About the founder

Marie-Claire Aarts holds a Master’s in International Law from Utrecht University in the Netherlands and brings 25+ years of on-the-ground experience in volatile regions to the table.

She has witnessed major events from up close, such as the rise of China, the Khmer Rouge amnesty in Cambodia, the 2008 Sichuan earthquake that killed 87,000, the Hong Kong handover in 1997 as well as the demonstrations there in 2019, and more recently the incidents in Red Sea corridor.

She is hands-on, proactive, and practical, holding relevant certifications such as:

• Security Awareness (United Nations Department of Safety and Security, UNDSS)
• Active Shooter Incident response (UNDSS)
• Kidnapping and Hostage Survival (DisasterReady)
• International Security (Clingendael Institute of International Relations)

Since 2006, Marie-Claire runs Legal Hybrid, a risk advisory specialized in cross-country investigations, focusing on mitigating maritime and frontier country risks. The new travel safety activities started in 2023.

She is currently finishing a handbook for travelers to unconventional or unsafe locations, The High-Risk Travel Handbook — out in December 2026.

Certifications and Standards

Fully aligned with ISO 31030:2021 Travel Risk Management standard, UN BSAFE standards, and most academic travel manuals to protect the integrity of research findings.