Trudi’s dynamic journey with Wilderness began in 1999 as the Food and Beverage Manager at Rocktail Bay, South Africa. It was a brief five-month stint before she was lured to Botswana as host and cook for Wilderness Safaris Explorations (as they were known back then). Trudi also provided relief camp management where required, most of her time spent at DumaTau and Chitabe. Her next Wilderness move was to Maun, working in the Operations team and as the assistant to the Concession Manager, who at the time was Grant Woodrow. Trudi opened and managed the Maun Travelshop, before moving back into Operations, where she oversaw all building projects as Project Manager, before being promoted to Operations General Manager.
Trudi has had many memorable Wilderness moments along the way, and has met many amazing people who have become family to her.
Reflecting on her time at Wilderness, Trudi acknowledges that opening camps was a huge achievement in the remote areas where we operate. Watching and helping people grow is also one of the most special aspects of her job. Wilderness has always been very strong at training and supporting staff in order for them to achieve their goals. Helping Botswana survive the pandemic was the hardest and most challenging time for her, but she is proud to have made it through with a team that is even stronger than before.
Luckily for us, Trudi is not leaving the Wilderness Family but is embarking on a new adventure with Ukama, where she is joining their sales team. She sums up her Wilderness adventure thus far: “Wilderness has been my family and home for more than 20 years. It has taught me my values and supported me throughout my career. The friends and colleagues that I have will always remain the most special part of my job. Of course, the pristine areas we live in, and calling camps like Mombo and DumaTau your home, are incredible, but it’s what the people of Wilderness mean to me that is closest to my heart”.
We wish you the best of luck in your new role Trudi, and know you will bring the same energy and passion to the Ukama team.
