Meet Yael Whitford-Gaffney

Meet Yael Whitford-Gaffney

Product Manager

I grew up just outside Sydney in the beautiful Blue Mountains but have now settled up the coast in sunny Newcastle. I worked in Poland as a conversational English teacher during my gap year between high school and university. It was a great way to learn some Polish (sadly mostly forgotten) and have a base in Europe from which to travel.

I've been with World Nomads since 2015 and have worked in travel insurance for 11 years. As Product Manager, I manage the lifecycle of our travel insurance products alongside the rest of the WN Product team and our awesome insurance partners.

I love the team of amazing, cool people I get to work with, who are passionate about travel, and about helping travelers. I am also proud to work for a brand that supports social responsibility to the places we travel via The Footprints Network.

I travel to learn, to discover new things about myself, and about the world. I travel to be amazed by the wonder and beauty of nature and to appreciate the diversity of cultures, and the incredible histories we share.

My time in Tibet was special; having the incredible opportunity to experience such a rich and vibrant culture. Visiting Lhasa and seeing the Potala Palace, after years of reading about it (and wanting to go) and driving across the country to the (north) Base Camp to gaze up at Mt Everest.