Managing Executive

Managing Executive: Experiential & Adventure Tourism

Sector: Inbound Travel & Adventure Tourism – Reporting To: Chief Operating Officer

Is This You?

You are a proven growth catalyst, a commercial strategist, and an authentic leader who thrives when tasked with turning a legacy brand into an industry power player.

You understand the African travel landscape deeply, but you refuse to stay trapped in old trade paradigms. You know how to build powerful B2C direct-booking engines without burning down valuable B2B relationships. You have the strategic courage to disrupt, the digital fluency to acquire modern global travellers, and the operational grit to ensure execution on the ground matches the brand promise.

If you are ready to own a complete P&L and spearhead a multi-year transformation that fundamentally repositions a premier African adventure brand on the world stage, this is your mandate.

The Mandate: Reimagine, Reposition, Scale

Over the next three years, you will lead the evolution of a highly reputable tourism company from a trade-reliant operating model into a dynamically balanced, direct-to-consumer digital powerhouse.

You will shift the revenue mix to significantly expand B2C direct bookings (reducing trade dependency to below 70%) while simultaneously growing absolute B2B revenue.

Key Transformation Horizons:

• Product Reinvention: Design and launch segmented portfolios mapped to distinct global age cohorts and travel styles—from Gen-Z/Millennial adventure seekers to purpose-driven mature travellers.
• Digital & Channel Evolution: Build a best-in-class direct booking infrastructure, leveraging modern CRM, paid digital, and hyper-targeted social channels to acquire global travellers.
• Market Leadership: Re-establish authority across at least 15 international source markets, outperforming broader market growth metrics.
• Asset & Partner Synergy: Elevate guide standards, optimize vehicle/lodge assets for premium exclusivity, and form strategic alliances with global conservation bodies and NGOs.

Core Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Business Transformation

• Own and execute the 3-year business transformation strategy and P&L.
• Drive the migration to a consumer-centric business model while preserving key trade partner relationships.
• Evaluate strategic adjacencies (specialist tour segments, eco-lodges, proprietary assets).
• Act as the primary brand ambassador at international trade events, media forums, and investor engagements.

Commercial Growth & Revenue Optimization

• Lead digital acquisition strategies across owned media (website, SEO, CRM) and direct booking platforms.
• Shift pricing strategies from trade-discount reliance to value-based consumer pricing that captures brand margin.
• Expand private departures and MICE revenue as strong B2B complements.

Product Design & Customer Experience

• Commission customer-centric product segmentation and establish real-time customer feedback loops (NPS).
• Institutionalize a “Chief Experience Officer” guide model to elevate authenticity and frontline quality.
• Drive targeted capital allocation across fleet and safari assets to support premium portfolio growth.

People, Culture & Governance

• Build, mentor, and align a high-performance leadership team committed to the transformation vision.
• Cultivate a market-obsessed culture focused on global consumer trends, competitor dynamics, and emerging travel styles.
• Maintain strict adherence to Group financial controls, safety standards, operating licenses, and regional field guide accreditations (FGASA / SATSA).

What You Bring to the Table

Qualifications & Experience:

• Education: Relevant Tertiary Qualification in Business, Commerce, or Tourism Management (Post-graduate degree preferred).
• Leadership Experience: Minimum 5 years in a General Manager, Managing Director, or equivalent full P&L ownership role leading strategic turnarounds or major transformations.
• Industry Expertise: Minimum 10 years in adventure travel, experiential tourism, or a directly comparable consumer-facing sector. Field, overland, or safari operational experience in Southern/East Africa is strongly preferred.
• Non-Negotiable Track Record: Proven, hands-on experience building or materially scaling a Direct-to-Consumer (B2C) revenue channel, supported by digital transformation and commercial fluency in digital acquisition metrics.

Core Competencies:

• Transformation Courage: The conviction to make tough, data-driven decisions that modernize revenue streams and protect brand health.
• Digital & Commercial Fluency: Practical accountability over SEO, paid social (TikTok/Instagram), CRM systems, conversion analytics, and margin optimization.
• Authentic Leadership: A leader who respects field expertise, connects with operational teams, and champions change management with empathy and clarity.
• Systems Thinking: The ability to connect consumer marketing, asset allocation, guide quality, and product design into a cohesive commercial ecosystem.

Why Take This Role?

• Total P&L Ownership: Full autonomy to drive a high-profile, multi-year mandate with direct reporting to the COO and Board engagement.
• True Transformation: This is not a steady-state maintenance role. You are being hired to innovate, disrupt, and build.
• Substantial Legacy Impact: The opportunity to set the definitive benchmark for modern African adventure travel on a global scale.

How to Apply

If you meet the non-negotiable experience criteria and are ready to lead a major transformation, please submit your CV along with a short motivation highlighting your track record in scaling B2C revenue channels and leading organizational change.