A snapshot

Rory’s background is in the luxury travel and hotel market, where he spent 10 years managing hotels for some of the world’s top hotel brands. His love of Africa dates back to his childhood, with his first safari to Kenya at an early age. Since then he has returned as often as he can, clocking up more than fifteen trips across Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Botswana.

Rory's biography

Rory has a 1st Class BA Honours Degree in Hospitality and Tourism from Birmingham University. His career started in tailor-made travel, working as a longhaul travel specialist for one of the UK’s leading companies offering bespoke trips. He then moved to hotel management and spent 10 years working in upmarket hotels and golf resorts in the UK and USA. During this time, Rory gained valuable corporate experience coordinating the acquisition of 130 Le Meridian hotels, as well as improving processes and service levels across a portfolio of Sheraton hotels. By 2011, he had become Manager of a 600-bedroom hotel for Intercontinental Hotels and Resorts.

In 2012, Rory decided it was time to combine his passion for Africa with his experience of luxury travel and hospitality. This led to his partnership with his friend Julian Carter-Manning, and the foundation of Yellow Zebra.

Most memorable experience

Whilst on safari in the Linyanti region in Botswana, I was lucky enough to see a male leopard mating with two females alternately... something very rare. After a while one female won the male's attention and led him away. Some nearby antelope watched the two leopards saunter away without realising that there was a third leopard just a short distance behind, and quickly fell prey to the rejected female... an amazing scene!