MEET THE TEAM

Hidden Iceland would be nothing without our team of dedicated employees. From the first email to the final farewell, our friendly team at Hidden Iceland are here to help create unforgettable experiences. Scroll down to learn more!

While you’ll primarily engage with our Travel Experts as you plan your trip and our Private Tour Guides during your adventure, there’s also an unsung army behind the scenes ensuring everything runs seamlessly. Meet the incredible individuals who form the backbone of Hidden Iceland, diligently working to enhance your journey. Each member, like every tour we offer, is unique and exceptional in their own way.

This page is a tribute to those working behind the scenes. The driving force behind unforgettable experiences.

Management

Dagný Björg Stefánsdóttir
CEO | Co Owner
dagny@hiddeniceland.is

Dagný has roots in a remote Westfjords farm in Iceland. Her childhood summers were filled with family camping adventures across the captivating country. While she relishes city life as an adult and is well-versed in Reykjavík’s happenings, her early farm life inspired her quest for Iceland’s hidden treasures, leading to the establishment of Hidden Iceland.

In addition to overseeing sales, shaping company policies, and charting future endeavours, she cherishes her days off to continue exploring Iceland’s wonders.

Scott Drummond
Managing Director | Co Owner
scott@hiddeniceland.is

Scott is an Australian-born Geologist who, after travelling through Europe, found himself in working in Iceland as a glacier guide, not wanting to leave. He holds degrees in both Geology and Finance from studies in his hometown of Perth and abroad in Sweden. He has travelled extensively throughout Iceland, opting to explore the more remote parts of the country to find hidden gems not in the guidebooks. Scott is instrumental in creating our fantastic itineraries and is often helping out behind the scenes when you are on tour with our wonderful guides.

Scott is a certified Glacier Guide, Wilderness First Responder and is trained in various emergency rescue procedures.

Ryan Connolly
Marketing Director | Co Owner
ryan@hiddeniceland.is

Ryan has spent many years working and travelling the world. He achieved his life goal of travelling to all seven continents back in 2016 and never seems to stop telling us all about his trip to Antarctica or Everest Base Camp. In fact, it was in Antarctica that Ryan fell in love with the blue glacial ice, then headed straight for Iceland to become a qualified glacier guide. He often refers to the glaciers as his happy place.

These days, Ryan spends much of his time marketing the company and developing the brand, but tries to get back out on the road with guests whenever he can.

Get in touch if you are an agent, journalist, or trip planner. He also manages Hidden Iceland’s Environmental & Community policy, and was instrumental in gaining Hidden Iceland’s Gold Class award from Vakinn and achieving Carbon Negative status.

Ryan is a certified Glacier Guide and Wilderness First Responder.

Emily Bridger
Operations & Guide Manager
emily@hiddeniceland.is

From a small village in the south of England, Emily went searching for mountains at the age of 18 and has never looked back. From Norway to the Alps to the Himalayas, she has climbed and kayaked all over the world. However, back in 2016, Iceland caught her heart, and she has lived here ever since. With her Icelandic partner, she has explored all the corners of the island, from the coast to the highest mountains. Passionate about the environment, Emily loves to share her enthusiasm for sustainable travel, supporting local communities and acting as a steward to ensure future generations get to enjoy Iceland’s incredible landscapes.

Emily is responsible for ensuring that Hidden Iceland’s robust Safety Management Plans are maintained, which has assisted Hidden Iceland gaining the Gold Class Environmental Certificate with Iceland’s Tourism Quality Control, Vakinn. Emily is the line manager for the Guiding team as well as the Operations team at Hidden Iceland.

“With my growing family, my favourite activity is whale watching on Húsavík’s eco-friendly sailboat Opal. Of course, seeing the whales was a real highlight, but thanks to the balance of relaxation & exploration, excellent guides and endless hot chocolate & cinnamon buns, my children absolutely loved every minute of the tour! They felt like ‘real’ Vikings sailing their boat through the beautiful Icelandic fjords.”

Emily is a qualified Mountain Leader, Glacier Guide, Sea Kayaker and Wilderness First Responder. Prior to moving to Iceland, Emily studied a degree in Outdoor Leadership and Adventure Education in the UK and brings her expertise in Risk Management and Operational Procedures to the Hidden Iceland team.

Sarah Sommariva
Sales Manager
sarah@hiddeniceland.is

Sarah is originally from Germany but has found herself living and working in Icelandic tourism since 2017. She holds a degree in German Philology & Art History. Before this, she was travelling back and forth between Germany and Iceland since 2010. This is where she met her current Icelandic partner and decided to make Iceland her full-time home. She loves to travel both in Iceland and abroad, read books and would love to open up a hamster sanctuary if she had the chance. Her warm and caring demeanour makes her an ideal person to help you plan your dream holiday.

Sales & Operations

Aaron Thomas
Senior Travel Expert

From a young age in the South of England, Aaron had always dreamed of travel. It wasn’t until the age of 19, when he travelled to Peru, that he realised how much of a passion travel was for him. Eventually, Aaron’s love of travel turned into a desire for working in the outdoors. This brought him to Iceland to become a Glacier Guide. The rest of the year was spent travelling and working in exotic places. Aaron has travelled or worked in Japan, Thailand, New Zealand, Russia and many other places, but says nowhere in the world feels more like home for him than Iceland. Now a certified Glacier Guide, Wilderness First Responder and world-class hugger, Aaron loves the opportunity to show everyone why he fell in love with Iceland. He looks forward to welcoming you into his family and creating some memories with you.

Agata Ryszkowska
Senior Travel Expert

Agata originally comes from Poland, but from a young age, she was mesmerized by the Northern countries. The original plan was to move to Norway right after graduating from university, however after visiting Iceland in 2016, the land of fire and ice stole her heart. She holds a master’s degree in Tourism and Recreation and has travelled extensively all around Iceland. In her spare time, she loves going camping, sleeping in her converted car, taking pictures, hiking and exploring Reykjavík’s dining scene. With her vast knowledge of the country and all its hidden gems, experience in the local tourism industry and valuable communication skills, rest assured you will be in good hands to plan your perfect holiday to Iceland with her.

Alberto Marini
Operations

Alberto is a veteran glacier and wilderness guide in Iceland. In previous roles, Alberto was responsible for training new guides, safety procedures and forging new routes on the glaciers around Iceland. He often jokes that he spent the last 4 years continuously outside. These days, Alberto loves to show you some of his favourite places in the country. He is well-read and loves to share his knowledge and funny stories with all the customers he meets. He loves books, landscape photography, rock climbing, hiking and yoga. His charm and infectious smile will leave you feeling like you have made a friend for life.

Anna Maria Pizzinini
Travel Expert

Anna grew up on an Alpine Tyrolean mountain farm where the “hills are alive”, right next to the ski slopes. As soon as she was able to ski on her own, she was taking the guests of her family hotel onto the slopes too! After completing her diploma in design, she started exploring further afield, across mountains of all shapes and sizes, no matter the season! From hiking for weeks through the Georgian Caucasus, to snowboarding and trail running in the Canadian Rockies, to volunteering and working in many countries as she travelled.

These days, she has settled down in Iceland where she completed her Masters studies at university and recently became a Wilderness First Responder. Over the years, she has worked extensively in tourism and has poured all her experiences with languages, cultures and organizing skills into helping guests be as fascinated by Iceland as she is. Anna’s empathy, understanding, and knowledge of all things Iceland makes for an ideal Travel Expert.

Anika Truter
Senior Travel Expert

Anika was born in South Africa and raised in Vancouver, Canada, before moving to Iceland in 2015. What was originally planned as a one-year adventure in the Westfjords turned into a life-changing move, and she now proudly calls herself an Icelander.

Anika joined the Hidden Iceland team in 2021 and loves sharing the country’s natural beauty, and special spots with guests from around the world. She’s passionate about the outdoors and spends her spare time hiking, knitting traditional Icelandic lopapeysa jumpers, and recharging at local spas. A seasoned traveller herself, Anika especially enjoys exploring Iceland’s wild and remote regions. Her favourite places include the untouched Hornstrandir Nature Reserve and the lush Þórsmörk valley. But she is content anywhere remote, peaceful, and surrounded by nature.

Arna Hrund Jónsdóttir
Operations

Arna was born and raised in Iceland. She grew up in the city but spent most of her summers during childhood in the countryside in the west of Iceland. With a passion for adventure and the outdoors, Arna usually spends a few months a year travelling the world, exploring new places and different cultures. In her spare time, you can find her in the yoga studio or roaming around the mountains on her own two feet or on her horse. Apart from living in Iceland, she has also lived in the US and Ecuador and speaks fluent Icelandic, English, and Spanish!

Ásta Sóllilja Snorradóttir
Travel Expert

Ásta was born and raised in Reykjavík, Iceland. She studied Tourism at the University of Iceland, and after graduating, she and her husband lived in Denmark and Norway for several years. A proud mother of three, Ásta now lives with her family in Reykjavík. The family loves to travel, and during the summer, they spend most weekends exploring new places in their pop-up camper. In the winter, you’ll likely find them enjoying the snow, skiing or snowboarding. When there isn’t enough snow for winter sports, Ásta enjoys practising yoga or dancing.

Bryony Gill
Operation Supervisor

From sunny Cornwall in South West England, Bryony has been brought up camping, hiking and exploring with her two sisters and parents. In her early 20s she started to travel the World and has visited a total of 30 countries, working with and experiencing different cultures has given her a wonderful outlook on life.

She has experience in mountaineering, Wilderness Medicine and working in Operations with other Icelandic tourism companies. She came to Iceland 7 years ago to become a glacier guide on Vatnajökull and has not wanted to leave. Now, her favourite places to visit include the Highlands, Hornstrandir and anywhere for long hikes and beautiful mountain views.

Charlotte Theobald
Project Supervisor

Charlotte visited on holiday in 2012 and fell in love with the island, which led to her moving here less than a year later. She started out as an au pair, moving into the tourism industry, which led her to spend four years living in a remote part of the South East of the country near Iceland’s highest mountain. As her family grew, she decided to swap the mountains for the sea and moved to the “countryside in the city” suburb of Álftanes just outside the capital (boasting the president as her neighbour!). Charlotte has an Icelandic husband who is a guide, and two young children who are all far more adventurous than her, and so you can often find her providing the picnic and trailing behind on family adventures.

Gabríella Sif Beck
Senior Travel Expert | Brand & Design Supervisor

Gabríella was born in East Iceland but grew up in Reykjavík, always having one foot in the East with her extended family. She spent her early summers travelling to every remote corner of Iceland in her grandparents’ RV, and still loves travelling and hiking in various places around the country. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her son, doing graphic design and playing roller derby with the local Reykjavík team and Iceland’s National Team. Gabríella studied Tourism at the University of Iceland and graduated in Graphic Media Design from the Technical College of Reykjavík.

Maksim Kachanzhi
Operations

Maksim has been living and working as a guide in Iceland since 2017. After getting his bachelors degree in Tourism and Recreation in 2013 in his native homeland of Moldova, he has worked with various outdoor companies back home, and around the world. Maksim often claims that he knew Iceland would be his future home before even stepping foot on the soil.

With his diverse outdoor and adventure guiding CV, we can see why we thought Iceland’s rugged and natural landscape would be the perfect fit. In Iceland alone, Maksim has worked as a glacier guide, multi day trekking guide, kayaking guide, snowmobiling guide and ATV guide. Maksim also has a passion for cycling, travelling, natural sciences and everything that has to do with the geography of Iceland. He will gladly show you his favourite locations and will share his knowledge of the area, helping you create unforgettable memories from your adventures. Maksim, among his qualifications and skills, is a certified Glacier Guide and Wilderness First Responder.

Nina Stolarczyk
Travel Expert

Originally from Poland, Nina has been living in Iceland since 2017, drawn by the island’s raw beauty and unique culture. A writer by trade and a traveller at heart, she tries to explore far corners of the globe whenever she gets the chance, from bustling cities to off-the-beaten-path hideaways. Combining her vast experience in event management with her love for Iceland, she creates unforgettable trips. Nina loves everything ocean-related, so when she’s not at work, you’ll likely find her whale watching or planning her next big adventure.

Rita Cardoso
Travel Expert

Rita is originally from a small village in Portugal now calls Iceland home. Her insatiable passion for travelling ignited an unforgettable journey that brought her and her boyfriend to Iceland in 2017. Since then, she has embarked on numerous adventures, crisscrossing Iceland’s vast landscapes and always on the lookout for hidden gems yet to be discovered, and adeptly capturing those moments through her photography.

With her knowledge of Iceland, the tourism industry, and her varied experience over the years, Rita is perfectly equipped to assist you in crafting the ideal Iceland holiday. Whether you seek breathtaking natural wonders, off-the-beaten-path destinations, or unique travel experiences, she will curate an unforgettable journey that she has tailored precisely to each guest’s desires and preferences. Rest assured, to Rita’s friendly expertise, your Iceland adventure will be nothing short of extraordinary.

Sólrún Erlingsdóttir
Senior Travel Expert

Meet Sólrún, from our team of Travel Experts. After spending most of her life in the southern states of the US, she returned to her native country of Iceland. Since returning, she has spent the last few years specialising in luxury and exclusive travel planning all around Iceland. Many years of hospitality experience, and talent for organization led her to start a wedding planning business, specialising in LGBTQ weddings. These days you’ll find her trying out the latest restaurants, working on a puzzle or embroidery piece or running a DND session. Otherwise, she’s travelling either around Iceland or abroad every chance she gets. Sólrún’s knowledge of Iceland and keen eye for detail make her your perfect Travel Expert to plan your luxury tour with.

Accounting

Herdís Rut Guðbrandsdóttir
Bookkeeper

Herdís was born in Hvammstangi, spent her childhood in Reykjavík, and her teenage years in Norway with her family. She returned to Iceland in her early twenties, started a family, and now has two sons and two beloved grandchildren. Over the years, she has worked in caregiving, fishing, church custodianship, and, of course, bookkeeping—among other fields.

She loves nothing more than spending time with her family, hiking up mountains, enjoying the outdoors in good company, and cooking delicious meals for large gatherings. Adventures, she believes, happen when joy takes the lead. A passionate traveller, Herdís has taken a dip in most of Iceland’s pools and hot springs—her favourite being Krossneslaug in Norðurfjörður, a place she holds especially dear.

Meet Our Private Travel Guides

At Hidden Iceland, our private guides are at the heart of every unforgettable journey. More than just experts, they are passionate storytellers, adventurers, and locals who bring Iceland’s landscapes to life.

Each guide is highly trained, with certifications in areas such as glacier guiding, wilderness first response, and mountain leadership. But what truly sets them apart is their deep personal connection to Iceland and unrivalled knowledge of the land.

Meet Our Private Iceland Tour Guides