Leading a luxury travel company is not all sunny days and Chablis. Just ask Martha ROBINSON Butterfield’59.
“I had just picked up a group in France for a biking holiday. There was a flash flood, and when our van drove under a bridge into a gully, I looked behind me and saw everyone’s suitcases floating in the water. I mean, I didn’t even know everyone’s names yet! Some very nice things got damaged, including a guest’s lovely white dress which she had packed next to her black leather belt,” she recalls. By some magic, it’s often the trips touched by the unexpected that turn out to be the most memorable, she says with a smile.
Martha, her husband, George, and her brother, Sidney, co-founded Butterfield & Robinson, their legendary active travel company, which celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2026. (“God, I can’t believe I’m that old,” says Martha.) Originally it was aimed at students wanting to tour Europe; it took a few years and a few wobbly detours—including a decidedly non-luxury foray into “Shipwreck Holidays” for budding Robinson Crusoes (kit: bathing suit, plastic sheet, bucket to catch rainwater and fish, book of matches, and conch for breakfast, lunch and dinner)—before the unique active travel concept caught on. Once it did, Butterfield & Robinson quickly became the ne plus ultra in high-end cycling and walking holidays.
At its inception, Butterfield & Robinson emphasized learning: Martha delivered cultural talks and led guided tours to give guests a comprehensive view of historical and modern Europe and spark their curiosity. Then, starting in 1980, during a recession no less, Martha spearheaded the research, marketing and guiding of a series of Mediterranean cruises that were popular and profitable. And, while raising two young children, Martha launched Button Designs, a company that specialized in Plexiglass furniture and accessories, whose clients included actor Yul Brynner and the king of Norway. Meanwhile, husband George launched Toronto restaurant hotspot Boiler Room and other business ventures.
Clearly, entrepreneurship runs in the family. So it’s no surprise that their daughter, Nathalie BUTTERFIELD’90, first became a lawyer, like her father, and then an entrepreneur like both her parents. She had done some seasonal guiding work for Butterfield & Robinson but chose to launch her own business. In 2005, she co-founded Fluf, which is 100 per cent woman-owned and operated and specializes in ethically and sustainably made lunch bags, backpacks and totes. Fluf started as a pillow manufacturer (hence the name) before transitioning to bags and accessories. Fluf’s minimalist pastel pillows adorn the sofas and chairs in her parents’ light-filled home in Rosedale. “My parents made starting a business look so doable and so much fun,” Nathalie says. She remains a member of the Butterfield & Robinson board of directors and gives regular input on the company.
For both mother and daughter, education played a defining role in their lives. “I went from nursery school to Grade 12 at Branksome, and then left for Neuchâtel Junior College in Switzerland for my final year of high school,” says Martha. She immersed herself in Europe, studying fine art at the Institut d’art et d’archéologie at the Université de Paris (writing her entrance exam in French), and worked in London at an investment firm.
While running the travel business, Martha was also completing her master’s in fine art at the University of Toronto and working part time in the education department at the Art Gallery of Ontario, plus raising Nathalie and her brother, David. Martha is also a documentary producer and has sat on the boards of the Ontario College of Art and Design, Coach House Press, PEN Canada, Ecojustice and Branksome Hall.
Nathalie credits Branksome with giving her the appetite for adventure and uncertainty that is a hallmark of being a business owner. “Branksome creates an environment that encourages girls to think outside the box,” she says. “It’s never just rote learning. It’s open-endedness and always asking, ‘What if?’ As an entrepreneur, especially in the beginning, it can be hard not knowing where your next dollar is coming from. How you’re educated influences your ability to be more comfortable in taking risks.”
Relationships form the core of Martha’s and Nathalie’s fond memories of their school. “I always loved Branksome,” says Martha. “In Grade 9, all of these lovely women came in, and some of them are still my very best friends. Starting from then, that was it, I had my band of friends and it was just fabulous.”
“The fact that it was an all-girls school and that we were all given leadership roles, and we didn’t have to compete with boys in any way, has stood me in good stead.”
Nathalie recalls her first day in Grade 4 at Branksome: “I noticed a girl with an adorable, pin-straight bowl cut sitting all by herself eating lunch. I had one friend at Branksome already, a girl I’d met at summer camp. I said something like, ‘Hey, that girl is sitting all alone. We should go sit with her.’ My friend wasn’t very interested, but I went over and had lunch with her—that day, and pretty much every day after that for the next eight years. Lindsay OUGHTRED’91 is still one of my closest friends, a forever friend. I have remained very tight with the group of girls I met between Grades 4 and 9, which feels like the greatest gift of all.” Nathalie’s daughters, Beatrice BUTTERFIELD COWAN’24 and Nina BUTTERFIELD COWAN’22, have continued the tradition of building lifelong relationships from their time at Branksome.
Both Martha and Nathalie tout the many benefits of being in an all-girls school environment: “The fact that it was an all-girls school and that we were all given leadership roles, and we didn’t have to compete with boys in any way, has stood me in good stead,” says Martha. During her tenure on the Branksome Board while Nathalie was a student there, Martha campaigned and succeeded in the installation of a condom vending machine at the school. “I had to fight really hard for that,” she recalls. “I thought girls needed to protect themselves and be equipped with whatever they needed to take control over their own sexual health.” She also produced the “Peace Dove” event, where all the students wore white and made the shape of a peace dove against the grass in the Lower Field. “The photo became the Christmas card that year,” says Martha.
Branksome’s emphasis on friendships, academics and teaching girls they can do anything had a profoundly positive effect on the students. “You really felt it,” says Nathalie. A liberating aspect of being in an all-girls environment was the freedom to be oneself, away from the critical gaze of boys. “We didn’t really care how we looked,” recalls Nathalie. “We weren’t placing a whole lot of emphasis on our physical appearance, which was super liberating, especially in a learning environment. Having to wear a uniform also really helped. Yes, we did individuate a bit, but it still took one big question out of your morning every day.”
“I think women are more relaxed with other women than when there are guys around,” adds Martha. “There’s just a bit more space to open up and express yourself in a female-only environment.”
Recognizing that women sometimes need their own time and space to recharge, Butterfield & Robinson has now expanded its roster to include women-only biking and hiking itineraries based on client demand—an initiative Nathalie supported. “They were calling in and asking for private trips just for women. I think women often crave a deeper connection, and that’s something women friends are good at giving each other,” says Nathalie. Butterfield & Robinson’s women-only trips are designed and led by women and support women in local communities. For example, on the trip to Cambodia and Vietnam, the fleet of tuk-tuk drivers is all women, reversing the default to an all-male fleet of drivers. “We give roles to women in these communities that they might not otherwise have,” adds Nathalie.
“One of the real benefits for women is the opportunity to travel a little differently. Maybe relax a bit more, unplug and recharge.” In running her business, Nathalie says she has come to appreciate the power of slowing down.”
In a multi-tasking world, it is more important than ever to take a break, she says. “One of the real benefits for women is the opportunity to travel a little differently. Maybe relax a bit more, unplug and recharge.” In running her business, Nathalie says she has come to appreciate the power of slowing down. “The super powerful thing I’ve learned is it’s okay to pause. We live in a world today where everyone expects a response yesterday. I’ve become much better at saying, ‘I need to sleep on this.’ It’s amazing what insights you can accomplish overnight! It’s important to trust in our ability to pause to find the answer. Because when you do slow down, you always do find the answer.”
To celebrate the 60th anniversary, Butterfield & Robinson has crafted a 60-day around-the-world journey encompassing six trips over four continents. Guests can choose part or all of a once-in-a-lifetime itinerary. Over the past six decades, the company has had an enviable number of devoted fans and repeat clients. What’s the secret of Butterfield & Robinson’s enduring appeal? “Just excellence,” says Martha. “We believe in excellence. Our guides are excellent. Our itineraries are excellent. We strive to make everything the best it can be.” Sounds like something she learned at Branksome.
