attorneys in the mortgage business. I hold a great understanding of the importance that quality operations have in creating an exceptional client experience. I am thrilled to combine my professional background with my personal interests at Travel Sommelier.

julie@travelsommelier.com

Head of Food + Beverage