François Denis has served as Arctic Adventures' Head of Health and Safety since November 2023. He oversees risk assessment and safety protocol management across the company's tours, chairs the safety committee, and coordinates regulatory audits and licensing compliance. He also manages the company's Vakinn quality and environmental certification, corporate insurance, and fleet management, as well as leading Arctic Adventures’ sustainability strategy. He brings 11 years of hands-on guiding experience in Iceland to the role.
François first came to Iceland in 2012 as an Activity Leader with Worldwide Friends (Veraldarvinir), the Reykjavík volunteer organization that brought him to the country. He moved back in 2015 to join Trek Iceland, a small operation later merged into the growing Arctic Adventures group. He started in the warehouse, helping with logistics, sales, and hiking tours, before training as a guide, work he has called the best job he ever had.
Over 11 years as an Adventure Guide, he led day trips and multi-day tours across the country. That included seven years leading multi-day treks, mostly on the Laugavegur trail between the Landmannalaugar highlands and the Þórsmörk valley, plus a season of glacier guiding.
After the pandemic, he shifted from summer trekking to year-round driver-guiding, and he kept guiding after taking on the safety role in 2023 before stepping fully into the office in 2026. He has mentored many guides along the way. Originally from Belgium, François is a native French speaker with full professional proficiency in English and holds a master's degree in management from the University of Namur (UNamur).
One of the most important parts of my introduction to the trails is to remind everyone that this is a group experience, and the more we care for each other and help each other out, the better the experience will be. To walk at a common pace, to take part and help with the common tasks, such as cooking, cleaning, and setting up camp, really makes a difference at the end of the day. Most people come with expectations of what the trails will show them, the view, the challenge, but very few expect to share a great human experience and bond with other hikers. That is often the best part of the tour, at the end of the trek.
The weather really affects the whole experience, and we never know what to expect until we start the trail. The week can be a beautiful stroll in the wilderness or an intense challenge for everyone. That said, in my experience, the greater the challenges a group faced, the tighter the group became. So there is often a silver lining to those challenging situations.
It happened gradually. While I was "only" guiding, I was involved in the company's safety committee for many years. In 2023, I took over the safety committee and safety-related matters for the company, while still guiding tours. The company needs someone with experience and a connection to the field. In 2026, I fully stepped into a broader office role, with tasks beyond safety, after 11 years of guiding. The door is not closed, and I might still lead tours in the future. You never know.
Meet the leadership team
