Aurora Expeditions CEO Michael Heath Resigns After Four Years
The company said no interim CEO or timetable was announced, while its latest Antarctic season included 30 voyages and passenger volume up 30 percent.
Michael Heath has resigned as chief executive officer of Aurora Expeditions after four years leading the Sydney-based expedition cruise line, Aurora said May 15. The board has begun recruiting his successor and will work with Heath through a transition, but the announcement did not name an interim CEO or include a comment from Heath.
The leadership change follows a period in which Aurora expanded from one ship to three, added Douglas Mawson in December 2025 and completed its largest Antarctic season, with 30 voyages and passenger volume up 30 percent.
Fleet expanded during post-COVID recovery
Heath joined Aurora in June 2022, replacing Monique Ponfoort. Aurora credited him with guiding the business through the post-COVID recovery period and overseeing a wider expansion of its operations. “Aurora Expeditions confirms that CEO Michael Heath has made the decision to leave the business following a significant period of growth and transformation for the company,” Aurora said.
The company, founded in 1991 by Greg Mortimer and Margaret Mortimer, now operates three purpose-built small expedition ships: Greg Mortimer, Sylvia Earle and Douglas Mawson. The vessels are about 104 meters long, carry a maximum of 130 passengers on expedition voyages and use ULSTEIN X-BOW hulls with Ice Class 1A/Polar Class 6 certification.
Douglas Mawson is the newest ship in the fleet, while Sylvia Earle became the first Infinity Class vessel to trial 100 percent biofuel during Heath’s tenure. Aurora also obtained B Corp certification in 2024.
Board starts recruitment
“The board would like to sincerely thank Michael for his tremendous contribution, leadership and commitment to the business and wishes him every success in the future,” Aurora said.
Aurora said directors had started the recruitment process for the next CEO and would work with Heath to provide an orderly handover. The company did not announce a timetable for naming the next chief executive.
