Our people

Co-Head of Black Tomato

Oliver Blacklay

My passion for travel really began when I was eight years old, when we moved to Australia for 18 months. Coming from London I was blown away by the diversity of landscapes, from the barren areas surrounding Ayers Rock and the incredible beauty of the Great Barrier Reef to the amazing way of life over there. Since then I have always had a huge desire to seek out new experiences and find stunning new locations. I first began working in travel over 15 years ago and have been lucky to travel extensively throughout Europe, Japan, North America, and the Indian Subcontinent. Each of these amazing destinations offer a different and unique perspective of the world, whether it’s the diversity of the street food cultures of the pizzaiolo in Naples or the Vada Pav and Panipuri in Mumbai, each country has its own exciting interests, features and people.  Thinking back to when I was eight again, I remember a time sitting on Ayers Rock thinking about where else I’d dream of exploring (so you know, Italy was top of the list) and having worked in travel this long, that list just keeps growing.

Co-Head of Black Tomato

Jos Davies

My first memory of travelling abroad is sitting in the cockpit of a 747 plane with my father in the captain’s seat.  I grew up in a very privileged position that through his job we were able to travel the world and before I was 18 I had been to every continent bar one.  Whilst all my instincts were telling me to follow in his footsteps, I took a bit of a detour and worked in Private Wealth Management for a few years before finally giving in.   A year or so of backpacking through Asia and Europe (sadly not sitting in the cockpit this time) and I was ready to return home and determine my next path.  The path thankfully led to Black Tomato and 8 years later I now lead Black Tomato’s Marketing and Communications team in London and New York.  I’m frequently asked “what makes Black Tomato so special and why do you love what you do?”  Other than being thankful for the 22 new countries I’ve now visited, it’s the people. Each bringing their own experience, excitement for travel, innovative ideas… and their passion.  So whilst I can’t plot a 747s route across the Atlantic, I can definitely tell you about some of the most interesting experiences and ways to explore the world.

Head of Product

Carolyn Addison

My love of art has always fuelled my passion for travel – whether it’s dragging my husband on a 700-mile detour across Texas to see the Donald Judd installations in Marfa, or regular pilgrimages to Frieze London and the Venice Biennale.  Art and design are such an interesting lens through which to experience new destinations, and of course being immersed in unique contemporary design is a big part of the luxury hotel landscape these days: whether you’re staying in a riotously maximalist Bill Bensley tent in Bali or a sleek Israeli city hotel designed by John Pawson.  I always feel most inspired by places where ancient and modern art intermingle; I recently road tripped across northern Spain, taking in the centuries’ old cathedral of Santiago de Compostela as well as Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim in Bilbao.  I’m also a cinephile and love going to places I’ve seen in films – I dreamed of Florence for years after falling for A Room with View as a teen, and Beijing through seeing the luscious pageantry of The Last Emperor; that trip to Spain was inspired by Emilio Estevez’s beautiful movie The Way.  Next on my cine-dream list is Pantelleria, as showcased in Luca Guadagnino’s A Bigger Splash.

TRAVEL EXPERT & TRAINING MANAGER

Alys Colayera

I’ve always been a traveller and a foodie… but mostly a traveller. I grew up in Wales where my father was an Italian chef. We spent our holidays in Italy, where I learned to make fresh pasta with my nonna. When I was seven, my mother took us exploring around the Mediterranean – and my love affair with Europe properly began. Between Tuscany’s beautiful rolling hills, Santorini’s sunsets and the pulsating atmosphere in Barcelona, it’s easy to see why I fell for it (although I did cheat on Europe when I first travelled around Australasia back in 2006). Since working at Black Tomato, I’ve also added Japan to the repertoire. I’ve been travelling to all these regions regularly for over 12 years now, creating incredible itineraries for my clients. I’m particularly interested in restaurants and foodie experiences. Forgive the cliché, but there’s truly nothing like Tokyo’s Ramen Street to find authentic ramen, or the fish and chips at Doyles in Sydney. So if you’re a foodie like myself, you could not be in better hands.

SALES DIRECTOR

Sunil Metcalfe

The first travel experience I can recall was falling in love with the castles of Llewellyn in north Wales, particularly Harlech and Conwy (no disrespect to Caernarfon). As family holidays grew more ambitious, I developed a passion for Europe and its rich history – awe-inspired by places like Chenonceau in the Loire Valley in France, or Neuschwanstein in Germany. On the other side of my heritage, I have family in Kerala in southern India. My grandmother lives on an estate with swathes of coconut, banana and pepper trees – and what a cook she is! Even at 80, she tries to pick the finest black pepper pods for me to take home straight off the tree. She is a testament to fresh, organic, healthy living, and an inspiration. I’m always keen to venture off the beaten track in search of hidden gems and local experiences, and have built a diverse knowledge of Europe and America. From driving Route 1 from LA to San Francisco via Big Sur and Carmel, to ballet at the Mariinsky in Russia, to enjoying island hopping in the Faroes or Greece, I feel that the journey of discovery and curiosity should never end. I now live in New York, ready to start a new chapter in my favourite city on the planet. Bring it on.

Travel Expert

Luca Fella

Travel Expert

Tom Pyman

My passion for travel stemmed from a family trip to the Canadian Rockies as a fresh-faced Yorkshireman and it’s a journey that has led me to a host of other countries since. After finishing my law degree, I was eager to get away and explore another part of the world. South-east Asia was calling, where I learned to dive in the Philippines and island-hopped around Indonesia. It was  exhilarating, and after that I made the decision to move to Australia and New Zealand, where I lived for over a year – learning much from working on the other side of the world in another culture. Working at Black Tomato has given me the opportunity to explore Latin America – also high on my bucket list. Among many highlights have been visiting the Atacama desert in Chile, exploring Patagonia in Argentina, scrambling through the rainforest in Costa Rica and counting off the beaches and islands in and around Panama. It has opened my eyes to a magical part of the world that is full of history and intrigue, and has turned into a huge passion. I can’t wait to get back out there.

Sales Manager

Rob O'Leary

I grew up in a bed and breakfast on Ireland’s wild western coast, so my living room was always filled with travellers sharing stories from their home countries. Inspired by these stories, a life in travel was inevitable, and to help my dream come true I decided to become a teacher. I lived in the US, China, South Korea and Spain, teaching children from all walks of life whilst also learning so much about each country, culture and language. Even learning very basic greeting words will get you a long way, although nothing could prepare me for being interviewed on live TV in China… in Mandarin. I have now also travelled extensively in North America (including Canada, Mexico and Cuba) as well as discovering much of Asia, and I love nothing more than getting under the skin of a country’s culture. I am lucky to be able to draw on my experiences to create remarkable memories for other people when they go away. Outside of work I’m a huge sports fan and I keep fit by playing rugby for my local club in London.

Head of Operations

Rob Murray-John

Over the past two decades, I have fuelled my passion for adventure travel by exploring some of the most remote cultures in the world. From riding across the Mongolian Steppe to trekking through the jungles of the Amazon, I’m only ever really at home when I’m on (or planning) an adventure. For a number of years, I ran a conservation, community and youth development charity. I led survival expeditions deep into the rainforest to develop young adults and create a sustainable impact on conservation and community development in countries like Belize, Indonesia, Guyana and Kenya. Living in these different countries, getting to know them in depth and understanding the various cultures, taught me everything I needed to know about the logistics behind planning and delivering a trip. I returned to the UK to work at Black Tomato and deliver inspiring trips, usually with an adventurous side to them. I also helped to create and launch Epic Tomato, where we are pushing boundaries when it comes to expedition-led travel. I now do my best to instil this love of exploration into my young family — starting with Latin America, a region that is filled with every kind of adventure possible.

Travel Expert

Jihane Sejai-Smith

Being half French and half Moroccan, I was able to experience two contrasting cultures first-hand, and from an early age I was eager to explore the world and discover its endless opportunities. First stop was New York, and I was hooked. After a while I moved to Montreal where I finished my tourism studies and began saving. Australia was calling, and I lived in Sydney for a few years, working in the travel industry, planning events and large group trips all around Australia, New Zealand and Tahiti. It was an incredible experience and the perfect platform for exploring one of the most beautiful parts of the world. Over the years I’ve spent a lot of time in Asia, unearthing some of its more unusual experiences, sampling the local street food and delving into its inspiring cultures. Now I’m a proud mother and can’t wait to take my son across the world – discovering his roots in Morocco and France, of course, as well as checking in on New York where it all started for me.

Sales Manager

Camilla Uddin

Drawn by the bright lights, I moved from Yorkshire to London, to work in finance. After a few years, I packed in the city life and headed off to explore South-east Asia. It was during this time that I realised my heart was in travel and I had a real desire to share this passion with my friends, family and ultimately the rest of the world. I have been on several trips back to South-east Asia, and have also discovered Iceland: one of the most stunning places on the planet. I have met some incredible people along the way, while also staying in some of the best and most unusual properties in the world. My curiosity for culture will always be there, but I do also like to switch off and relax – I’m quickly at home in the Caribbean or the Indian Ocean! Food is a really important aspect for me – I’m always on the lookout for the newest pop-ups in London’s exciting culinary scene, I’ve enjoyed trying new dishes from different cultures – and I often spend weekends helping out in the family restaurant in Marbella, Spain.

Assistant Operations Manager

Alice Dunne

I’ve always been curious about the world, right from the earliest days when we would take regular family trips to explore the warmth, charm and beauty of Ireland’s emerald countryside. When I was 18 I got the opportunity to live in Cape Town for a year. With Table Mountain framed by my bedroom window, orcas swimming about in the sea on my daily commute, and weekends full of hiking, sightseeing and local braais, it’s not surprising that I developed a real soft spot for the place. Since then I’ve been to most of Latin America and dabbled with Asia. I’ve always had a long list of places to go, and it’s only getting longer – especially now that I’m with Black Tomato. It’s always exciting to think ‘where next?’

DIRECTOR OF PR

Emma de Vadder

Puddle jumping in the Lake District, scrambling up sand dunes in Cornwall, and searching for Robin Hood in Sherwood Forest are among my earliest travel memories. Happily, I’ve travelled further afield since my humble childhood holidays. Years later, my appetite for exploring the world has never diminished, leading me to develop a career firmly rooted in travel. I’ve represented destinations including England and New York City, and fulfilled my early dream of living in NYC for almost a decade. As a result, I’ve travelled extensively throughout the US, including a three-month cross country (and back again) road trip, soaking up the epic environments of America’s majestic National Parks. A wise man once said they’re America’s greatest invention. I’m inclined to agree.

As the wife of an architect, I’m equally content seeing a destination through the lens of a true creative. Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterpieces, Fallingwater and Taliesin West, solidified my admiration for mid-century modern design. Meanwhile, Unité d’Habitation in Marseille brought me a new appreciation for Le Corbusier’s modernism. While my personal and professional travels have taken me to locations far and wide – Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Iceland, Mexico, Thailand and India to name a few – working at Black Tomato as UK Director of PR is a daily reminder that there is so much more of our beautiful planet to discover – ideally in unique Black Tomato style.

Cinzia Serena

My Italian origin and family circumstances, sparked a passion for travel from a very early age. Summer holidays were spent exploring the Italian coastline with beautiful spots such as Cinque Terre, Sardinia and the Apulian gems. It did not take long before I spread my wings – I moved to England to study and it was here that I started my career in travel. Whether it was a work discovery trip or my own holiday, the list of countries visited began to grow and increased further during my gap year when I travelled through India, the Far East, Australia, New Zealand and the USA. I am always ready to explore off the beaten track and keen to find out more about nature, people, culture and languages.

Years on, despite my career taking the IT route within the industry, my passions remain unchanged as I continue to discover the world.

Head of Client Relations & Loyalty

Rosie Allan

My childhood summers were spent scrambling up mountains in the Lake District and sailing around the Mediterranean. These seminal experiences sparked my passion for discovering different cultures, landscapes and wildlife, and eventually led me to study geography at the University of Nottingham.

Since I finished my degree, I have been fortunate to travel widely across five continents. Some highlights include hiking to the top of a glacial lake on Mt. Cook in New Zealand; swimming alongside whale sharks in Mexico and accompanying an anti-poaching patrol whilst working on a game reserve in South Africa. I had caught the travel bug.

Determined to combine my studies and passion I sought a career in Travel, starting out in Marketing at Maybourne Hotel Group (owners of three luxury London hotels including the iconic Claridge’s, the Berkeley and the Connaught) and then later moving to the globally renowned Virgin brand determined to develop and learn best in class customer experience. I am now fortunate to work at Black Tomato, leading the Client Relations team. I feel privileged to be working for such a dynamic luxury brand, speaking directly with our clients and hearing their personal travel experiences. These help us to constantly evolve our offering as we strive to create the ultimate customer experience for our clients.

My parents first taught me the magic of travel and adventure. Today I work at Black Tomato because I want to share that magic with other people.

Director of Public Relations & Communications

Brendan Drewniany

My love affair with travel started when I was 5 years old, headed for an extended stay with my parents in London and the Cotswolds. Reared by two academics, travel was always a part of my life and proud to say I was the youngest member of the Thomas Hardy Society. While I may not have followed the winding road to academia, I found myself a lover of words and communication and fused this with the world of food, wine and travel. I was fortunate enough to work agency-side representing remarkable Relais & Chateaux and Small Luxury Hotel properties alongside some big names in food. The vines eventually wound themselves around my legs and I represented both small and large-scale vineyards, wine regions and spirits producers, including such Rias Baixas, Esporao and Martin Miller’s Gin. Travel was always an integral part of the stories I would tell with the media and took me to Portugal, Spain, and even Iceland. After a tenure leading the US PR efforts for global luxury powerhouse brands such as Cole Haan, I was routed back to travel with the inspiring team at Black Tomato, where I belonged all along. Being able to collaborate with a team as well-traveled, well-versed and creative is a privilege and leading the US Communications strategy rewarding. Each day offers a new challenge, inspiration and stokes my inner-adventurer. I’ve traveled all over the world, though not yet been to Asia…but that is definitely next up.

Product Development Manager

Jessica Wells

It will never not sound cliché to say I grew up travelling, but moving out to Singapore at the age of six, that’s exactly what I did. Alongside my family, I was lucky enough to travel far and wide across South East Asia and beyond. Whether it was October half term spent learning to horse ride in Margaret River, May Bank Holiday climbed atop the Great Wall of China or Christmas warmed by an equatorial sun, my feet barely seemed to touch the ground. Some of my fondest school memories include nights spent in a tribal longhouse in the jungles of Sarawak and performing a traditional Rajasthani dance in an exchange programme to India. Fast forward a decade and whilst now back in the UK, it’s this upbringing that I credit for a seemingly insatiable thirst to travel. After a stint learning the ropes in a five-star hotel in Thailand, Black Tomato is only fuelling this appetite further. Invariably, you’ll now find me plotting my next European long weekend break or else looking to see how many ski trips I can fit into a single season. Happiest when on the slopes, I’ll debate the topic of snow vs sun for hours.

Senior Copywriter

Owen Vince

An ancestor of mine once went missing. When they reappeared, five years later, they spoke Japanese and were tanned from a long summer spent on what they described as a tea plantation. They went because ‘it seemed like a good idea.’ I have inherited some of this. I travel because the alternative seems – to me – cloying, and horrible. I spent months and months in central Anatolia, working as an archaeologist at the ancient layer-cake of Çatalhöyük. When I was done, I moved to Prague to write about architecture, and then slipped into Berlin, and then continued – without hesitation, or direction. Returning to southern Turkey I wrote from the courtyard of what was once an Armenian house, shaded by pomegranate trees. I went to the fringes of Azerbaijan, chasing the ghost of my favourite filmmaker – Sergei Parajanov. I ate a pomegranate in the house where the opulent costumes of his (once banned) film, The Colour of Pomegranates, were on display. I felt like I’d come home. I tend to romanticise wherever I travel to. My dream is the sea, within walking distance of a taverna. That variety of very plastic chair you find only in Greece is a recurring theme of these images. For a long time, I thought I might become Lawrence Durrell. I blame him for the romance. And the tavernas. The plastic chairs are entirely my fault.

Client Experience Executive

Hannah Davis

As a child, I always enjoyed my family road trips in the UK and holidays to coastal towns in Europe, but from a young age I had my sights set further afield; Australia.

After many open days, it was the University of Bath’s Semester Abroad programme that sold the Business course to me as it offered me my pathway to this far away land. Three years later and two finance internships down, I finally hopped on a plane for a six-month stint at University of Queensland. Based in Brisbane, the East Coast was my oyster. I have since returned three further times and there’s little of the country I’ve left untouched. There was no way I was going to crunch numbers for a living.

Moving to London has been the gateway to my travel addiction. Hiking up Mount Batur in Bali for sunrise, copious wine tastings in New Zealand, being invited for lunch by a local Indian family in Udaipur and taking the iconic train trip from Ella to Kandy in Sri Lanka are a few of my recent highlights.

As the Client Experience Executive at Black Tomato I am the lucky one who gets to hear all the stories and adventures from our clients after their trip and to make sure we’re continually top of our game. It’s safe to say, it’s not only our client’s bucket lists that are ever-expanding.

Marketing Executive

Amy Wallace

I’m fortunate enough to come from a family that loves to travel so I guess that’s where this all started. From bundling into an RV and exploring California and Europe to unforgettable safaris in Tanzania, my parents have always encouraged me to explore the world. After university I took a year out and vowed to see and do as much as I could. This epic trip lead to some unforgettable experiences, from holding hands with an orangutan in Sumatra to getting lost in Alishan National Park in Taiwan to dancing with school teachers on top of a mountain in Kathmandu. This trip introduced me to so many wonderful people and places, instead of quenching my thirst to travel, it left me wanting more. With a background in Marketing for Financial Services, I never dreamed I’d get to work in travel, an industry I am so passionate about. As part of our Client Relations team I’m very fortunate that I get to share my love of travel with our clients and I love helping them to discover the world.

CLIENT RELATIONS MANAGER

Grace Robertson

I was fortunate enough to grow up in a family that loved to travel. Some of my favourite childhood memories include road tripping from San Francisco to Las Vegas, skiing in Whistler, camping in the Tuscan Hills, and kayaking along the rivers of Dordogne. It’s safe to say I got the travel bug from a young age, and I deferred my place at Leeds University so that I could spend six months exploring Southeast Asia. My travels here took me to Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines, and I absolutely fell in love with this region and the sense of freedom exploring a new country gave me.

My love for travel ultimately led me to pursue a career in it after graduation, working as a Southeast Asia specialist for three years before joining Black Tomato as Client Relations Manager. I absolutely love to hear about other people’s travel experiences whilst travelling with Black Tomato and enjoy lining up the next big trip on their bucket list. This role allows me to talk about travel all day long which only whets my appetite to see more of the world each day.