Our Team: Meet NAMBA's Founders & Board

Founded in 2021 by six riders, NAMBA is now led by a 22-person board: men and women, Japanese and international, mountain bikers and not, all working toward the same vision for Niseko.

Every board member, the six founders included, is an unpaid volunteer. None of them takes a salary from NAMBA, and several of their businesses sponsor it.

Our Leaders

Paul Wright

Unpaid volunteer

NAMBA President
General Manager at Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono

NAMBA is an exciting development for Niseko. Resort towns around the world have shown what mountain biking does for a place: it turns a winter economy into a year-round one. The co-founders have moved fast since 2021, and I'm looking forward to seeing Niseko become as well-known for summer riding as it is for winter.

Shunichi Kimura

Unpaid volunteer

NAMBA Vice President
Kimura Restaurant Owner & Yotei Niseko Cycling Association Vice President

E-MTBs have opened the sport up: more people on bikes, which is what we want. NAMBA's trail network will give visitors a reason to come for summer too, not just winter. Trails close to town and the resorts mean locals and visitors both get something out of it.

Ross Carty

Unpaid volunteer

Co-founder & NAMBA Vice President
NOASC Adventures Founder / Owner

I came to Niseko 30+ years ago when it was a quiet farm town. I've watched it become one of the world's top winter destinations. Mountain biking is what's next: same trajectory, just for summer.

Our Founders

Ross Carty

Unpaid volunteer

Head of Access

NOASC Adventures Founder / Owner

Andy Meadows

Unpaid volunteer

Head of Trail Building

Rhythm Japan Head of Operations

Tom Mortiboy

Unpaid volunteer

Head of Marketing & Communication

Senior Software Engineer at Coursebase

Angharad Mortiboy

Unpaid volunteer

Head of Events, Competitions & Races

Nutrition & Lifestyle Coach

Miles Zeorlin

Unpaid volunteer

Head of Community & Partner Engagement

Niseko Real Estate Sales Consultant

Ashley Nicholls

Unpaid volunteer

Head of Administration & Funding

Holiday Niseko KK Managing Director / Owner & Niseko Tourism Director

Our Board Members

Chie Seino

Unpaid volunteer

Administration Officer

Kaba Niseko Property Manager

Mayumi Honda

Unpaid volunteer

H2 Group Office Manager & Executive Project Manager

Sachi Yelle

Unpaid volunteer

EZObase / ezobike Owner

Chika Lund

Unpaid volunteer

Niseko Powderlife Magazine Director

Satoshi Kobayashi

Unpaid volunteer

DT Swiss Country Manager

Yukihiro Tochigi

Unpaid volunteer

Chitose Ringyo Forestry President

(Large-scale forest owners in Hokkaido)

Shinji Furuya

Unpaid volunteer

Kutchan Council Member

Niseko Environment Management Office Manager

Yui Spragg

Unpaid volunteer

Rising Sun Guides General Affairs

Ben Kerr

Unpaid volunteer

Niseko Tourism & Kutchan Tourism Association Director

Niseko Real Estate Founder / Owner

Makoto Namikata

Unpaid volunteer

Kutchan Council Member

North Sled Snowmobiles Owner

Masaya Yoshimura

Unpaid volunteer

Niseko Moiwa Ski Resort General Manager

Paul Butkovich

Unpaid volunteer

H2 Group Director of Real Estate Sales

Riccardo Tossani

Unpaid volunteer

Riccardo Tossani Architecture Founder / Owner

Hiroshi Yamada

Unpaid volunteer

Kutchan Tourism Association Vice President

North Design KK Founder / Owner

Satoshi Yoshida

Unpaid volunteer

Kutchan Tourism Association President

Mina-Kamuy Legal Services Founder / Owner

Our Trail Crew

The trail crew are the only people on NAMBA's payroll. Everything else runs on volunteers, but prepping new trails and maintaining the existing ones is full-time work.

Led by Pierre and Dan, the team runs day-to-day operations at Twin Peaks and maintains the network across Grand Hirafu and Hanazono too. They also prep new trails before construction begins.