About Us
We harmonize expedition cruising with positive action to advance whale restoration and drive climate restoration science forward for the benefit of humanity and all life. Join Us! It's not only an expedition… It’s an Outdoor Wildlife Adventure, on a Mission to Help the Planet!
FOUNDERS
Jennifer Bonilla
Jenn is the President of Positive Polar. She is passionate about creating positive environmental and social impact through innovation and collaboration. As Co-Founder, Jenn leverages her extensive expertise from more than 25 years leading corporate, development, commercialization strategy and operations for highly regulated, science-driven companies. She additionally applies her Psychology PhD to developing both customer and employee experiences so that people are proud to travel with Positive Polar, to make a significant contribution to emerging science and to advocate for important climate restoration projects globally.
Hugo Hinrichsen
Hugo is the CEO and Founder of Positive Polar. Leveraging his substantial operational experience as an Ex-Frigate Captain with expertise in personnel command, security, logistics, and executive roles in air and naval divisions. With a proven track record as a Polar Helicopter Pilot and Sailor, Hugo excel’s in rescue and emergency situations. Additionally, he has customer facing experience working with civilian companies, and educators. Has conducts economic development operations in Antarctica and also policy implementation publications.
Hugo’s ancestors from Denmark were whalers. Positive Polar’s mission to restore whale repopulation is deeply personal.
As an entrepreneur, he has previous company foundation experience and has completed several studies achieving Masters in Strategic Development and Business Administration. Now he focuses on developing sustainable expedition cruises worldwide, particularly in polar regions, to amplify oceanic food production and implement high-potential climate mitigation strategies for environmental impact mitigation or reversal.
CONTRACTS - ADVISORS
Hans Lagerweij
Chief Commercial Officer
Originally from the Netherlands and now based in Miami, Hans holds a Master of Business Administration from Erasmus University Rotterdam, and a Master of Arts in Brand Management.
In the first ten years of his career, he worked for Packaged Consumer Goods companies Kimberly-Clark and Sara Lee in various Brand Activation, Brand Development, Sales, and Innovation Management roles.
In 2008, Hans combined his passion for adventure travel and his expertise in commercial management when he became Managing Director of Sawadee Reizen in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. In 2010, Hans moved to Toronto and became president and CEO of polar cruise company Quark Expeditions, a business that was shortly afterwards mentioned as “best in class” business case in David Meerman Scott’s book «The New Rules of Sales & Service, how to Use Agile Selling, Real-Time Customer Engagement, Big Data, Content, and Storytelling to Grow Your Business”.
In 2015 Hans took over responsibility for all adventure brands within TUI Travel, a business that was successfully sold in 2017. In 2018 Hans became CEO and President of boutique luxury cruise start-up Victory Cruise Lines, a business that was successfully sold in 2019. Recently Hans was the president of the international businesses of Albatros Travel, including Albatros Expeditions, Albatros Arctic Circle, Albatros Africa and Adventure Marathons, and a Senior Vice President at Four Seasons.
Having worked and lived in seven countries, his imagination knows no limits when it comes to building incredible customer experiences, from sailing a chartered nuclear icebreaker to the North Pole, to organizing marathons in some of the most unique locations in the world such as the Great Wall of China, sailing expedition cruises deep into the Peruvian Amazon, and camping excursions in Antarctica. Hans is also a trustee of the Safer Tourism Foundation in the United Kingdom and a Board Advisor for startup Lepdr/Lifepass (https://getleprd.com), a service platform to easily, reliable and affordable buy back time, by outsourcing your “to-do-list”.
Matthew Savoca
Science
Matthew Savoca is a research scientist at the Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University and a Principal Investigator at the California Marine Science Foundation. After completing undergraduate at Cornell University, Matthew did his PhD at the University of California, Davis as a National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellow. His dissertation research focused on why marine animals mistake plastic debris for prey items. This work received international media attention and earned him a Science and SciLifeLab Prize for Young Scientists. As an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellow, he quantified baleen whale prey consumption and nutrient recycling services these ocean giants provide to marine ecosystems. In fertilizing pelagic environments, whales enhance primary and secondary productivity and carbon storage. In addition to this work, he also currently studies the interactions of baleen whales with plastic debris and other contaminants. Matthew’s scientific work has been published in leading journals including Nature, Science, and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. His popular articles have been published by venues including the Marine Biologist Magazine, Scientific American, and the Washington Post.
For more information, visit his website at: MatthewSavocaEcology.weebly.com
Anton Alferness
Engineering
Anton has 25 years experience helping companies evolve – both large and start-up. He has worked with a wide variety of teams across multiple technology sectors, helping them design, build, analyze, communicate, craft, test, pitch, solve, structure and create value in medical device, software, ocean tech, mobile, consumer products, and entertainment fields. He has assisted in the development of products that save lives, solve problems, perform diagnostics, entertain, conduct research and improve quality of life.
His current focus is working on climate change. In his words, if you understand the science, the current condition and the trajectory… and you’re an engineer… then you know there is no other problem more important than this.
Nikki Baxendale
Creative & Art
Nikki Baxendale, an award-winning Canadian artist and photographer based in Vancouver, has dedicated over three decades to her craft, driven by a profound commitment to environmental advocacy. Transitioning from a successful career as an Art Director for renowned brands in London, New York, and LA, Nikki redirected her focus to fine art.
With expertise spanning illustration, photography, marketing, and fashion journalism, Nikki’s artistic journey includes studies at the University for Creative Arts in London and The International Center for Photography in New York. As an Art Director, she led global design teams, collaborated with industry giants like Disney and MTV, and orchestrated groundbreaking presentations, winning numerous awards. Now, as a full-time artist, Nikki’s work combines painting and photography, capturing fleeting moments while raising awareness about environmental challenges.
Phil Hunter
Expedition Operations Advisor
Phil Hunter is a California native with a passion for the ocean. He began guiding kayak expedition trips before he finished high school and continued to do so in the Channel Islands National Park while finishing his degree in Aquatic Biology at the University of California Santa Barbara. He quickly jumped into expedition in the higher latitudes starting in 2012, at that time joining expedition cruises in Southeast Alaska, Antarctica, Chilean Fjords, Norway, Iceland, Svalbard, and Greenland. He has logged over 100 trips to the Antarctic and over 80 to the regions of the High Arctic. He has extensive experience in leading expedition teams in both areas.
Phil is now the Expedition Operations Advisor for Positive Polar where he is engaged in creating a premier polar expedition travel product for our guests.
