COSTA YIANNAKIS

General Manager

Costa was born in Malawi and raised in the beautiful city of Florence in Italy. Heralding from Greek, English and Scottish descent, it’s easy to see how Costa’s passion for travel and destinations began. He studied at the University of Chester, and gained degrees in Tourism Management and an MSc in Management with International Business.

Costa joined the Territorial Army and underwent Army Officer training during his studies, where he was able to hone his leadership skills and his passion for excellence. Costa is an avid sportsman and an accomplished rower. He has completed several gruelling challenges, completing the 100km Del Passatore ultramarathon three times, and running 140km in aid of charity. This is a testament to Costa’s character: strong in the face of adversity, resilient and continuously striving to achieve. He is passionate about nurturing and developing those around him, especially the less fortunate, making him a respected businessman and a pillar of his local community.

COLIN LAUBSCHER

Country Director, Somalia, Chelsea Group

Colin comes from a multi-national background of German/Swiss and Irish descent. He is ex-South African military and home is Cape Town. He has worked the circuit in Angola, Zambia, Jordan, Iraq and Afghanistan. He brings with him 13 consecutive years of recent Afghan private security experience consisting of US-led opium eradication operations Afghanistan-wide.

He spent 7.5 years as an Embedded Project Manager for the European Union Police Mission to Afghanistan and has helped to inject valuable EU-experienced security standards to the UN-compliant Chelsea Village.

Colin oversees all of Enigma Alliance’s portfolio, including NapCap, WaterCap and GymCap as well as COG.

In his down time Colin’s hobbies involve the great outdoors; he enjoys safari/off-roading in the South African bushveld.

STUART PAGE

CEO, Enigma Alliance

Stuart’s core experience is as a senior executive and security expert in international affairs and engagement in the diplomatic service, security, intelligence, military and the United Nations. He’s seen some places, with time spent in-country in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Indonesia, China, Libya and North Africa. But what really gets Stuart motivated is business development, something his company Engima Alliance is constantly expanding on.

It was his years of staying in uncomfortable and risky places that made him determined to change the below-average accommodation so often found in field operations. And so NapCap – the brand of  super comfortable and secure container units at Chelsea Village – came into being. The portfolio swiftly expanded with the addition of WaterCap (modular water treatment systems) and GymCap (modular gyms suitable for any environment). COG is his team of brilliant, remote-site specialists who are responsible for the success of Chelsea Village.

MAXIM ALVA

Logistics Manager

Max is one of the first people you will meet when coming to Chelsea Village. He will often collect guests, along with a Hart Nationwide close protection officer, from the airport and take them to our comfortable reception area for their welcome and induction meeting.

Max is the Logistics Manager and is responsible for the successful day to day operation of the camp.

DANDA PANDAY

Catering Manager

Danda heads up our brigade of six international chefs and bakers at Chelsea Village and is undoubtedly the man behind Chelsea Village’s enviable reputation for consistently serving the best food within AAIA. A Nepalese national he worked in Mozambique and Sierra Leone and also has considerable Afghanistan and Iraq experience, as do the rest of the team in the kitchen.

This means that they are used to working in conflict zones and can emerge from a bunker in the morning and still get out a full lunchtime food service for 1500 people on time and perfectly presented.