01 September 2006
	Operations PEOPLE PEOPLE GAME FOR GAME By Linda Stafford

CC Africa group chief operations director Debra Fox describes her role as "driving the bottom line of the lodge division, while [sales and marketing director] Nicky [Fitzgerald] drives the top line". It is an understatement to say that Fox, whose background is in hotels and who has been with CC Africa for 13 years, has a challenging job. She is responsible not only for all lodges, apart from those in India, but also the mobile units for CC Africa's tented safaris. Regional directors across seven countries and the group hospitality manager ("The person who inspires the hearts and minds of our staff," as Fox puts it) report to her; ranger training falls under her; and the transfer of guests and the all-important meet-and-greet function is looked after by her, as is the transfer of all lodge amenities. "Logistics is a big part of my job." she confirms. "There's never a dull day, especially since we have people from almost 15 different tribes working for us. Keeping them passionate, inspired and dedicated is what it's all about. And they have to be tough, because they are working in remote and isolated spots such as the western corridor of the Serengeti National Park." And yet they have to sparkle every day and with each new crowd of guests. Says Fox: "CC Africa has a saying: If you can't sparkle, don't come to work.' This is especially important because captains of industry travel across the world to see game and will hang onto every word uttered by a young, enthusiastic ranger. The love of wildlife has a way of cutting across hierarchies and great bonds are formed in the bush." Fox says it is the quality of CC Africa's people, rather than levels of luxury and proliferation of game, that makes the group successful. "We believe our rangers and guides are what differentiate us from the competition." Adds CC Africa CEO Steve Fitzgerald: "We would rather take a guide who has a great personality and absolutely no bush skills than someone who is a deep-rooted greenie but does not get on well with people." Fox, who spends two weeks a month travelling, her four-year-old son usually in tow (she praises CC Africa's support system for working mothers), says, however, that another big part of her job is controlling costs. "We have another saying, CC Africa believes in doing well by doing good'."