Alistair Cole FRGS FLS

Chief Executive

After a decade with the military, Alistair specialised in working in remote overseas project management as a medical and risk mitigation instructor, before returning to the UK and founding the Lifesigns Group. As a qualified Mountain Leader, Alistair has led over 40 overseas expeditions, holds numerous NEBOSH and CIEH safety qualifications, is an instructor in Off-Site Safety Management and is an experienced Trauma Medic. Alistair advised the media on overseas safety alongside advising travel organisations on strategy and safety. Alistair is a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and the Linnaean Society, previous Chairman of the Expedition Providers Association and is a guest lecturer at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. 

Ian Forbes FRGS

Company Manager

Ian served for over 25 years with the military before joining the Lifesigns Group. He is an experienced and highly qualified Mountain Leader, having led over 50 overseas expeditions to date and is also a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. Ian is an overseas safety advisor to the BBC and has coordinated logistics and security on programmes such as SAS are you tough enough and Human planet. He is an Off-Site Safety Management instructor, RLSS National Water Safety Management Instructor, 4x4 instructor, qualified Wilderness Medical Technician and holds numerous safety and auditing qualifications.

Stacy Mallaby MSc

Expeditions Director

Growing up on the southwest coast of Ireland, Stacy has always had a passion for the outdoors and the natural world which led to her studying BSc Zoology and MSc Tropical Marine Biology. Following university, Stacy indulged her passion for travel, spending two years as the Resident Marine Biologist on a small island in the Indian Ocean, before returning to the UK. Travelling has given her a deep appreciation for different cultures and how communities interact with and rely on the natural world. Additional to this, she has also experienced expedition life having been on her own expedition to Costa Rica and Indonesia. Since returning to the UK, Stacy has worked in senior positions in the school expedition sector. She is an experienced and qualified diver and holds various remote medical qualifications, alongside the off-site safety management and aquatic rescue safety programmes.

Michael Fisher

Expeditions Manager

Having been born and bred in Swaziland, it was only natural that Michael, AKA Fish, would graduate into the outdoor education world. Fish has worked for a variety of outdoor education companies in management roles, as well as for other overseas school expedition companies where he led the African and Asian destination managers teams. He is a keen mountaineer and paddleboard instructor and holds numerous outdoor education and safeguarding qualifications. In his spare time, Fish enjoys mini adventures with his wife and daughter. The Fishers can always be found near the the sea or mountains under canvas making the most of every opportunity to explore together.

Hannah Tyler

School Coordinator

Hannah is a born and bred Surrey native and alum of Bristol UWE. Before university, she travelled independently around southeast Asia, including Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Laos to name a few. Having clearly caught the travel bug, she joined ALS in the spring of 2023 and hasn’t looked back since. With many destinations still on her Wishlist, Hannah enjoys sharing the knowledge she has learned through personal travel experiences with our students and is the main point of contact for ALS students and parents.

Jonathan Moutia

Accounts Manager

Having studied business and finance at Greenwich University, Jonathan joined the Lifesigns Group. Jonathan has previously worked across both the charity and commercial sectors.

Rowena Cole

Educational Advisor

After leaving Exeter University with a degree in Biological Sciences, Rowena went on to do a PGCE at Reading. She spent three years in the maintained sector and during this time took on the role of DofE Coordinator, widening its appeal to incorporate a much greater range of students. She went on to become a school programme coordinator, facilitating an expedition to Tanzania, before moving into the independent sector. She is currently a Headteacher in a boarding school. Having worked on both sides of the education system, she is aware of the pressures that now exist when organising any activity for young people.

Doniert Macfarlane MBBS BSc MRCS Dip Travel Medicine DFMS

Medical Director

Doniert has a background in Orthopaedics and Emergency Medicine. He founded Remote Medical Support over 10 years ago and has extensive experience of expedition medicine issues and prehospital care. When not advising the Lifesigns Group, he works part-time as an Emergency Department Consultant.