Francis Van De Beuken joined NOLS from a background of growth-focused roles in Marketing and Sales. He has spent the bulk of his career increasing revenue and profitability of established business, startups, and acquisitions. Moving from a private equity-backed behavioral-health organization to a role at NOLS matches his passion for the outdoors and serving others.

Following his graduation from Northern Arizona University with a Bachelor of Philosophy degree, Francis earned his WFR, EMT, and began a journey leading adventure trips between Hawaii, California, and North Carolina. His love of building communities and marketing came from supporting operations in the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates before returning to school to earn his MBA at the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University.

Francis is a two-time NOLS Mexico graduate. While in the Sea of Cortez, he saw firsthand the impact NOLS can have on groups of individuals. Expedition Behavior resonates with his desire to approach all challenges with empathy, understanding, and putting in a little more work than is expected.

In his personal time, Francis enjoys cycling, paddling, and enjoying the woods with his family in Western North Carolina. You will routinely find him on evenings and weekends coaching his kids’ sports, woodworking, and hiking the Mountains to Sea Trail one mile at a time.