meet the team
Founder: Matt Smith
Founder: Matt Smith
Founder: Matt Smith
An avid outdoors man from a very young age. Matt was born and raised on the west coast of Scotland. With an adventurous spirit and a desire to delve into the unknown Matt joined the Army in 1994.
During this time, Matt specialised in adventurous training, passed the Airborne Parachute selection, Army Commando selection followed by 6 years
An avid outdoors man from a very young age. Matt was born and raised on the west coast of Scotland. With an adventurous spirit and a desire to delve into the unknown Matt joined the Army in 1994.
During this time, Matt specialised in adventurous training, passed the Airborne Parachute selection, Army Commando selection followed by 6 years with Special Forces. A life of adventure and rapid learning unfolded with two, six-month tours in Bosnia, followed by tours in Macedonia, Kosovo, Sierra Leonne, Northern Ireland, Iraq and two, six-month tours of Afghanistan.
A qualified Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape Instructor and Arctic survival trained, Matt has led on the Real Heroes of Telemark sabotage mission over the Hardanger-Vidda in Norway from 2011 up to the present day.
Matt’s passion to share vitally important life skills and the history of SOE's epic operations, led to the creation of SOE Expeditions in 2020.
PHIL MADDOX
Founder: Matt Smith
Founder: Matt Smith
Joining the British Army at just 16 years old Phil early on in his military career found a passion for sports, fitness and outdoor activities. Representing the Army and combined services at Rugby, football, judo, climbing, mountaineering, and represented the Army and Great Britain at The World Telemark Championships.
Phil also completed
Joining the British Army at just 16 years old Phil early on in his military career found a passion for sports, fitness and outdoor activities. Representing the Army and combined services at Rugby, football, judo, climbing, mountaineering, and represented the Army and Great Britain at The World Telemark Championships.
Phil also completed the German Army Special Forces Mountain Guide Assessment. This is a 12-month course learning how to operate, lead, teach and guide in the mountains in western Alps regions including Germany, France, Austria, Italy and Switzerland.
As a fully qualified German Mountain Guide Phil is also a qualified as a BASI (British Association of Snow sport Instructors) International Ski Teacher in the disciplines of Alpine, Nordic and Telemark skiing.
Phil was also selected to represent the Army Telemark Team at the Inter-Services championships between 2007 – 2014 and being awarded Combined Services Telemark Champion and being Ranked 2nd in Great Britain.
Øivind Tangstad
Founder: Matt Smith
Øivind Tangstad
Born and raised in Rjukan, Norway and from the age 2 of has been walking in mountains of the Hardangervidda meet your guide Øivind Tangstad.
His grandfather and grandmother were both in the cabin next to the heavy water saboteurs in Fjøsbudalen, where the saboteurs stopped to do their last preparation and checks before their successful s
Born and raised in Rjukan, Norway and from the age 2 of has been walking in mountains of the Hardangervidda meet your guide Øivind Tangstad.
His grandfather and grandmother were both in the cabin next to the heavy water saboteurs in Fjøsbudalen, where the saboteurs stopped to do their last preparation and checks before their successful sabotage on the heavy water factory.
Øivind has been lucky to have met and talked at length to both Jens Anton Paulson leader of the Operation Grouse team and Joachim Rønneberg the leader of the saboteur’s team on Operation Gunnerside.
Øivind is only 1 out of 2 people in the world who have skied all the heroes of Telemark routes. Including the retreat to Sweden from Rjukan 608 km that he completed in 2021 taking 19 days pulling around 40 kg in his pulk every day.
HISTORICAL ADVISOR: BRIAN DESMOND
Mitch Utterback - american ambassador
Mitch Utterback - american ambassador
Brian served with the British military for 25 years, specialising in winter warfare. He has represented Great Britain in X-country skiing, ski orienteering, (5 World Championships) and is a former British biathlon champion.
Over the years Brian has led over 70 summer and winter expeditions in Norway, some as long as 450kms through some of
Brian served with the British military for 25 years, specialising in winter warfare. He has represented Great Britain in X-country skiing, ski orienteering, (5 World Championships) and is a former British biathlon champion.
Over the years Brian has led over 70 summer and winter expeditions in Norway, some as long as 450kms through some of Norway's most well-known mountain areas. Brian is well recognised for his expertise, and was asked to work as a special consultant for the Norwegian army to organise and teach Dutch special forces in Arctic warfare and X-country skiing.
Brian's other main interest is Norwegian war history and the Heroes of Telemark Norway , particularly the dramatic and daring raid on the heavy water plant at Rjukan during the winter of 1943. Brian's intimate knowledge of this action and several other SOE operations during WW2, make him an invaluable member of SOE Expeditions.
Mitch Utterback - american ambassador
Mitch Utterback - american ambassador
Mitch Utterback - american ambassador
Our American cousin Mitch is a retired U.S. Army Special Forces soldier with a lifelong appreciation for the mind’s ability to motivate the body to accomplish the impossible. During his military service, he trained in winter, mountain, and desert warfare, waterborne operations, and unconventional warfare.
Mitch was one of the first America
Our American cousin Mitch is a retired U.S. Army Special Forces soldier with a lifelong appreciation for the mind’s ability to motivate the body to accomplish the impossible. During his military service, he trained in winter, mountain, and desert warfare, waterborne operations, and unconventional warfare.
Mitch was one of the first Americans to take up the sport of adventure racing in the 1990s, and has competed in and finished the Raid Gauloises in Argentina, as well as the Eco-Challenge in Utah, British Columbia, and Australia. He was the lead instructor at the Eco-Challenge Adventure School in Malibu, California, and operated his own corporate adventure team building program in San Diego, California and Aspen, Colorado.
Honouring the veterans and history of WWII special operations is very important to Mitch. He is an astute student of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and has counted American Jedburghs as his friends and “Army buddies.” It is only fitting that we have recruited him to serve as our American Ambassador for SOE Expeditions.
Dan Smith - instructor
Mitch Utterback - american ambassador
Dan Smith - instructor
Born and raised in the small mining town, Craghead Co Durham, with three generations of miners before him, Dan had a lot to live up to but all the mines closed and there were no real job prospects in the area Dan, then eighteen, turned his attention to the British Army.
A former British Army Sergeant and Physical Training Instructor, Dan'
Born and raised in the small mining town, Craghead Co Durham, with three generations of miners before him, Dan had a lot to live up to but all the mines closed and there were no real job prospects in the area Dan, then eighteen, turned his attention to the British Army.
A former British Army Sergeant and Physical Training Instructor, Dan's real passion lies in the great outdoors, leading adventure expeditions such as guiding groups down rivers and leading on multi day trips on mountain ranges around the world.
Helping people to step out of their comfort zones to challenge themselves physically and mentally, arming them with the tools to make lifelong changes.
Dan is always looking for personal adventure and challenge as a keen outdoors man and adventurer,
Dan loves the open water and is the only man to have paddled the length of Britain. Embarking on the solo challenge in 53 days, Dan covered over 1000 miles, in what he has described as “the
biggest physical and mental challenge” of his life.