Meet the Altius Team

Connor is the Founder and CEO of Altius, and in many ways, the heart and soul of the company. His passion for the industrial rope access industry, and for the people who work within it, has shaped Altius from the very beginning.

With 12 years of service on the IRATA Executive Committee, along with two terms as Chairman of the IRATA International Training Committee, Connor has played a significant role in the development and direction of rope access training internationally. His experience, standards, and influence have made him one of the most respected voices in rope access training in North America and beyond.

As both an Instructor and Assessor, Connor remains deeply involved in the work he loves most: training, mentoring, and helping technicians become safer, more capable, and more confident in the field. He is deeply committed to technician safety and is consistently focused on improving the way rope access is taught, assessed, and carried out, with practical competence and professional standards at the center of everything he does.

When he is not supporting industry standards or helping move Altius forward, Connor can usually be found in one of our training centers with a cup of tea in hand, playing questionable music, telling even more questionable jokes, and sharing his knowledge with the next generation of rope access technicians.

Izak is Managing Director of Altius South Africa, where he leads our South African operation and brings decades of international rope access experience to the wider Altius team.

Izak discovered his passion for life off the ground at a very young age, becoming what can only fairly be described as a “vertical junkie” while still in school. He got serious about rock climbing in the early 1990s, back when spandex and long hair were apparently acceptable technical equipment, in South Africa at least.

After graduating from university with a degree in Engineering, Izak took his love of heights and his technical education into the industrial rope access world. Since then, he has worked across a wide range of sectors, including geotechnical, civil engineering, oil and gas, construction, building and bridge maintenance, entertainment, and stunt rigging, with projects taking him all over the world.

Over the years, Izak has established himself as one of the most respected IRATA Instructors in the industry. He has also served as an IRATA Assessor and IRATA Auditor, bringing the same energy, precision, and enthusiasm to those roles that first drew him into climbing as a kid.

Known for his personal mantra, “Happy Days!”, Izak brings a positive, practical, and deeply experienced approach to everything he does. That spirit tends to rub off quickly on the people around him, whether they are trainees, colleagues, or anyone lucky enough to work with him.

Stewart controls the financial, administrative and strategic activities of the Altius Group worldwide. He obtained a Bachelors in Economics, majoring in Finance, from the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. He is recognized internationally as an accomplished and innovative leader, and is a discerning business developer with 12 years of experience driving revenue generation, profitability, and performance through strategic planning and solid business and people management. 

When not working, Stewart is focused on living a clean and healthy life with his two young children. He spends the majority of his spare time entertaining his kids, playing sports and is also a passionate home cook with most of his dishes focused on an organic sustainable "Keto lifestyle", but being based in Texas he is obviously a huge fan of decent BBQ.

Amanda has been with Altius since 2015, overseeing all the administrative functions in the company as our General Manager. With a Bachelor of Science degree from Texas State University, Amanda has a track record of strong performance in high-volume, high pressure environments.She ensures the smooth operation of all of the Altius group with her robust knowledge of office management and efficient handling of client inquiries, consultations, registrations and certifications.

She also has to listen to repeats of Connor and Stewart's bad jokes and pretend to find them amusing. 

When she is not being a Rock Star for Altius she likes to spend her free time with her two dogs Monty and Cole, traveling (near and far), and anything to do with the outdoors! She is also a massive Jane Austin fan and loves to travek to the UK to indulge this passion.

Surita’s passion for skills development and helping people reach their full potential started when she entered the rope access industry 12 years ago. Soon after this she realized how much she enjoyed everything about the industry and moved on to coordinate IRATA rope access courses and managing an IRATA rope access training venue. 

A hippy at heart, her passion shines through in her people skills, her willingness to move mountains to accommodate students and of course her belief that everyone gets treated equally.

When she’s not diarizing the students’ calendars and making sure Izak is happy, she believes there’s nothing more relaxing as chilling on vacation in Mozambique or taking in the intoxicating flavors the Cape Wine Route has to offer.