LACEA VAN DER SPUY
Wilderness Reservations Operations Manager – Trade & Media, Staff Travel and Members
Lacea returns to Wilderness with a wealth of industry experience. Passionate about the industry and the people she works alongside with, Lacea looks forward to her new challenges, including increasing sales and optimisation within her department.
Lacea was born and grew up in Pretoria, South Africa. After school she attended the University of Pretoria and graduated with a BCom Hotel and Tourism degree.
Her career began in 1995, working at the Protea Hotel Hazyview for a year. Lacea left the bush, bound for a role at ERM Tours and Safaris in Johannesburg, where she gained valuable experience. In 1999, she moved out of the city once again, and headed to Legend Lodges where she remained until 2001. Lacea was called back to Pretoria after accepting a position at Royal African Discoveries, and remained there for the next decade, starting out in Operations and successfully progressing to Operations Director.
After marrying and having a baby, Lacea took some time off from work to focus on her family. Before long however, the industry beckoned once again, and she contracted for Tourvest Destinantion Management and Wilderness Safaris. She loved working at Wilderness so much that she told herself she would be back one day! Lacea spent the following eight years working for andBeyond as Groups Reservations Manager.
Lacea recalls many fond memories during her tourism career, with a career highlight being the planning of a successful incentive trip for 500 travellers to Livingstone and Cape Town. Lacea also co-ordinated a ZAR10 million safari and Cape Town journey, fondly remembering these clients as the nicest she has worked with.
Lacea is very excited about her new challenge at Wilderness and looks forward to being part of the Wilderness family once again. “When I left the company in 2014, I said it is a business I would come back to, and here I am. I look forward to contributing to Wilderness’ growth and success”, notes Lacea.