John was introduced to outdoor activities through the Boys’ Brigade in Northern Ireland, and never looked back. After an Environmental Biology degree at Aberystwyth University he worked as an instructor for Outward Bound Wales at Aberdyfi, where he began to accumulate nationally recognised qualifications in a few disciplines.
He went on to be the Head of Outdoor Pursuits at Birkdale School in Sheffield for 25 years, and in that time served on the committee, and later as Chair, of Independent Outdoor, an umbrella organisation promoting good practice in outdoor education in independent schools throughout the UK and overseas.
Before joining the Adventure RMS team, John worked as a freelance inspector for AALS in the North of England from 2014.