ROBERT SLATER
MANAGING DIRECTOR
Robert Slater
Managing Director
Rob grew up on a farm in Suffolk and has always had a passion for the great outdoors. On leaving school, his first big adventures took him to the Nepal Himalaya, South Africa and Zimbabwe, shortly followed by a two month back-packing trip around Kenya and northern Tanzania. Outside of Africa, he has returned to the Nepal Himalaya many times since, watched tigers in India and trekked through the rainforests of Peru, Venezuela and Borneo in search of wildlife.
Rob joined the company in 1995, and to add to his previous experiences, has been travelling to Africa three to four times a year ever since. His knowledge and experience cover all corners of ‘safari’ Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands, from the primate-rich forests of Uganda to the harsh wilderness of Namibia’s Skeleton Coast. He has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya, rafted and canoed the Zambezi River and has led friends and family on self-drive trips through Namibia, Botswana, Tanzania and South Africa. He is our resident scuba-diving specialist and has dived in Mauritius, Seychelles, South Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya and Malawi. Rob has a real passion for Africa – don’t expect a short reply on anything – and is a perfectionist when it comes to organising anything. Married with boys, his interests closer to home (when time permits!) include country walks, country pubs and rugby.
MICHELE SEAMARK
DIRECTOR
MICHELE SEAMARK
Director
Michele was born and grew up in Harare, Zimbabwe. After school she completed an intense secretarial course before things started to go rapidly ‘down hill’ for the country. Aged 18, she made the decision to leave and arrived in Suffolk in November 2001 to start a new life. Michele joined Safari Consultants as a personal assistant in 2002.
Having been with Safari Consultants for two years and gained an intimate understanding of the business, she needed a different challenge and joined the sales team. She has never looked back, and has now travelled over 50 times to Africa, covering Seychelles, Namibia, South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Mauritius, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Rwanda. Her favourite regions are the South Luangwa in Zambia, and the Selous and Ruaha in southern Tanzania, though Zimbabwe naturally has a special place in her heart. Gorilla tracking in Uganda also remains a personal highlight as this was the first place she experienced the great apes. With her southern Africa ‘roots’ Michele is passionate about her job and is meticulous in her organisation, always willing to go that ‘extra mile’.
MARY GRIMWOOD
SENIOR SPECIALIST CONSULTANT
MARY GRIMWOOD
SPECIALIST CONSULTANT
Mary grew up in Surrey with (very!) Scottish ancestry (neé Mackenzie). Having studied modern Languages at university she leapt head first into the travel industry and built up a wealth of experience with visits to around 35 different countries worldwide. Her career has included leading tour groups in Europe, working for a worldwide tour operator and more recently working for and managing an independent travel agency in London.
Mary joined Safari Consultants in 2006 having spent a season working in a bush camp in Kenya’s Masai Mara, where she really cemented her love of Africa. In ‘safari’ Africa, she is now extremely well travelled with multiple visits to Namibia, South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Madagascar and Rwanda, as well as extensive explorations of Uganda, Malawi and Mozambique. Throughout her extensive travels, she has many favourite spots, such as the Namibia’s Namib Desert and Mozambique’s Bazaruto Archipelago, but due to her time living and working there, Kenya and its people hold a very special place in her heart. Mary enjoys dealing with people and really getting to know her clients, a key part of tailoring the perfect holiday.
FRANCES WOOLGAR
SPECIALIST CONSULTANT
frances woolgar
specialist consultant
Frances grew up in Essex but went to university in Scotland where she graduated from the University of Edinburgh in Italian and English. With a father from Zimbabwe, and family based in Cape Town, she has spent a number of summers (ours – their winter!) in South Africa, as well as independently spending a few months on a voluntary work programme in a game reserve near the Kruger National Park.
Frances started in administration but moved into sales and has since travelled extensively through South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Rwanda, Mauritius and the Seychelles during her time with us. Frances is at her happiest whilst sitting watching elephants at sunset. Her personal favourite areas include Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe, the Okavango Delta in Botswana and the South Luangwa in Zambia. Frances is incredibly thorough in all aspects of her job with a sharp eye for detail.
JOE CORDER
SPECIALIST CONSULTANT
JOE CORDER
SPECIALIST CONSULTANT
Joe grew up in Stamford, Lincolnshire and first experienced Africa at the age of four when visiting family and friends in Kenya. More trips cemented his passion for Africa and he has since travelled to 12 different countries across southern and eastern Africa including Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Mauritius, Madagascar and Seychelles. Before embarking on his geography degree at university in Newcastle, he travelled independently through eight African countries – from Cape Town to Nairobi.
He has bungee jumped off Victoria Falls bridge, tracked wild dogs in Zimbabwe and fly camped in remote northern Kenya. He is passionate about all things African. Away from work he plays cricket and golf, loves skiing and is an avid follower of Newcastle United.
KELLY MATTIN
SPECIALIST CONSULTANT
KELLY MATTIN
SPECIALIST CONSULTANT
Kelly grew up in London but spent a significant portion of her childhood in both Ireland and Cyprus. At age 19 she backpacked around Asia; finally ending up in Sydney, Australia where she lived for the next 7 years. During this time, she gained a diploma in Maths and Economics from the University of New South Wales, and a degree in Tourism Management from the University of Technology Sydney.
After heading back to London, Kelly worked in the City within the financial sector as an international events organiser. In 2010 she took a very last-minute safari to Kenya and Tanzania, which led to her falling head over heels in love with the African continent. Deciding that she needed to explore more, she left London and took a job as an overland tour leader, based in Cape Town. She spent the next 5 years leading long-haul camping trips through 9 African countries, and has spent significant time in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Mauritius. Returning to the UK in 2015 Kelly joined the African Tourism industry, honing her skills as a specialist Africa consultant, before joining Safari Consultants in 2022. Outside of work, Kelly enjoys cooking (and all things food related!), as well as exploring more of the UK with her Namibian partner.
ROLAND EVANS
SALES SUPPORT & FLIGHTS
ROLAND EVANS
sales support & FLIGHTS
Originally from Southend-on-Sea, Roland moved to Suffolk in 2010 where he now lives with his wife and their two children. He has over 15 years of experience in the travel industry having worked for companies in both the retail and business sectors, and joined Safari Consultants in mid-2013. He enjoys travelling to unusual destinations, especially on cruises.
Roland has joined our administration department with a particular focus on helping out in our flights department. He is also fast becoming our resident IT specialist.
MICHAELA LIRON-SPRATT
SALES SUPPORT
MICHAELA LIRON-SPRATT
sales support
Michaela was born in Jersey where she lived until she was 26, when she moved to Chelmsford in Essex and then later to the north Essex countryside. Previous employment has included working for a distribution company, security firm and more recently she spent 11 years with PriceWaterhouseCoopers accountants. Michaela joined the administration team at Safari Consultants in February 2006.
Her hobbies include walking/running with her dog Sophie, and riding her motorbike with her husband and friends. Michaela has travelled to Kenya’s Masai Mara, which she loved, and to Rwanda to see the mountain gorillas. South Africa’s Madikwe Game Reserve & Southern Cape have been the most recent adventure.
ELOISE LENEY
SALES SUPPORT
ELOISE LENEY
sales support
Eloise is a local girl having grown up in our beautiful Suffolk countryside. She joined the administration team in 2014. Eloise enjoys travelling and has explored Indonesia & Thailand, as well as Ireland, Holland, Spain, France, Italy and The Med. She spent her Honeymoon in the Masai Mara and Coast of Kenya.
Out of the office, Eloise became a Mum in January 2022 and when she has spare time (!), loves the outdoors and enjoys walking through the countryside with her Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla called Flare, mountain biking with her husband, daughter & the dog, or venturing out on her road bike! She is also an amateur crocheter, gardener & flower photographer, enjoys singing in a local choir & baking. Her enquiring mind has seen her research her family history back 8 generations (yet to find a real ‘skeleton in the cupboard’) and discover new found relatives in America and Australia who she keeps in close contact with.
SAM CLEVERDON
SALES SUPPORT
SAM CLEVERDON
sales support
Sam was born and raised in Manchester before she moved to Suffolk in 1990 where she studied business administration and IT at her local college. She has over 20 years’ experience in sales, retail and hospitality having previously worked for Promotional Logistics, Macfarlane Group and Clarks before joining Safari Consultants in 2018 as a member of the Admin team. Sam is an ardent Manchester City fan and has been lucky enough to see them play at Wembley. Other interests of hers include music, reading and baking. She also enjoys regular ‘staycations’ to Southwold or Cornwall with her husband and son. Sam has a very caring nature, is passionate about giving blood having been a donor for many years, as well as being actively involved in her local community.
JENNY CHRISTIE
FINANCE ADMINISTRATOR
JENNY CHRISTIE
FINANCE ADMINISTRATOR
Jenny is South African by birth and grew up in Durban. Subsequent to completing her Honours degree in Economics, she had a 10 year career in academia culminating in a Senior Lectureship at the University of Cape Town where she ran the Commerce Academic Development Programme.
In 2003 Jenny’s husbands job brought them to the UK. After spending time at home as a mum, she worked as a secretary in the NHS and at a private clinic, before joining Safari Consultants in mid-2018. Jenny has always had a keen interest in travel and has travelled extensively in her native South Africa, with the Drakensberg being a favourite spot, as well as Europe. Other destinations include Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mauritius, the Maldives, Madeira, the USA, and most recently, Sydney, Australia.
JILL BRADLEY
PRODUCT
JILL BRADLEY
PRODUCT
Jill grew up on a farm in Yorkshire where her love of wild places and wildlife began. After university she started a career in journalism which took her on her first trip to Africa. Having been blown away by the wildlife and incredible scenery of South Africa’s KwaZulu Natal, she returned home and promptly joined the safari travel industry! That was over 20 years ago, and since then she has worked for safari camps and operators; travelling extensively around the wildest corners of Tanzania, Zambia and South Africa. Jill joined Safari Consultants in October 2022 and handles our product.
Highlights of Jill’s travels over the many years include chimpanzee trekking in Tanzania’s remote Mahale National Park and walking trails in Zambia’s remote North Luangwa National Park. Whether in Africa, or the UK, Jill’s passion is hiking in remote places.