New Beginnings, Same Heart

On my first day as CEO of Angama, I arrived at the office on the back of a boda, backpack in hand, navigating Nairobi’s traffic after just landing from Sri Lanka with my family. It was chaos — the kind that makes for great stories. And if there’s one thing I’ve learnt since joining Angama, it’s that great stories and storytelling sit at the heart of who we are.

From the moment I stepped into this role, it’s been high-energy, deeply human and full of joyful friction — the kind that comes from a team fired up to do something special, together. I’m a ‘teams-guy’, through and through. It’s what excites me most: people who perform at their best and still look out for each other. That spirit runs through every corner of Angama, from the bottom up. 

I’ve known of Angama since 2018 — back when I was scrambling to replace a chef and out of the blue, came ‘Mama Nicky’. She didn’t just send a chef. She sent a lifeline. That ‘can do, will do’ attitude wasn’t just a one-off. I now know it’s woven tightly into the fabric of this place. It’s real, it’s pervasive and it’s powerful. 

Coming in, I expected to roll up my sleeves and earn my keep, as one does. What I didn’t expect was to be welcomed not just as a CEO, but as a human being. The team at Angama — the lodges and the support offices — made me feel genuinely looked after. And not in the surface-level way. It was generous, honest hospitality, the kind we offer our guests. It meant everything. 

This is what makes Angama different. Yes, we’re set in wildly beautiful places. Yes, we deliver unforgettable safaris. But it’s the people — how they show up for each other, how they show up for our guests — that gives this business its soul. 

I don’t see my role as reinventing the wheel. Nicky handed me something extraordinary — a team built on character and trust, not just skillsets and CVs. My job is to steward that legacy with care and integrity. It’s not about grand speeches. It’s about small, consistent decisions made with clarity and courage — even on the tough days. 

So what comes next? More of what Angama does best: delighting guests through empowered teams. Making good decisions, again and again. Being brave when it counts. And always remembering we’re just a group of good people, working hard to create something epic. 

That, to me, is leadership. And that’s the Angama Way — even if we don’t call it that out loud.