Meet the Think Puglia team

Rossella, who is Sicilian, has a PhD in cell biology from the University of Paris. She has worked in Barcelona, San Francisco, Paris and now London, and has travelled widely. Her heart never left Italy though, and with The Thinking Traveller she is using all her passion for Sicily and Puglia

Huw, who is British, has a degree in engineering and an MBA. He worked in Italy managing vehicle engine installation projects on 3 continents before moving to Paris as a European marketing manager for an eyewear company. He started The Thinking Traveller with Rossella in 2002.

Sian is our Finance Director and Huw’s sister. She qualified as a chartered accountant in 1995 with Ernst & Young in London and then spent several years working in the finance team at GlaxoSmithKline before joining the Thinking Traveller team.

Debbie has worked in the travel business for nearly 25 years, at the helm of several of the UK’s most successful specialist tour operators, as well as playing a part in setting up an airline! We are delighted that her enormous experience and knowhow are at the service of Think Puglia.

Katy first fell in love with Italy (and more specifically a Sicilian!) during her last year at school, prompting her to do a degree in French and Italian at Oxford University. After completing a Masters, her love of food led her into management at Carluccio's but the allure of Think Sicily and Think Puglia soon proved too much!

Having completed her degree, Ruth spent over 13 years working on several different continents, including 9 years in Italy. She joined our team in 2005 and has since travelled to Sicily more times (and eaten more bruschetta!) than any of us can remember.

After graduating in Spanish and Italian, Vicky moved to the north of Italy where she spent three years teaching English. During her time there she travelled the length and breadth of the country and knew that her future career would be in tourism: at The Thinking Traveller, she combines her passion for travel with her love and knowledge of Italy!

Laura, who is Italian, has a BA in Tourism Studies and an MA in Tourism Management from the University of Technology, Sydney. After spending a few years travelling between the UK and Australia she joined The Thinking Traveller: the perfect place to put her expertise into practice!

Clare studied Italian and Music at the University of Birmingham and the Universita’ degli Studi in Bologna, where she cultivated her love of La Dolce Vita. The resident Thinking Traveller yoga fanatic, Clare will be able to suggest the best place for your holiday sun salutations!

After graduating in Foreign Languages at the University of Venice, Claudia moved to London where she gained a Masters at University College London. Her love for Italy and Italian culture will be her driving force in helping you organize a perfect holiday in Sicily.

Joe graduated from The Nottingham Trent University with a degree in Business and Marketing and subsequently completed a diploma in Integrated Marketing Communications with the IDM. A devotee of the arcane pleasures of watching Crystal Palace, Joe's next sporting challenge is to ski on Mount Etna!

After graduating in Musicology at London University, Max lived in Poland, Egypt and Italy for several years. He joined Think Sicily as Local Manager but soon took on the role of company writer and most of the words you find in our literature are his. During his time as Local Manager, readers of Condé Nast Traveller voted Think Sicily as having "best service on the ground".

Federica, like Ornella, is from Catania. She has several years experience in the world of quality villa rental as well as working as a lifestyle journalist. Should you be organising a special event while in Sicily or Puglia, Federica will see to it that everything runs smoothly.

Born and raised in Puglia, Saveria studied Management at the Politecnico di Milano. After several years of working in the field of telecoms marketing, she understood that her real passion was for her homeland... and so she joined Think Puglia!

Antine, born in Holland, has a BA in Hotel Management. After her studies she ventured out to the Caribbean, Switzerland and the US, where she lived for over 12 years. She has extensive experience in the luxury hospitality and spa industry. Loving her life in the heel of Italy, Antine will be your support and concierge in Puglia.