Meet the team

Meet the team at Wanderlust travel magazine and website

Wanderlust Travel Awards 2023 (Wanderlust)

George Kipouros, Editor in Chief & CEO

George is a serial entrepreneur with experience in the travel, media and technology sectors. He previously co-founded AI Business which grew to become the global leader in AI media, exhibitions, and research space with a multi-million-dollar global presence. When his business was successfully acquired by a large multinational, George started to pursue his life-long dream of sharing his passion for travel.

Travel as George’s raison d'être came home to Wanderlust, the oldest independent travel magazine in Europe. Since 2020, George has led the editorial direction of the organisation alongside driving a comprehensive transformation and expansion of the brand’s global footprint. George has invested heavily in the digital side of the business and launched the Wanderlust MetaTravel proposition, a global first in the world of travel media. Wanderlust is now the most-read UK travel magazine with the highest average circulation across and print and digital, and continues to pioneer coverage of authentic, responsible and sustainable travel.

Read through the archive of online articles by George Kipouros

Lyn Hughes, Wanderlust Founding Editor

In 1992, Lyn Hughes and her late husband, Paul Morrison, were bored on a flight to South America and so schemed out their dream travel magazine on the back of a sickbag. The idea stuck and, returning to the UK a few months later, they launched Wanderlust magazine from their spare bedroom.

The magazine gradually grew through word of mouth, and went on to win numerous awards. In time the company grew across channels into Wanderlust Travel Media.

A Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, Lyn is still an award-winning writer and editor in her own right, regularly appears on lists of Top UK Travel Journalists/Influencers, and is in demand as a speaker, host and moderator. The Times lauded Lyn as one of the “50 Most Influential People in Travel.” In 2014, Lyn was awarded one of the 'Top 60 Most Influential Women in Travel in the Last 60 Years' by the AWTE. In 2020 she was given an Outstanding Achievement Award by Travmedia with host John Humphreys saying "Her influence goes far beyond the magazine. She embodies the brand. She is a legend in travel." 

Lyn strongly believes in tourism as a force for good, benefiting local communities, wildlife and the natural world. During the course of Lyn’s own travels she has been attacked in the night by soldier ants in Africa, spent the night in a sailor’s bar in the Azores, and been chased over a barbed-wire-topped six ft-bank by an angry Irish bull.

Her passions include wildlife, wilderness and wine. Her idea of hell would be a week on a crowded beach.

Follow Lyn on Twitter @wanderlust_lyn and Instagram @wanderlust.lyn

Read through the archive of online articles by Lyn Hughes

Elliot Wellsteed-Crook, Chief Operating Officer

Elliot found his wanderlust growing up on the wild headlands of Cornwall, in the far South West of the UK.  He joins Wanderlust for a new adventure after a series of leadership roles for some of the world’s best-known business & technology media brands – including Forbes, London Tech Week and The AI Summit.

As Chief Operating Officer, Elliot’s job is to keep the wheels on the bus and take the UK’s longest running travel magazine further in its journey.

Elliot believes travel is about people, and is passionate about how Wanderlust can bring out the best of people and place.

Graham Berridge, Art Director

After graduating with a degree in Graphic Communication in 1998, Graham's career has seen him design both consumer and contract magazines spanning music, fashion, lifestyle, technology and travel.

Graham joined Wanderlust in 2003 and as Art Director heads up the design team; he is responsible for the design and layout of Wanderlust magazine as well as its contract titles, supplements. books and bookazines.

In December 2011, Graham was awarded Designer of the Year at the PPA Independent Publishing Awards.

Gareth Clark, Associate Editor

Since venturing cautiously from his native North-East England, Gareth has worked in publishing across the Middle East, Asia and Europe. After editing Time Out magazines in Beijing and Abu Dhabi, he returned to the UK, via Brussels, Kalamata and Ljubljana, to work for Wanderlust and continues to write guidebooks to everywhere from Luxembourg, China  and Malta to Greece and his one true love, Belgium, where he can frequently be found hammering down a mitraillette in the grounds of Parc du Cinquantenaire.

Karen Edwards, Sustainability Contributing Editor

Karen is a writer, author and journalist from London, who specialises in responsible tourism, sustainable living, well-being and entertainment. She has written for a variety of national titles including adventure.com, High Life, Grazia, Metro, Guardian Labs, The Telegraph and Time Out.

Karen inherited her love for exploring while travelling with her parents and after an empowering backpacking trip to Brazil when she was 17. She spent the first half of her career writing for music and entertainment magazines, before taking the plunge into freelance life and shifting her focus towards another subject she was passionate about – independent and ethical travel.

Her adventures have taken her to the Russian Arctic, swimming with Humpback whales in Tonga, road tripping across America and to the Sub Antarctic islands of Australia and New Zealand – with every eye-opening journey teaching her more about the good and bad aspects of tourism.

Karen is the author of The Responsible Traveller, published by Summersdale.

You can find Karen on Instagram and Twitter.

Read through Karen's archive of online articles here

Jessica Reid, Digital Editor

Jess joined Wanderlust as their Digital Editor in September 2021.

After completing a degree in Multimedia Journalism at Bournemouth University, Jess worked for UK lifestyle and travel magazines on a freelance basis before joining the team at Wanderlust, her favourite travel publication.

From climbing Kilimanjaro to canyoning in Switzerland, Jess is an outdoor adventurer and enjoys exploring places on foot. The next destination on Jess's travel wish is Patagonia. 

Find her on Twitter and Instagram

Read through Jess's archive of online articles here

Rosie Fitzgerald, Special Features Editor

Rosie is the Special Features Editor for Wanderlust, working on commercial projects in print and online. 

When she’s not at work, Rosie loves seeking out cultural and historical adventures in sunny places. Rosie's travel highlights include exploring the temples of Luang Prabang in Laos, visiting the Angkor Wat complex in Cambodia and snorkelling in the coral-reef filled waters surrounding the tiny island of Koh Lipe in Thailand. 

Follow Rosie on Instagram

Read through Rosie's archive of online articles here

Rhodri Andrews, Special Features Editor

Rhodri's love of travel began in his teenage years after a month-long trip to Costa Rica and Nicaragua. After a brief stint in local news, his career in travel began at Wanderlust on the editorial team. After several years heading up the content strategies for tour operators, he returned to Wanderlust in February 2023 as a Special Features Editor.

Outside of work, Rhodri loves walking and wildlife, while trying to collect a football shirt from every country he visits. Seeing orangutans in the wild in Borneo and tracking a cheetah on foot in South Africa are among his most special travel experiences.

Read through Rhodri's archive of online articles here

Laura Field, Special Features Assistant

Previously a freelance travel writer living in Latin America, Laura is a keen linguist who’s fluent in French and Spanish (and dabbles in Portuguese). Visiting family in North and South America from a young age sparked her love of travel and getting to know different people and places across the globe. 

Whether it’s hiking up a volcano, spending hours in a museum or tasting the flavours of a traditional dish, Laura’s always looking forward to her next travel escapade.

Meet our partnerships team

Adam Lloyds, Partnerships Director

Adam joined Wanderlust at the end of 2017, and heads up the partnerships team.

He has over 12 years experience in media sales and has worked across many consumer industries including walking, yachting, motor sport and wildlife. 

Previously a keen sportsman, Adam travelled the world playing rugby, cricket and football. His favourite adventure destination is Costa Rica although he has plans to travel to South-East Asia in the near future. 

 

David Read, VP Brand Partnerships

David brings over 10 years of media experience in the travel sector, having previously worked for Lonely Planet and Culture Trip. He looks after brand partnerships for Wanderlust and any clients having their advertising managed by media agencies.

A fitness enthusiast, he’s always in the gym or on his bike. His best trip was to the Philippines for his honeymoon where there was little relaxing and a lot of adventure!

Simon Bryson, Senior Creative Partnerships Manager

Simon joined the Wanderlust commercial team in 2017. He works with clients to develop media campaigns across print, digital and events. 

Simon’s passion for travel started at 16 years old when he went on a month long self-funded expedition to Peru.  

He is a keen skier and has skied throughout Europe and North America. He counts Jackson Hole (Wyoming) and Whistler (British Columbia) among his favourite destinations.

Meet our marketing and publishing team

Anil Karwal, Digital Creative Director 

Anil is the digital whizz of the team. He is the designer behind Wanderlust's pioneering MetaTravel experiences, and has also created some of our most impressive commercial campaigns. 

Anil has previously worked in digital management and design for AI Business and Ingenuity. 

Christina Wildman Mullet, Marketing and Social Media Manager

Tina joined the Wanderlust team in March 2022, bringing with her a decade's worth of experience working within the travel industry, and becoming one of the most travelled members of our team – visiting more than 100 countries!

Mary Manta, Wanderlust Club Manager

Mary is from the beautiful Greek island of Kefalonia. She studied Political Sciences at the University of Athens and gained her Masters degree in Marketing and Management in UK. She has been living and working in London ever since, with various professional roles across the events industry; formerly the World Trade Group, AI Business and Informa PLC. 

Mary joined Wanderlust in 2021 to share her passion for travelling, support members of our community and look after the activities of the Wanderlust Club. She has travelled across the globe but will always have a special place in her heart for Miami. Mary believes that travelling is the way to become a better version of ourselves by understanding each other’s values and culture.