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Tom Avery

Founding Director of Ski Verbier Exclusive

After graduating from Bristol University, Tom began training as an accountant with Arthur Andersen.  After 15 months though, he decided to swap the City for the Alps.    Swiss life saw Tom act as a ski guide to begin with but he subsequently became a driver for Ski Verbier.    During this time, Tom developed a passion for both Verbier and  the luxury service industry.    After three years, he returned to Ski Verbier’s London office before moving to their headquarters in the Cotswolds in 2002.

Tom launched Verbier Exclusive in 2009, which quickly built up an impressive collection of seven of the finest chalets in Verbier.  In 2014 Verbier Exclusive acquired the original Ski Verbier business to create Ski Verbier Exclusive thus cementing the business as Verbier’s luxury chalet holiday specialist.

Expeditions

Over the years, Tom has built a reputation as one of the UK’s foremost adventurers.  In 2002, at age 27 he became the youngest Briton ever to ski to the South Pole.   He has manhauled sledges across the Antarctic.  He has scaled unclimbed mountains in the Himalayas as well as  driven dog teams to the North Pole. Most notably, Tom is part of an elite group of only nine people in history to have completed the polar trilogy: full-length South and North Pole expeditions and a coast-to-coast crossing of Greenland.  He currently holds two Guinness World Records – the fastest surface journey to the North Pole and the fastest crossing of Greenland.

Additionally, Tom led the first British team to complete the notorious Zermatt to Verbier Patrouille des Glaciers ski mountaineering race.

Tom has written two books on his adventures.  He is also a regular on the international speaking circuit.  He has given  motivational lectures to businesses and conferences all over the world, including the World Economic Forum in Davos and the National Geographic Society in Washington DC.

Other Work

Tom is an ambassador for The Prince’s Trust, as well as an ambassador for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.  His expeditions have raised more than £100,000 for charity, primarily The Prince’s Trust.    During the course of his fundraising, Tom has also run the London Marathon.

Tom now lives in a small village in the Cotswolds together with his wife and three daughters.  His ultimate ambition is to sail around the world.

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