The team
Richard Mayon-White
BA(Hons) FRGS FZS
Before coming to Sentinel Consulting, I spent time developing several companies and managing teams. I have worked with a wide range of organisations, from multinational corporations to small charities.
I am the Director of a number of companies in the Adventure Travel and Training sectors. I am a Fellow of both the Royal Geographical Society and the Zoological Society of London and have a BA (Hons) in Geography. I am also a commercially endorsed RYA Yachtmaster, and I have used my sea-faring skills to bring personal development opportunities to a number of organisations and companies.
I help organisations develop and optimise performance. I work alongside companies offering Change Management training, helping them to re-structure and offering any additional training they may need. I also advise companies on employee selection and retention. In addition, I organise and facilitate a number of corporate events.
In 2005 I competed in the Transatlantic Rowing Race from La Gomera to Antigua with my wife. We arrived in 6th place and set a record time for a couple! In 2009 I cycled the route of the Tour de France to raise money for a cancer charity, and towards the end of 2013 I plan to cross the Atlantic again, this time sailing solo.
Naomi Roberts
MA VetMB MRCVS PGDipID
As a veterinary surgeon I had a special interest in zoonoses (animal diseases that can infect people) and then the broader area of human-animal interactions and health. I switched to purely 2-legged medicine via working as a mountaineering instructor - a job that satisfied my itchy feet in the way that working in animal hospitals just couldn't. In wilderness medicine I saw a way to combine my love of medicine with my love of remote areas, and I've come to specialise in health issues for people working and playing in fun (but remote) places around the world. In the past I have run my own trekking company and training organisation.
I'm a qualified veterinary surgeon, and I also have a masters degree in social psychology. I've recently completed a postgraduate diploma in infectious diseases at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. I am a Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician and International and Winter Mountain Leader.
I provide medical consultancy and training for life and work in remote areas. This covers all aspects of health policy, emergency medical care, safety systems and incident management. I'm also particularly interested in trainer training and quality assurance. I love finding practical solutions that really work on the ground.
I've got war stories from climbing mountains on seven continents and some very tall tales of surviving a South Atlantic storm. I can provide animal behaviour counselling for owners (or their pets). I've also recently discovered that the same techniques work on toddlers.
Fay Cox
I spent several years working at the Royal Geographical Society's Expedition Advisory Centre where I ran training courses and events for aspiring explorers, covering expedition logistics, health and safety, funding and field research techniques, among many other aspects involved in planning a successful expedition. I went on to organise expeditions for school groups with a large schools expeditions company, with particular responsibility for in-country operations, overseeing expedition research, reconnaissance and planning, as well as pioneering new destinations.
I have a BSc in Geography from University College London and hold an Off-site Safety Management Certificate. I have also led a small field research team in Malaysia and have led expeditions to Iceland and Kenya.
I work as a researcher for Sentinel Consulting, which involves applying my destination and expedition knowledge to a range of areas, including country research and analysis, risk assessments and emergency response plans. I am also the Director of Operations for an adventure travel company.
My earliest memories include being a little too close to a curious grizzly bear in Canada and a night sleeping in a traditional Iban longhouse in the jungles of Borneo. I have since gained a lot of experience of dealing with casualty evacuations from obscure and far-flung places, although rather too much first hand, including a high altitude drama in the Himalayas.
Matt Ladbrook
TD BSc MBChB PhD MRCGP DRCOG FAWM
I'm a doctor who loves remote environments. I've planned, led, supported and participated in remote expeditions all over the world, including living, working and providing care in the arctic, deserts, jungles and at high altitude.
I'm a qualified General Practitioner and I also have a PhD. I'm a qualified Wilderness Physician and a Fellow of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine. I'm also a member of the faculty of the Wilderness Emergency Medical Services Institute International.
I provide medical support to about 50 expeditions each year and advice to companies operating all over the world. I combine this role with a career as a General Practioner.
I was an officer in the Territorial Army for 16 years where I earned my Commando beret. I've got plenty of stories to tell about sticky situations in remarkable places, and how we got ourselves out!
Mick Merry
Before joining Sentinel Consulting I worked for the Government, spending many years in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. The majority of my time there involved dealing with the research and control of zoonoses (animal diseases transmissible to humans), as well as helping to develop initiatives to regenerate the UK rural economy. After I left I spent time volunteering for a charity before I joined EquipMe (Sentinel’s sister company) and then eventually moved across to Sentinel.
I spent a large amount of time providing secretariat functions to cross-Government working groups, as well as writing policy briefings for Ministers and drafting legislation. My career with the civil service gave me a solid grounding in project coordination and administration, as well as honing my teamworking and organisational skills
I am Sentinel's Project Coordinator - I provide organisational support to the consultants, making sure that everything's working smoothly. I also oversee our marketing activities, update the website and keep our online social networking fresh and lively.
I like to spend time investigating historic buildings and landscapes - history is a passion of mine, particularly architecture. I also like to unwind by cooking as well as following rugby and cricket. I garden a bit too, if it’s not raining!
Jonathan Ayrton
Jonathan is an experienced expedition logistician. He has worked on projects in Africa, South America and Asia. He is also a highly-qualified expedition leader, specialising in mountain and jungle environments.
Dick Mayon-White
MBBS FRCP FFPH
Dick currently works at the Oxford University Division of Public Health and Primary Health Care, specialising in global health and infection and immunology research projects. He has over 30 years experience as an infectious disease epidemiologist in the National Health Service and the Health Protection Agency. He also chairs the Oxford Tropical Research Ethics Committee.
Issy Howells
RGN
Issy is a qualified and experienced nurse with formal training in infectious diseases from the London Hospital for Tropical Diseases. She has extensive experience in both corporate project management and training. Issy is also a skilled facilitator and a practitioner in both MBTI and NLP.