Our team

Ian joined the Board on 1 February 2019 becoming Chairman on 1 April last year. Having qualified as a solicitor in 1980, Ian spent most of his working life with Siemens the global electronics concern undertaking a range of diverse roles. Working out of Munich, his last job was as Senior Vice- President, Mergers and Acquisitions.

In parallel Ian has served on the board of the British Triathlon Federation, latterly as President, and on the boards of the International Triathlon Union and the British Olympic Association. Ian chairs the Nominations Committee.

Stuart joined Isles of Scilly Steamship Group as Chief Financial Officer in July 2013 and appointed as a Board director in June 2015. Originally from Mullion, Stuart graduated from Cardiff University with a BSc (Hons) degree in Pharmacology & Toxicology and qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2007.

Stuart previously worked at Smart Solutions Recruitment, one of Wales fastest growing companies. Stuart is a member of the Isles of Scilly Transport Board, Island Futures Board and Smart Islands Project. In his spare time, Stuart is a keen cyclist and triathlete competing over multiple distances.

Judith Piper joined the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group as Chief Financial Officer in October 2018 and was appointed as a Board director in May 2019. Before joining the Group, Judith worked for W. Stevenson & Sons Ltd as Finance Director, Company Secretary and Acting MD.

Her earlier career included Finance Manager at Unipart Group Ltd and Financial and Management Accountant at Westcountry Ambulance Services NHS Trust. Originally from Cornwall, Judith graduated from Plymouth University with a BSc (Hons) degree in Psychology. She qualified as an ACCA accountant in 2001 and was awarded Fellowship (FCCA) status in 2006. Judith lives in St. Levan with her husband and three children enjoying many sporting activities and the local beaches.

Sam Hicks is from a longstanding St Agnes family. He was educated in Scilly, then at Truro School and graduated from University of Bath in 2001 with a BSc Hons in Business Administration. He worked in various commercial management roles on the mainland before returning home to help grow the family business. Together with his wife and parents he manages Troytown Farm dairy, self-catering cottages and campsite.

Fully engaged in the local community, Sam is Watch Manager of the island fire service, a coastguard officer, captain of the cricket team and a member of the Shah gig crew. He has three children at the Five Islands school.

Born on St Mary’s, Steve Hicks was educated on the island and at Truro School before becoming a cadet in the Merchant Navy with P&O. He spent over twenty years at sea predominantly in sea going tugs and in the offshore oil industry in the North Sea. In 1995 Steve spent his first full year in the family passenger launch business.

In February 2018, after twenty years, he sold the vessel built on St Mary’s to his design in 1997. He is one of the three pilots licensed for the waters of Scilly and a former lifeboat crew member, He is now the Lifeboat Operations Manager for the St Mary’s Station. Steve now intends to pursue more fully his lifelong hobby of painting and drawing. He is married with three children and four grandchildren to date.

Gary joined the Board in April 2018 and is from St. Mellion, in east Cornwall. He has been practising as a Chartered Accountant for the last 25 years, developing an extensive client base across Devon and Cornwall. In 2013, he merged his business with Prydis to broaden the services provided to clients of both companies, and become Managing Director of Prydis Accounts Ltd.

Gary, embraces the challenges of General Practice and particularly enjoys the interaction between the other facets of the business with Financial Planning, Corporate Law and Governance all forming part of the key day to day deliverables at Prydis.

Kevin’s early career was with British Airways as an avionics engineer, progressing through to senior management roles in marketing and operations. In 2007 Kevin joined Monarch Airlines initially as their operations director before taking the position as CEO in 2011.

After 30 years in aviation he moved to the marine industry and joined the Red Funnel Group as CEO in 2014 and then became Chair in 2018 until 2021. Kevin is currently the Chair of Aurigny Air Services in Guernsey and is the Chair of Trustees at the UK Sailing Academy (UKSA) charity in Cowes, Isle of Wight.

With over 20 years’ experience in law and business, Sonya spent 10 years in corporate and commercial roles in a number of leading international law firms, as well as five years in-house in the private sector as Legal Director for a leading renewable energy company running projects for both Tesco and Marks and Spencer and working closely with the government Department of Energy and Climate Change in respect of the Green Deal project.

Sonya is currently a partner at Coodes solicitors and heads up the Corporate team which is particularly experienced in working with regional SMEs and has notable expertise in the renewables, construction, tourism and rural businesses sectors. In her spare time Sonya enjoys adventures with her son in their campervan and being in or on the water.

Andrew, lives on St Martin’s and runs his own business SC Dogs Distillery as part of the family farm, becomes the third island-based non-executive board member currently serving.

With 15 years’ experience in the Merchant Navy, and time spent on Scillonian III, Lyonesse Lady and Swift Lady, Andrew’s maritime knowledge of the area and the challenges it provides is extensive.

Andrew will also be chairing a new-look Steamship Advisory Board, which will consist of six members who will meet quarterly. These are new positions and the Steamship Group is now seeking expressions of interest.

Tom joined the business in 2022, relocating from Southampton; he previously spent 8 years working within the domestic ferry trade working through the ranks up of Senior Master – High-Speed, with a further 8 years working onboard various cruise ships around the world.

He went to sea as a Deck Cadet with Carnival UK (P&O Cruises, Princess Cruises, and Cunard), and spent 4 years working onboard Queen Mary 2, regularly passing Bishop Rock on the way to New York. He is an Associate Fellow of the Nautical Institute and the Royal Institute of Navigation, a Trustee of the Marime Educational Foundation and Maritime Training Trust, and a Freeman of the Honourable Company of Master Mariners.

He has been involved with the build of 9 vessels to date, and the re-write of Safety Management Systems.

Email: 
tweise@islesofscilly-travel.co.uk

Phone:
01736 334264

Email: 
ebussell@islesofscilly-travel.co.uk

Phone:
01736 334219

David has been master of our passenger vessel, Scillonian III, for 14 years and counting. Since joining the Group in 2003 as a mate/master for Gry Maritha, David has become an integral and much-loved part of the team.

He started his marine career at age 17 as a deckhand and has progressed to master through working for Falmouth Oil Services for 15 years before joining the Group in 2003.

Speaking of his career, David believes: “After all these years I still love being at work on a ship.”

Email: 
scillonianmaster@islesofscilly-travel.co.uk

Email: 
scillonianmaster@islesofscilly-travel.co.uk

Tom Sexton is the captain of the Gry Maritha, born in Truro, Cornwall, where his passion for sailing began. Growing up navigating the waters to the Isles of Scilly instilled in him a deep love for the sea. After graduating from Warsash Maritime Academy in 2012, he embarked on a career in the offshore oil and gas industry until 2017. This experience provided him with a strong foundation in maritime operations and safety.

In 2017, Tom joined the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company, where he quickly fell in love with the unique maritime environment of the islands. His dedication and leadership were recognized with a promotion to captain in 2022. He is proud to contribute to the mission of providing safe and reliable service to the community while fostering a deep respect for the beautiful surroundings. Tom looks forward to continuing to navigate these waters and support the connection between the islands and the mainland.

Email: 
grymaster@islesofscilly-travel.co.uk

Justin is a maritime professional from the South Wales Valleys who has turned his lifelong passion for the sea into a successful career. After serving as a beach lifeguard in the UK and Australia, he joined Maersk as a cadet at 26, where he honed his skills over nearly a decade on some of the world’s largest container ships.

In May 2022, Justin became Chief Mate on the Gry Maritha, and in October 2023, he was promoted to Master. His journey is marked by significant achievements, including being awarded the John Milner Prize for Navigation. With a commitment to safety and a wealth of experience navigating global waters, Justin continues to thrive in the maritime industry, proudly calling Cornwall home.

Email: 
grymaster@islesofscilly-travel.co.uk

Jonathan has over 30 years of aviation experience, having started his career with Gatwick-based regional airline CityFlyer Express in 1993. He has held senior roles with charter airline Astraeus and with Virgin Atlantic, and most recently was Chief Executive of UK regional airline Loganair for eight years, where he led the team responsible for delivering lifeline air services throughout Scotland and beyond. Jonathan is also a regular columnist for industry magazine Airliner World.

Jonathan worked with the Skybus management team in an advisory capacity during 2024 and joined as Managing Director of Skybus in January 2025.

Email: 
jhinkles@islesofscilly-travel.co.uk

Chris attended Christ’s Hospital School in Horsham before gaining a BSc (Hons) degree in Commercial Management & Quantity Surveying at UMIST, Manchester. Successfully gaining commercial sponsorship with Sir Robert McAlpine, Chris was involved in large industrial building projects in the North-East and spent his final training year at BNFL Sellafield in the Lake District building a new nuclear recycling plant.

After retraining as an Air Traffic Control Officer (ATCO), and a period at Belfast Aldergrove International Airport, Chris joined the Company in 1997 as an ATCO. He went on to become ATC Manager in 2001 and additionally Airport Manager in 2004. Chris was instrumental in the transformational changes at Land’s End Airport during the period 2012-2015 when over £4million was invested – this included a new passenger terminal, ATC tower, fire building, new asphalt runways and runway lighting.

Email:
cpearson@islesofscilly-travel.co.uk

Phone:
01736 785227

Cath began working for Skybus in 2010 where she joined the team at Land’s End Airport as a seasonal passenger handling assistant. She then progressed to several different roles until being promoted to Operations Manager in 2024. Before joining the Steamship Group, Cath worked at the Civil Service where she worked in front line benefit delivery before moving into security and accuracy checking. On promotion to Executive Officer, she became a team leader and adjudication officer for the Pension service.

Email: 
cjrapsey@islesofscilly-travel.co.uk

Phone:
01736 785236

Email:
bwoodward@islesofscilly-travel.co.uk

Phone:
01736 785237

Email:
cward@islesofscilly-travel.co.uk

Phone:
01736 334254

Email: 
krouncefield@islesofscilly-travel.co.uk

Phone:
01736 785244

Email: 
rcornish@islesofscilly-travel.co.uk

Phone:
01736 785244

Email: 
tjelly@islesofscilly-travel.co.uk

Phone:
01736 785229

Tim is a chartered health and safety professional with nearly 30 years of industry experience.

Tim joined the company in 2010 after working for 10 years as a safety manager in the further education sector.  Prior to that he worked as a health and safety inspector, carrying out enforcement duties for local authority environmental health services.

He also has a degree in environmental health, holds a NEBOSH certificate and numerous other NVQ level qualifications in health and safety.

Email:
trobbins@islesofscilly-travel.co.uk

Phone:
01736 334261

Sharon is an award-winning Chartered Marketer, with 20 years industry experience. She joined the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group in 2014 after an extensive international marketing career working mainly in tourism and destination marketing.

Sharon has a degree in Public Relations, a second degree in Marketing and is an active Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing. She has both in-house and agency experience covering sectors including accommodation, transportation and business event tourism in both the UK and international markets.

Email:
ssandercock@islesofscilly-travel.co.uk

Phone:
01736 334240

Andrew joined Isles of Scilly Steamship Group in summer 2023 after relocating to Cornwall from Southeast England and brings over 30 years’ experience of managing operations and accounts in the express overnight parcel and courier delivery industries. Andrew’s role is to ensure that all aspects of the freight service between the mainland and the Isles of Scilly run efficiently and provide the best possible service for our customers.

Email:
afogden@issg.co.uk

Phone:
01736 334218

Jeanette joined the Steamship Company in March 2016 after a varied career of working within adult social care and supporting adults with learning restrictions. When Jeanette joined the Steamship Group, she started as Island Carriers Manager and has since progressed to become Island Operations Manager. As a community-based and diverse role, Jeanette enjoys the challenging yet rewarding aspect to the job and enjoys feeling as though her workplace is also an extended family.

Email:
jware@islesofscilly-travel.co.uk

Phone:
01720 424231

Chris joined the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group in 2021 as a Technical Superintendent, and in 2023 he progressed to become New Vessel Project Manager. Before joining the Group, Chris has worked at sea for 30 years including 20 years’ experience as a chief engineer. During this time, he garnered the highest qualification possible, a Chief Engineer Steamship and Motorship certificate, and has been involved in the process of many shipyard refits, five-year special surveys, and class annuals.

Chris is now based in Vietnam overseeing the new vessel project including developing, reviewing and approving vessel designs and preparing for the new vessels to commence service.

Email:
clingham@islesofscilly-travel.co.uk

Phone: 
01736 334219