The Team
OWNER | CEO | CIO
For Edward travel is in the blood. Experiencing new destinations, reaching into different cultures, meeting local people and standing in their shoes. These are Edward’s raisons d’être. His additional business journeys for Norway’s largest bank and as a Business Economist have given him an astute, traveller’s eye view of airline service, concierge and destination management. And talking of blood. In his spare time, Edward is a volunteer with the Red Cross.
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Why I work for beCuriou?
Because I love interacting and helping our wonderful clients. It feels like a privilege to create a business with my smart, and most ambitious and hard working colleagues – all striving to set new standards in our industry in customer service and experiences.
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Edward Wendel
Oslo
CO-FOUNDER
CLIENT RELATIONS DIRECTOR
​Wide travel experiences, and an acute appreciation of the importance of details. Characteristics that took Kenneth to a BBA in Hospitality Management from Switzerland after a position with Singapore Airlines. Characteristics that now allow him to develop and maintain beCuriou’s impeccable standards of client service.
Personally, Kenneth has an adventurous palate for gastronomy and life and prefers to travel so far off the beaten track, there is no track!
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Why I work for beCuriou?
Because it allows my colleagues and I to blend our innumerable travel experiences and unique background, which keeps each day brand new. I love curating a variety of journeys, while creating a meaningful impact to our travelers, and consistently challenge ourselves by aiming for a higher level of service quality each time.
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Kenneth Cai
Oslo
VICE PRESIDENT
OPERATIONS | FINANCE | CLIENT RELATIONS
Travelling since a young age and graduating from Durham University with a BA in Economics, Celina joined beCuriou at the early stages. Along with handling some of our UHNW clients, she is in charge of the operations and finances. Whether she is travelling between our offices or setting off to new destinations, it is her belief in the importance of individuality that keeps her eyes open to new discoveries – from African lodges to hidden gems along the riviera and high-end ski resorts.
Personally, she has a keen interest in music, architecture and art, along with being an experienced alpine skier.
Why I work for beCuriou?
Because working with my colleagues to creating lasting memories for our clients is rewarding. Moreover, I take great pride in making sure our diverse team operate efficiently and I enjoy keeping a close eye on our finances.
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Celina Sofie Gylthe
London
CLIENT RELATIONS DIRECTOR
HEAD OF FLIGHTS AND CRUISES
Growing up in a Norwegian-Brazilian family made Turi curious about the world out there. After graduating from the University of Cambridge and Bournemouth College of Technology she went on working as a travel organiser. In recent years, Turi has been working for one of Norway’s largest travel agencies, HRG. At HRG she led the team managing the travels for some of the most prestigious clients, ranging from major players within the shipping, oil and gas industries to the Foreign Ministry. It would be an understatement to say that she knows what she is talking about.
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Why I work for beCuriou?
Because having the privilege of advising, planning and fulfilling our clients most precious time gives every day a new meaning. Working with the most competent and dedicated colleagues also makes me proud.
Turi Cleve Ihlen
Oslo
CLIENT RELATIONS DIRECTOR | LUXURY TRAVEL SPECIALIST
Anna has been a travel fanatic from a young age and experienced a wide range of destinations growing up in a family also keen on adventure. After spending a year living in Spain, she jetted off to spend six months exploring the highlights and hidden charms of Latin America. On her return to London, she threw herself into a travel career and has since spent over eight years designing luxury trips for clients worldwide. She loves to visit new and exciting destinations, with a particular passion for destinations with diverse culture and a vibrant culinary scene.
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Why I work for beCuriou?
The team at beCuriou are incredibly inspiring, I love the drive and ambition that ensures we are the best in the industry. I thrive working with people, and what better way to do so than to work together, planning unforgettable trips that exceed all expectations, time and time again.
Anna Louise Dennis
London
VIP MANAGER
Oscar has travelled for as long as he can remember. Born in Singapore to Norwegian/Swedish parents, he grew up in Houston, Texas and the Netherlands. He later moved to his native Norway where he attended university. During his studies, he worked at numerous private and corporate events, before managing events and logistics at Norway's largest hotel after graduating. He has worked on a diverse range of events, from small meetings to larger conferences, banquets, concerts, and weddings.
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Why I work for beCuriou?
My goal has always been to work in an organisation where innovation and a creative approach to events is at the core. I simply want to be a team player who takes on new tasks with curiosity and with a desire to exceed expectations. I am excited to have joined the team at beCuriou, where I’ll be a part of a team that sets new industry standards within customer service and experiences.
Oscar Ramstad
Oslo
CLIENT RELATIONS DIRECTOR
HEAD OF GLOBAL TRAVEL OPERATIONS & MARKETING
Miriam grew up between the UK, Israel, and Canada, travelling from a young age. After completing a B.Sc. in Hotel, Food & Tourism Management, Miriam began her career in the high-end travel and events industry and has never looked back.
Keeping up with the trends and having a keen interest in the finest details allows her to provide the very best in travel services. After work, she’s found in the kitchen, reading a book, or thinking about the next road-trip.
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Why I work for beCuriou?
Being part of a team with the know-how and means to create unforgettable experiences for our discerning clients, means everything. The support provided within the team and to our travellers is unparalleled.
Miriam Braun Gefen
London
VIP MANAGER | FLIGHTS AND CRUISES SPECIALIST
Elena studied intercultural communications at Moscow State Linguistic University and Humboldt University in Berlin as well as obtaining a Travel Professional certification. She has been working with the corporate and leisure travel industry since 2006 with responsibility for VIP clients. Travel is her biggest passion, and she loves finding and exploring exciting new destinations together with her family and friends – especially learning about different cultures and meeting new people! Living in Norway for the last 20 years Elena has travelled all around the country by car, hiking in the mountains, swimming in the fjords and skiing in winter.
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Why I work for beCuriou?
Because I believe that travel is the only thing you can buy that makes you richer! My best motivation in my job is to make people happier and create memories for a lifetime. Clients’ positive feedback inspires me to exceed expectations and work even harder!
Elena Gredneva
Oslo
![d2f6aeb8-cd7d-4318-bd45-e0e9a636a137[13]_edited.png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/8248c6_0f1d713c54fa4ec69faffd11bc5b8aca~mv2.png/v1/crop/x_72,y_0,w_1046,h_1305/fill/w_311,h_388,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/d2f6aeb8-cd7d-4318-bd45-e0e9a636a137%5B13%5D_edited.png)
CLIENT RELATIONS DIRECTOR | LUXURY TRAVEL SPECIALIST
Having grown up calling seven different countries home, it is safe to say that Savi had a nomadic start to life. Equipped with a BA in Finance and Economics and over five years of experience creating bespoke travel itineraries, Savi has turned passion into profession. With an innate understanding of cultural nuances and an extensive network spanning continents, she is a true cultural chameleon.
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Why I work for beCuriou?
Joining a highly experienced team in the luxury travel industry was a deliberate choice driven by my passion for creating unparalleled, personalised travel experiences. Collaborating with this group of top-tier professionals allows me curate trips that exceed our travellers’ highest expectations.
Savi Jayawardana
Singapore
CFO & CLIENT RELATIONS DIRECTOR
Andreas is a passionate traveller who holds a MSc in Economics and Business Administration from Oslo Metropolitan University (OsloMet) with emphasis on Financial Economics. He has broad and versatile operational and financial experience working for companies within the real estate, hospitality and event industry (including music festivals).
Personally he plays guitar and records music with his band, and enjoys diving as well as splitboarding on snowy mountains when the weather conditions allows is.
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Why I work for beCuriou?
Because beCuriou offers the opportunity to work with the very best in the travel industry, alongside the finest colleagues, to create unforgettable memories for our customers.
Andreas Tronsgård
Oslo
CLIENT RELATIONS DIRECTOR | LUXURY TRAVEL SPECIALIST
Elliot’s passion for travel started when he packed up his bags and booked a one-way flight to Australia. Since then, he has been lucky enough to visit over 60 different countries and growing.
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Having managed itineraries for some of the world’s most discerning UHNW travellers over the years, he feels that really getting to know what makes his clients tick is instrumental in helping to create cherished memories.
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In his spare time (and when he isn’t jetting off somewhere) Elliot is a keen chef and has a love for quality dining and great wine.
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Why I work for beCuriou?
Getting to work for a company that consistently exceeds client’s expectations gives me great satisfaction. Also working alongside such a diverse and skilled group of professionals makes every day different and exciting.
Elliot Gwyn
London
The Board &Advisory Board
ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER
Ebba Rusten is the Corporate partnerships, Legacy and Major Donor Specialist at UNICEF Norway. She has broad and dynamic background extending from the oil industry to environmental projects incl. the Norwegian Environment Agency where she was the Senior Executive Office. Her experience ranges from storing CO2 underground and Nox reduction on the Norwegian shelf to voluntary work in Dhaka, Budapest and Thailand. Previous roles include petroleum engineer and reservoir engineer.
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Ebba Rusten
HEAD OF ADVISORY BOARD
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Martin Skancke is Chair of the Principles for Responsible Investment (UN Global Compact), board member at Storebrand ASA, Summa Equity AB and Norfund and member of the FSB Task Force on climate-related financial disclosures (TCFD). In 2018, he chaired the Norwegian Government’s commission on climate risks for the Norwegian economy.
Martin Skancke was head of the Asset Management Department of the Norwegian Ministry of Finance from 2006 to 2011, with responsibility for overseeing the Norwegian Government Pension Fund. Previous roles include Director General of the Office of the Prime Minister of Norway, head of the section for monetary policy and fiscal affairs at the Norwegian Ministry of Finance and consultant at McKinsey & Co.
Martin Skancke
ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER
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Margrethe Melbye is the Head of System & Data in Norges Bank Investment Management. She has previously worked in various management positions within DnB IT and Operations, as well as working as a Senior Project Manager in Hewlett Packard, and as a Technical Advisor for EDIFACT development in Brussels. Furthermore, she has over seven years work experience from the Norwegian Customs and the Norwegian Directorate of Customs and Excise. She has been board member in various companies, recently Eiendomsverdi AS and DNB Invest Denmark AS, and holds a Master of Business Administration from the Norwegian School of Management and Ècole Superior Commerce Paris (ESCP-EAP).
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Margrethe Melbye
ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER
Ulrika began travelling at a very early age and has never stopped. Born in Sweden she was soon living in Mexico, before graduating in Hotel Management Studies in Switzerland. From there it was a simple step into international management and leadership positions in hotels and resorts across the world.
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Ulrika is now Academic Dean at the Hotel Institute in Montreux – sharing her energy, knowledge and experience with over 800 students.
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Ulrika Björklund
ADVISORY BOARD MEMEBER
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As a chairman of the Global Ecotourism Network and an expert in luxury, sustainable travel, Glenn leads by example. He owns a top-rated, organic, shade-grown, Rainforest Alliance-certified coffee plantation, was the creator of the first boutique hotel in Costa Rica and is currently President of the Ecotourism Board. So he is eminently placed to advise beCuriou on both Costa Rica and eco-friendly tourism.
Glenn was one of the original authors of the highly respected Certificate for Sustainable Tourism from the Costa Rican Tourist Board.
Glenn Jampol
120+
Between us we have visited more than 120 of the countries in the world. Together with our partners and advisory board, you can trust that we've got you covered when it comes to local knowledge.
12
Our team currently consists of 12 employees. We come from an array of backgrounds - finance, hospitality, banking and travel - which helps us gain a better understanding of our clients and their preferences.
1
We are the number one fastest growing travel agency for the high-end in Europe according to Financial Times!
1000+
We have been lucky to work with more than 1000 clients so far, most of whom we work with on a regular basis. If you or your company want to become a part of this list, don't hesitate to get in touch.