Meet the VagaHQ Team

Founder and Managing Director of Vagabond (but really wants to be Bear Grylls when he grows up). Rob is originally from Scotland but has lived in Ireland for many happy years with his wife Amy and 3 kids. Rob started Vagabond in 2002 after travelling in Africa. He noticed that an active adventure tour would be a great way for visitors to experience Ireland.

Rob is an outdoor enthusiast — hiking, mountain biking, sailing and wilderness camping. He also a keen amateur historian with an MA in Modern History. Rob is dedicated to making tourism more responsible and sustainable; he speaks regularly on the topic.

Vagabond’s Marketing Director — Dictator?! — boasts years of experience with blue-chip brands. Originally from Dublin, Amy met Rob at university in Scotland, from where she holds an MA in Psychology.

Amy is a keen outdoor enthusiast, a really fast runner and qualified sailing instructor, not to mention a mother of three kids — four, if you include Rob. She has travelled extensively in Europe, Asia and Africa. Her favourite travel experiences include safari in Africa, Italy’s Amalfi coast and the southwest of Ireland.

Our Transport & Operations Manager is the type of guy that people tend to look up to. Not least because Russ stands 6’5’’ in his socks. He's a fully trained ambulance medic and is handy with a chainsaw (Russ holds a qualification in horticulture).

Having travelled extensively through Europe, North America and Australia, Russ joined Vagabond in 2012 to share his passion for, and knowledge of, his country. Russ’s calm and professional style made his guests feel welcome while leading tours. Now he's calm and professional while managing our team of VagaGuides and fleet of Mercedes tour vehicles!

Back in 2012, our Group Accounts Manager decided she had had enough of mucking about every day. Gillian paused her archaeology career to become Vagabond HQ’s first permanent recruit beyond Rob and Amy. Over 12 years later, Gillian’s attention to detail and tenacity in seeing projects through to the end is still as strong as ever. These skills are a legacy from her previous habit of excavating ancient treasures.

Life at Vagabond is — disappointingly — not quite as mucky. Besides managing company accounts, Gillian takes care of our fantastic hotel partners and, in her own time, keeps an ever-growing flock of rescue hens and ducks.

Vagabond really is the sweet spot for our Sales & Marketing Manager. Before Deirdre became a key member of our team, she kept things sweet for a chocolate manufacturer, a sugar company and a soda distributor. For desserts, Deirdre had a stint at a toilet paper manufacturer — make of that what you will!

Outside of VagaHQ, Deirdre is happiest spending time with family at home in Wexford, exploring Ireland and walking her cockapoo, who loves being the centre of attention.

Vagabond's Content & SEO Manager is a bit of a tree-hugger. Unsurprising when you consider that Derry's name means 'oak' in Irish. Before settling into Vagabond life back in 2018, Derry studied History & Politics in Dublin, spent a year learning Japanese in Tokyo and completed his MSc at City University London.

Derry has tried out an equally eclectic range of jobs: writing a book about revolution; wine harvest in Oregon; selling sushi in London; picking kiwis in New Zealand; even cleaning toilets on a car ferry!

Our Sales & Reservations Supervisor will be familiar to both past and future Vagabond guests. That's because John is an experienced former VagaGuide. A legend on the road in bygone seasons, John has enhanced VagaHQ with his passion for Ireland and his knowledge of the travel industry.

That's not to mention his cheeky humour, his masterly table tennis skills and his way with words. In fact, John loves words so much that he has also achieved a BA in Journalism and harbours secret ambitions to become a Nobel prize-winning author.

Travel makes the world go round for Group Accounts Assistant, Dee. Travel... And her beloved Boxer pooch, Darcy. And, yes, you would be correct in assuming he is named after Mr Darcy from Pride & Prejudice. As well as a keen reader, Dee is a proud Wicklow native who has travelled the length and breadth of Ireland. The Kingdom of Kerry — favourite of many a Vagabond guest — is Dee's home away from home.

Her background in hospitality and spa therapy will come in useful here at Vagabond. Our male VagaGuides keep a strict waxing routine. They just LOVE to be pampered.

Don't mess with our Digital Marketing Executive, who is — unofficially — the most second most competitive team member at VagaHQ (after Rob). That's a result of Shauna having previously captained her home county of Wicklow in the Gaelic sport of camogie.

Nowadays, Shauna expertly calls the shots across our social media content and digital advertising campaigns. She loves travelling, both in Ireland and further afield. Oh yes and Shauna also boasts a spiralling addiction to garlic mayo; a must-try condiment during your tour of Ireland.

Our Product Development & Operations Executive is another welcome VagaGuide graduate. Corkman Michael can still occasionally be found behind the wheel of a VagaTron — but spends most of his time now perfecting our tour itineraries and dreaming up new ones!

Michael is a seasoned world traveller. Not only has he visited Honduras, New Zealand, Spain, South Asia and Nepal, Michael has worked as a sound engineer, plays guitar, enjoys live Irish music and, in his own words, "loves to ramble on to anybody that will listen." Michael's surname is Stout... But please, no Guinness jokes. Hailing from Cork, Michael prefers Murphy’s (obviously).

Our Operations Executive is a real renaissance woman. Ciara is not only one of our most experienced former tour guides, she also boasts qualifications in Film Production and First Aid as well as instruction in adventure sports like rock climbing, kayaking, snorkeling and sailing.

She is an ex-member of the Wicklow Mountain Rescue Team, has volunteered with the National Parks & Wildlife Service, has worked on a farm and can drive a tractor. Is that not enough? She also bakes extremely creative and delicious cakes for all of our office birthday parties!

Our Sustainability Executive is part of the endangered species of redheads. Of course, the other reason Ed the Red is so-called is because she's a Cork native — red is the county colour.

With years of experience leading Vagabond & Driftwood tour groups, a burning passion for the natural world, a quick wit and a laid back manner, Ed was the perfect candidate to further our sustainability mission, renew our B Corp certification and continue leading the charge for responsible tourism in Ireland.

Our Sales & Reservations Executive loves camping and the great Irish outdoors. Danielle is based in wonderful Wexford but is on a mission to explore all 32 counties of Ireland, with tent and sleeping bag in hand. Her partner, 3 kids and Golden Labrador are helping her make this dream come true!

Ask Danielle anything about Ireland! She boasts significant experience in Irish tourism with past roles working at hotels and spas. Her favourite part of Ireland is the spectacular southwest corner: Cork and Kerry.

Our Training & Guide Liaison has worked as a mountaineering instructor for over 20 years across the world. Tim's mission is to ensure all of our VagaGuides are highly-trained experts in mountain hiking and safe driving. Oh yes, and to make sure they love jumping in bogs and telling silly stories, just like him.

Tim Trivia: he trained as a luthier, making classical guitars, mandolins, mandolas and bouzoukis. When he was leading tours, one of Tim's guests suggested he looked a bit like George Clooney. A bit.

Cork-born and bred, our newest Sales & Reservations Executive knows a thing or two about Ireland. Brian is a VagaGuide, an award-winning travel blogger and a published Lonely Planet author.

But this fella is also a true ramblin’ man, having lived in 17 different countries around the globe and travelled to many dozens more. Vegan Brian is now based at VagaHQ, ready to sink his teeth into all questions big or small about exploring Ireland!