Steve & Nicky Fitzgerald
Having delighted travellers for over 40 years, creating and operating some of the finest safari lodges across Africa and India for &Beyond, the lifelong dream of building Angama Mara drew Steve & Nicky Fitzgerald out of retirement, saving their best for last.
Steve, together with Nicky, started his career at the Arniston Hotel at the southernmost tip of Africa. From there he went to open Blues Restaurant and The Bay Hotel in Cape Town. In the early 90’s, his dream of working in the bush became a reality when he was appointed Managing Director of Conservation Corporation, now &Beyond, a position he held for 15 years. Together with a remarkable team, he grew the company from 3 lodges in South Africa to 55 across 6 African countries, plus 4 in India. Angama Mara was his last — and a dream come true.
Nicky spent four decades at Steve’s side developing numerous hotels, restaurants and over 50 luxury safari lodges across both sub-Saharan Africa and India. After qualifying with an arts degree in English and History, she quickly discovered that her calling lay in taking care of guests and creating opportunities for people neighbouring the reserves in which the lodges operated.
At &Beyond, Nicky held the position of operations director, with one of her proudest achievements being the development of the Ngorongoro Crater Lodge in Tanzania. From 2002, Nicky took responsibility for sales and marketing for the group and spent the next seven years on an aeroplane: telling the company’s remarkable story far and wide and directing a team that developed &Beyond into one of the world’s leading experiential travel brands. It is this network of long-standing relationships across the globe which Nicky prizes above all, and which has resulted in her being consistently recognised by her peers for her contribution to the industry: as a judge in various capacities, Relais & Chateaux Woman of the Year, and most recently, as a board member for the Adventure Travel Conservation Fund.
After Steve’s death in 2017, Nicky served as CEO until her retirement in June 2022. She continues to serve as a shareholder and non-executive director on Angama’s board and is a respected thought leader, consultant and keynote speaker in the hospitality industry.
Angama was co-founded by Steve Mitchell, a finance-trained professional attracted to the opportunity presented by this remarkable site, the adventure of a start-up and the role that business can play as a catalyst for change. Having previously served in a variety of roles, Mitch served as CEO from July 2022 through 2023, including the development of Angama Amboseli which opened in November 2023.
