Ben's Team
Andy Ward | Operations Director
After graduating from Edinburgh University with a Masters in Geography, Andy decided to avoid getting caught up in the rat race and set off to walk from London to Istanbul on a whim. 5,000 kilometres later he crossed the river Bosporus into Asia and was disappointed to find it was only a five-hour flight back to London. Andy’s passion for the outdoors started at school when he ran county level cross-country and athletics and spent hours roaming the Wiltshire Downs on an afternoon.
Andy has worked with Ben since early 2007 and managed his North Pole Solo Speed Record expedition in March 2008. Andy is also a passionate fly fisherman and when he is not cooped up in London can mostly be found waist-deep in a river somewhere in Scotland.
Faye Downey | Coach
Faye Downey founded and runs Elite Performance Management, an international, performance-focused company that plans and manages individual power, strength and speed coaching programmes for world-class elite athletes. Faye holds a Degree and Masters in Sports Science from Loughborough University, and prior to founding Elite Performance Management, Faye held positions both at the English Institute of Sport and UK Athletics as Strength and Conditioning Coach.
Faye has written and delivered world-class conditioning programmes for a wide range of sports and athletes representing Great Britain at Olympic, World Championship, European and Commonwealth level. Clients include England Rugby Football Union and the European Golf Tour.
Kerry Anley | Sports Massage and Physical Therapy
The founder of OnTrack Sports Massage, Kerry Anley, has competed internationally in triathlon and aquathlon, and has completed nine marathons and two ultramarathons.
Understanding the mental and physical demands sport has on both recreational and elite athletes is a prerequisite in a professional massage therapist, and with ten years' experience Kerry is uniquely placed to help Ben stay injury-free during training periods.
Jerry Colonna | Mentor
An expert in organizational development, Jerry Colonna is a certified professional coach and draws on a wide variety of experiences to help clients design a more conscious life and make needed changes to their career to improve their performance and satisfaction.
In 2003, along with his partner Sarah Holloway, Colonna launched Hudson Heights Partners. HHP helps non-profit organisations generate new revenue streams, exploring ways to become less dependent on foundation and corporate funding by setting up social enterprises or other creative, entrepreneurial revenue-generating models. In addition to providing clients with business planning, budgeting and financial management services, the firm, through the services of Mr. Colonna, also offers executive coaching and organizational development.
In 2002, Colonna became a partner with J.P. Morgan Partners (JPMP), the private-equity arm of J.P. Morgan Chase. During his time at JPMP, his commitment to the non-profit sector increased significantly. In the fall of 2001, he worked with The Partnership for the City of New York to help launch the Financial Recovery Fund, a $10 million-plus program that made recoverable grants to small businesses affected by the attacks on the World Trade Center.
In January 2002, he was named co-Executive Director of NYC2012, the organization designed to secure the City’s designation as the representation in the competition to host the 2012 Olympic Games. In that year, he helped raise more than $6 million to further those efforts.
In August 1996 Jerry Colonna and Fred Wilson launched Flatiron Partners, one of the most successful early stage investment programs. During its six years of active investing, Flatiron invested more than $500 million and has, to date, returned more than $1.8 billion. Those companies currently in the active part of that portfolio represent more than $100 million of investments.
Colonna joined his first venture firm, CMG@Ventures L.P. ("@Ventures"), in February 1995 as a founding partner. CMG@Ventures was the first “Internet-specific” venture firm.
Prior to joining @Ventures, Jerry worked for ten years for CMP Media Inc. From 1985 to 1993, he served in a variety of roles at InformationWeek, including a three-year stint as its Editor.
Colonna also serves as a director, trustee, or advisor to a number of non-profit organizations including Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in the Berkshires, and Shambhala Mountain Center.
The recipient of numerous awards and compelling speaker on topics ranging from leadership to starting businesses, Colonna has been named to Upside Magazine’s list of the 100 Most Influential People of the New Economy, Forbes ASAP’s list of the best VCs in the country, and Worth’s list of the 25 most generous young Americans. A graduate of Queens College, Colonna lives in Port Washington, New York.
Ben Saunders is the youngest person to ski solo to the North Pole and holds the record for the longest solo Arctic journey by a Briton.