Intrepid Travel, the adventure travel company, has announced changes to its North American leadership team as part of its growth strategy.

Leigh Barnes, the current Chief Customer Officer, will assume the role of President of the Americas from January 2025. Barnes has been with Intrepid for over a decade and previously led the North American team during a period of growth between 2015 and 2018. In his new role, Barnes will be responsible for leading all aspects of the region, including operations, sales, and marketing.

"Intrepid's brand has grown exponentially in North America - from our first tiny office in California over 20 years ago to our fastest growing region globally," said James Thornton, CEO of Intrepid Travel. "Under this new structure, the Americas will play a key role in our ambitious growth strategy for 2030."

Christian Wolters, a veteran of the Canadian travel industry, has been appointed to the newly created position of President of Canada. Meanwhile, Matt Berna, the current President of the Americas, will transition to become Senior Vice President, U.S. Sales & Operations and Global B2B External Sales. Berna will focus on the development of Intrepid's domestic operations, including Intrepid-owned Wildland Trekking, U.S. B2B sales, and global business development for Intrepid's DMC network.

"This structure will help take Intrepid to the next level in the Americas," adds Thornton. "We know that travel brings people together, opens hearts and minds and creates greater understanding. There has never been a greater need for this. The world needs more Intrepid people and I believe this is the moment to double down on our opportunity in the USA and broader Americas region."

Tom Smith will take over the role of General Manager, Central America & Mexico. These changes are part of Intrepid's ambitious growth strategy for 2030.