Sven-Olaf Lindblad, founder of Lindblad Expeditions, was born in Switzerland, son of renowned adventure-travel pioneer Lars-Eric Lindblad. In 1979 he launched Special Expeditions, the small ship adventure travel company that became Lindblad Expeditions. In 2004, Lindblad formed a strategic alliance with National Geographic that combines the strengths of two pioneers in global exploration, with the goal of inspiring people to explore and care about the planet.

Lindblad’s personal experience led to a commitment to environmentally responsible travel and ocean conservation. In 2019 he took the company carbon neutral offsetting 100% of emissions from Lindblad ships, all land-based operations, employee travel, and offices, and guided the elimination of single use plastics across the Lindblad fleet in 2018. He is an honorary member of the General Assembly of the Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos Islands; serves on the Board of The Safina Center, and on the Board of Trustees of Rare; is a founding Ocean Elder of the non-profit organization, Ocean Elders, and serves on the Board of Advisors for Pristine Seas.