HIGHLIGHTS
How did you come to be Aggressor’s CEO today?
I started scuba diving in 1999 as a way to spend time with my
then 15-year-old son. I knew he would soon be off with his
friends and I wanted a way for us to stay connected. When my
daughter turned 15 four years later, she was also certified.
We did a lot of land-based diving as well as some entry level
liveaboards. In 2005, we were on the Galápagos Aggressor and
I remember thinking to myself, “This is how diving should be!”
In 2006, I went on the Belize Aggressor and found the same
outstanding level of service. I immediately inquired about the
ownership of the company. Turns out, the owner had passed
away a couple of years earlier and his family was selling the
business. I closed on the purchase in April of 2007.
What do you love the most about your job?
I have always been a huge fan of service-based businesses and
the purchase of Aggressor Fleet has allowed me to explore more
LEFT: Silky sharks can often be
encountered in the Bahamas
IMAGE: Wayne B. BrownBELOW: The staff of Aggressor Fleet aims to
turn simple services into
life-changing experiences
IMAGE: Aggressor Fleetways to put this passion to work, ensuring we give the highest
levels of guest service and satisfaction. Every week, my team
comes up with new ideas to enhance guest service, not just
on-board but from the very first call or visit to our website to even
posting charter logs. I look forward to getting up every morning
and heading into the office!Aggressor covers a multitude of diving destinations around
the world. Many of these destinations offer spectacular shark
dives. Which would you say are your favourite shark
diving sites?
This is a tough one as so many of our destinations have shark
encounters and each one is unique. I will say though that my
first encounter on the Galápagos charter is a special place for
me. We dived a virtual wall where hundreds of hammerhead
sharks were swimming by; it was a memory I will never
forget. If hammerhead sharks are your favourite, you will also
get that same experience at Cocos Island (Costa Rica) and
smaller schools in the Red Sea. In the Caribbean, we have daily
encounters with grey reef sharks and nurse sharks as well as
tiger sharks at tiger beach in the Bahamas. It is unfortunate
that sharks are so misunderstood and feared. Hopefully with
articles such as this, we can continue to educate those who fear
them that they are a curious fish that can be safely encountered
and observed.