Our Team
- Backroads People
- Legendary Service
- Our Expert Leaders
- Our Worldwide Team
- Regional Managers
- Our Regional Connections
“We continue to find Backroads a great way to take the risk out of traveling to somewhere new. The knowledgeable leaders add a different dimension beyond what going somewhere with a Frommer's guide will get you.”
—Kevin Heston
Chattanooga, TN
From our Berkeley, California headquarters to Regional Offices in the Canadian Rockies, Provence and Tuscany, Backroads is staffed with a talented team equipped to handle every facet of our complex operations. Sales and customer service, finance and marketing, IT and transportation are all in capable hands. Meet some of our Regional Managers, responsible for locales as diverse as Bhutan and Alaska:
Regional Manager for trips in Italy, Jeff draws upon his extensive Backroads experience to ensure that each Backroads itinerary provides an unforgettable vacation experience.
“During my 14 years with Backroads, I’ve been fortunate enough to hold a variety of dynamic positions including Trip Leader, Regional Coordinator and Trip Development Coordinator.” Jeff, who’s also a photographer for Lonely Planet and a licensed private pilot, has traveled all over Western Europe, Thailand, Bhutan, Nepal, Japan and Morocco. “I’m partial to Italy, in particular Tuscany for its cuisine, fine wines, history and excellent – but hilly – bicycling routes.”
Our European Regional Manager for France, Tanya lived in the Middle East for much of her younger life and has spent time in almost all the European countries as well as North Africa, Tanzania, Kenya and Mexico.
“What I like best about active travel is the opportunity to enjoy new places at a slow pace and delve into the culture at hand, whether it’s chatting with a farmer working in the fields or making friends with kids selling lemonade at a roadside stand.” A member of the Backroads team since 2002, Tanya works six months of the year out of the European office in France and the other six at our Berkeley headquarters.
Regional Manager of Alaska and the U.S. Rocky Mountains, Linda grew up in California, discovering the joys of the outdoors at an early age during backpacking trips in the Sierra Nevada and family vacations in the western United States.
Linda has been with Backroads for 18 years (15 of those as a full-time Trip Leader) and ventured to more than two dozen countries in the Americas, Asia, the Pacific and Europe. “Active travel engages all your senses—you experience the soul of your destination. A place really comes alive when you’re outside walking trails with the locals or bicycling past roadside food stalls close enough that the vendor can say hello to you.”
Regional Manager of Asia, Africa and America’s East Coast, Christian has led groups in 20 countries (including South Africa, Bhutan, Cambodia, Thailand, Norway, Austria and Turkey) and designed trips in 16 countries (including India, China, Vietnam, Botswana, Mexico and the U.S.).
“I love my job because it gives me the opportunity to return seasonally to my favorite parts of the world and share them with others.” To Christian, who was born in Germany and “raised all over,” the most rewarding thing about active travel is that “it allows for interaction with the environment and the locals. People across the globe identify with someone on a bike or walking down a path.”
Our Canadian Regional Manager, Alison has skied, run, biked, climbed and lived in the Canadian Rockies for 20 years.
“I feel like I have one of the best jobs at Backroads – if a trip has to do with Canada or Canadians, it’s my responsibility. And I’m lucky enough to work my nine-to-five in Banff, Alberta – one of the most beautiful places in the world.” A 16-year Backroads veteran, Alison is also in charge of our Family program: “I’m the mother of two energetic boys, and I can attest that when kids and their families are actively exploring together, they see, experience and learn so much more about the world and themselves.”
Since our first biking trip in the Loire Valley more than 20 years ago, we’ve built solid alliances with hoteliers, restauranteurs and other local experts and personalities. These relationships are continuously cultivated by our team of Regional Managers, Trip Leaders and support staff.
