Galapatours: About Us

Cynthia Guerra

Galapagos Specialist

Cynthia didn't just want to sell Galápagos trips—she wanted to help travelers find the right one. As an Ecuadorian who has visited the islands multiple times, including on expedition cruises, she brings genuine local knowledge and unbiased advice because she works with the full range of cruise options. Travelers walk away feeling excited and confident, knowing their chosen cruise matches exactly what they want. Beyond the planning, Cynthia's enthusiasm is contagious—she genuinely enjoys getting to know each person. A mom and a foodie, she loves seeing travel through a child's eyes, making every journey more meaningful.

Hitomi Kamimura

Galapagos Specialist

Born and raised in Ecuador. As a daughter of a Japanese and Colombian, growing up in two completely different cultures caused her an enormous curiosity to explore the world. Passionate for tourism and with a vocation for service, Hitomi has been helping travelers to plan the best trip to the Galapagos Islands for over nine years. In her spare time, she loves being outdoors taking pictures of landscapes, visiting local cafes and learning new languages.

Juan Swoboda

Sales specialist

Born and raised in Ecuador, Juan has spent over ten years in hospitality operations across the Americas and Europe. The Galápagos changed him — visits to the archipelago sparked a lasting passion for nature and the ocean that now drives everything he does as a travel specialist. He loves the moment a traveler finds the trip that will genuinely move them. When he's not planning dream expeditions, Juan is exploring new food experiences, discovering wild places, and getting outdoors whenever possible.

Justine Loisy

Galapagos Specialist

Justine ended up at Ventura after working for a travel agency in Quito, and the Galapagos pulled her in. She's visited many times as an interpreter, not just a passenger — those repeated trips taught her the islands' quiet corners: the best snorkeling off Bartolomé, the perfect moment to feel the spray near Fernandina. Travelers get someone who knows those places and genuinely loves sharing them — laid-back, positive, always ready to explore a little further. She still wakes up amazed by the country as if it were her first day. Outside work, she drums with a batucada group, explores Quito's food scene as a dedicated foodie, and is always hunting for the next restaurant, volcano to climb, or park to discover.

Alec Krishna

Director and Founder Karmaventura

Travel has always been more than a passion. After living nomadically for over seven years across the globe, I fell in love with South Asia and founded Karmaventura to share my passion for the region, my family heritage, and the sustainable projects that travel can support. Living across diverse cultures taught me the value of authentic encounters and responsible travel. My last name, Krishna, shared with one of Hinduism’s most well-known gods, reflects the cultural roots that inspire me to create journeys that go beyond tourism and connect people, cultures, and values.

Andre Kiwitz

CEO & Founder

Andre started his journey in 2001 after realizing that organized travel often lacks depth and real connection. He founded Ventura to scale authentic, specialist travel experiences by reducing complexity and prioritizing strong local partnerships over industry-standard solutions. He leads the company with a clear focus on speed and ownership and expects his teams to take full responsibility for quality and execution. Outside of work, he prioritizes freedom, fitness, and destinations with character over comfort. <a href="https://kiwitz.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Find out more on his dedicated page.</a>

Benno Schmidt

Founder of Galapatours, Polartours and Rivertours

Benno arrived at Ventura over a decade ago after living in South America, drawn by a rare intersection of his passions and skills. As Director of Booking Platforms, he oversees the technology that makes expedition cruises to Antarctica, the Galapagos, and the Arctic bookable - no small feat when ships have limited spots and itineraries shift with ice and wildlife. A guest booking one of these trips might never see Benno, but his systems ensure they get confirmation, logistics, and support in five languages. Outside work, he paraglides whenever the wind is right - or just thinks about it.

Cristina Presura

My Ventura

Cristina leads Epic Trips, Ventura Travel’s AI-powered travel brand, redefining personalized travel. With a background in business development, partnerships, and strategy, she brings a global perspective and loves reimagining how travellers explore the world. Cristina has lived in Austria, Portugal, Germany, Kenya, South Africa, and Spain, speaks four languages, and loves discovering new destinations through their food, local culture, nature, and yoga.

Erick Feijoo

Integrator, Head of Business Operations

Erick works from our Berlin office as Integrator and oversees our company's business operations. From a very early age, he's been fascinated by new languages and cultures, and he especially enjoys getting to know countries' politics and history. Erick's family is from Ecuador and Peru, and he previously worked on economic development issues across different Latin American countries. He joined Ventura TRAVEL after working in Washington D.C., Germany, Belgium, and Costa Rica.

Kathleen Ishibashi

Central Operations Specialist

Kathleen joined Ventura to use her Japanese skills and love for Japan. She started with Japaventura, then moved to Central Operations to coordinate across all brands. She sees how each brand builds locally owned, culturally specific trips far from the tourist path. Travelers get personal experiences because operations are built with that same care. Kathleen brings her fun, easygoing energy to every project and is known for being open to new ideas. Outside work, she plays online games and watches Chinese dramas. That mix of precision and play gives every trip she touches real depth and heart.

Kim Poissant

Customer Success Director

Ever since she can remember, Kim was driven by a natural curiosity that brought her to new places and cultures. Always searching for the unknown, she has lived and worked in Germany, Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama and the Canary Islands, before she finally settled down in France. Despite her adventurous heart, Kim loves when things are in order. As part of the Ventura team she can live out her two sides: organization geek and passionate adventurer.

Liesa Roehr

Booking Form Specialist

Liesa has spent several years working closely with travelers and their journeys. Today, she focuses on making the booking process simple, clear, and reassuring. She works on improving options and services that help travelers feel well prepared. Her goal is to make every trip feel smooth and stress-free from the very first step.

Alfredo Ortegón

IT Developer

Fredo is a tech-enthusiast with a never-ending thirst for knowledge. When he's not behind a computer screen, you can find him exploring nature on his mountain bike or indulging in his love for food. Fredo brings a positive and energetic attitude to the workplace.

Ana Caceres

HR Specialist

Born in Medellín, raised in Bogotá and Santa Marta. Ana is the HR coordinator for our office in Medellín. She has been an entrepreneur for most of her working life. She has a communication degree and her passion is to help others. She enjoys traveling to tropical places and loves the Caribbean. Ana is very family oriented and enjoys spending quality time with her family and friends. She enjoys cooking all kinds of food and watching movies. Dark chocolate, wine, and coffee are always welcome

Deyby Vasquez

IT Developer

Deyby technology, coffee and salsa dance lover. He has been involved in technological projects since his graduation. He combines programming development with entrepreneurship. Likewise, he loves to spend the time with his family, walking, drinking coffee, dancing salsa and bachata, flying drones and sometimes cooking.

Ericka Amurrio

Flight Operations Manager

Ericka works from our La Paz office as a Flight Operations Manager and is in charge of providing flights for all Ventura brands by negotiating with airlines in order to provide our customers with an exceptional flight experience to start an amazing trip.

Gabriela Palma

Accountant

Gabriela came to Ventura looking for a place where her numbers work could sit inside a bigger purpose, and she found it in Cusco, where every clean report helps a trip move without friction. She keeps the financial and administrative side steady, so the team can focus on the guest experience instead of chasing problems. People rely on her because she spots what needs fixing fast and helps solve it before it grows. Ask her for a solution and she usually has one. Outside work, she switches gears with art, dancing, makeup, sports, and late-night astrology chats.

Genesis Guerrero

IT Developer

Genesis spent six years developing software for enterprises even before finishing his studies in System Engineering at the University of Magdalena (Santa Marta, Colombia). He's an open source enthusiast, python evangelist, and javascript lover. He also has experience as lead developer, freelancer, and startup co-founder. Genesis loves to drink craft beer with friends, to attend rock concerts and to discover new places to walk and eat.

Gustavo Cataño

IT Director

I love tech things, and use this passion every day in my work with our IT team to deliver great value for Ventura Travel. I like to travel and enjoy riding my bike along unknown roads. However, above all things, I really enjoy spending my free time with my family and my daughter.

Hanna Bishop

Retention Specialist

Hanna works from the Cusco office in Peru as a Retention Specialist, supporting travellers throughout their journey and ensuring they feel informed, valued, and well cared for. After studying tourism in Spain, she first came to Peru for a one-year internship with a tour operator. Since then — now already ten years ago — South America has never let her go. She immediately felt at home in Peru and fell in love with the country and its people. Today, she has built her life and family there and continues to explore the continent’s remarkable diversity. Her deep regional knowledge and passion for customer care help her create positive, reassuring, and solution-oriented experiences for every traveller she supports.

Isabel Sanchez

Flights Operations Team Lead

Isabel spent a year teaching dance before she realized she needed to get back to tourism. She found Ventura by chance — but the values she saw on the wall during her interview told her this was the place. Now she hunts down the best flight options, presents every possibility clearly, and shares accurate timings so travelers can stop stressing about logistics and start thinking about the trip. Her teammates call her a problem solver; she’s the person who untangles the messy connections before anyone even knows there was a knot. When she’s not booking itineraries, she dances — hip hop, jazz, ballroom — and travels every chance she gets.

Louis Poissant

Performance Marketing Specialist

Specialist of performance marketing, he is a big fan of sports and gastronomy. After an MBA in Paris and first work experience in Berlin, he decided to move to Asia for several months and took Japanese classes to increase his immersion. In charge of performance marketing in the marketing department of Ventura Travel, he is able to combine two things he enjoys: numbers and writing.

Patricio Grez

Finance Director

Patricio joins our Ventura Team as Head of Finance, bringing a vast experience with him. Not only in pure finance topics, but also in its relation across different areas of an organization. Passionate traveler, but the slow travel. Spending time and living in different countries and cultures has always given him good experiences. He is open to new challenges and willing to share with others.

Ralf Spielberger

Finance Director

My finance team and I manage all the financial aspects of ventura Travel. Our mission is to deliver accurate, prompt and useful financial information to the different stakeholders.

Sandy Duran

Flight Specialist

Sandy came to Ventura through a friendship with Ericka, the Flight Team manager, after meeting at a travel fair. That connection — and her own love of travel — made her a natural fit. As a Flight Specialist, she knows that a smooth trip starts with the right flight. She monitors pricing constantly to secure the lowest fares and most convenient routes, and responds with quotes faster than most travelers expect. Guests often say she makes what could be a stressful part of planning feel effortless. She believes every traveler deserves a great start to their adventure. People around her notice she’s fun, responsible, and deeply committed to her work — equally comfortable handling complex itineraries or sharing a laugh. When she’s not booking flights, Sandy dances, paints and travel, hobbies that bring her the same balance and care she puts into every booking.

Sebastian Morales

IT Developer

Sebastian is passionate about creativity, design, and writing. A software engineer who works in the IT department as a full-stack developer from a medium-sized city of Colombia called Bucaramanga. He studied music at university with a major in classic piano, plays the bass guitar as a hobby, and sometimes produces his own compositions / songs. He is eager to learn new stuff out of curiosity almost always, a team-player who does not believe in organization heroes, easy-going person, and has a great sense of product quality and user experience.

Stefan Kuehn

Flight Specialist

Stefan fell in love with Latinamerica on his first trip when he was backpacking in Venezuela. Since then, he visited most of the countries of the subcontinent. He plays guitar in a band. You can meet him rocking the stage in small pubs in Berlin. Others interests are foreign cultures, food, and music. Stefan works from our office in Berlin as a Flight Operations Specialist. He is responsible for providing flights for Ventura brands: Reservations, quotations and ticketing for all brands.