Darshika Jones is New North American Director at Intrepid

Intrepid has a new North American director, and she's been charged with developing the company's ethical travel experiences.

The world’s largest adventure travel company, Intrepid Group, a multi-brand business, which includes small group tour operators Intrepid Travel, Peregrine Adventures, Urban Adventures and its not-for-profit The Intrepid Foundation, announced today that new Director of North America, Darshika Jones, will oversee its fastest-growing region, with the bottom line equally focused on both purpose and profit.

Jones is based in Toronto.

Effective immediately, Jones will head the North American region with a company-wide approach to develop Intrepid Group’s business with socially-conscious and ethical travel experiences at its core. She replaces former North American Director, Leigh Barnes, who moved into the newly-created role of Chief Purpose Officer in July 2018 to focus on developing Intrepid Group’s purpose-based initiatives.

“As Intrepid Group’s former Group Finance Director, Darshika has extensive knowledge of our business and our values. Before working for Intrepid, she was loyal customer, taking more than 10 trips, including hiking Kilimanjaro and Machu Picchu and exploring Bolivia,” said Michael Edwards, who was appointed Chief Growth Officer of Intrepid Group in 2017. “With her customer-first approach and passion for culturally-immersive travel, we’re confident in her abilities to lead the North American business—focusing on sustainable, life-changing travel experiences for our customers.”

It’s been three years since Intrepid Group returned to independent ownership to run a business with the ethos of “Purpose Beyond Profit”. Since then, the global company has seen record global growth of 20 per cent across all its brands. North America has been the fastest-growing region for the Australia-based company, with a recorded 60 per cent growth in the last two years.

“It’s become increasingly evident to us that having a ‘Purpose Beyond Profit’ can actually be profitable,” said Edwards. “Growth is nice on its own, but it’s this sense of purpose that has us excited about the future because it means the more we grow, the more we can do.”

As the world’s largest B-Corp certified travel company, the carbon-neutral business has taken a firm stance on gender equality, pushing for 50/50 gender split across its global business; animal welfare, being the first tour operator to ban elephant riding in 2014; and, marketing for inclusivity in travel, including no extra fees for solo parents and solo travellers.

“From a financial perspective, I’ve reported on Intrepid Group’s North American growth for over two years. We attribute the growth to our innovative product and focus on sustainable tourism, which aligns with our customers,” said Jones. “I’m now honoured to work directly with the North American team to ensure more customers experience the world, with purpose at the core of every travel experience.”

It's an interesting business approach, for sure, and no doubt one that other travel companies will be monitoring.