Hurtigruten Expeditions announced the appointment of Alastair Newton as its new director of expedition operations, according to a press release.

“Alastair’s incredible experience from expeditions in the Arctic, Antarctica, Alaska, the Pacific and in all the exciting waters in between, sets us on track to realize our ambitions to be the world leader in sustainable expeditions on all the world’s oceans,” said Hurtigruten Expeditions’ senior vice president of operations, Iain McNeill.

Newton has more than 20 years of expedition experience and has led over 150 expeditions in his career. Newton has also worked on 15 different ships and has visited more than 100 countries.

Newton has worked as an expedition leader for 15 years exploring Alaska, the Pacific and Antarctica. He has worked for a number of companies including Cruise West, Polar Star, Orion, Lindblad, TCS, Overseas Adventure Travel, Ponant and Noble Caledonia.

Newton is also a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and holds a private pilot’s license.

“I got into the industry from a passion for wildlife and science education. My number one goal is to structure our global team to further develop the global industry’s leading Science and Education program – wrapped in the world’s most sustainable expeditions,” said Alastair Newton.

“My goal is for Hurtigruten Expeditions to help guests deeply understand and appreciate the destinations we visit together through placing the spotlight on our exceptional Expedition Teams. It is paramount for me to empower the Expedition Teams to realize their full potential and to help guests appreciate the full value of the teams,” added Newton.