Charlie's Travels is an innovative Africa tour operator focused on authentic travel experiences off the beaten track. It has grown rapidly from a one-man startup to 50 employees and €4 million in annual revenue without external funding. The company is seeking a CEO to lead the next phase of growth, including expanding its market share in the Netherlands, entering new European markets, broadening its African destination portfolio, and advancing its sustainable tourism strategy. The ideal candidate has management experience, a commercial mindset, and passion for Africa and responsible travel.

1. Charlie’s Travels is an innovative ‘on the
ground’ Africa tour operator focused on a
more ‘real’ and authentic Africa experience.
With off the beaten track travel, we want
to create a broader view of the world and
reduce the impact of tourism on nature and
cultures.
As CEO you are responsible for the strategy
and growth of the company, the P&L, building
your team, expanding to other African regions
and expansion into other markets.
SOUNDS GOOD! WHO IS THIS CHARLIE?!
CEO AT FAST-GROWING AFRICA
TRAVEL SCALE-UP ‘CHARLIE’S
TRAVELS’ IN NAIROBI, KENYA.
AFRICAN (AD)VENTURE,
AFRICAN (AD)VENTURE,
CEO WANTED
CEO WANTED

2. CHARLIE’S TRAVELS
CHARLIE’S TRAVELS - AFRICAN (AD)VENTURE, CEO WANTED
Hi, I’m Charlie! Africa-lover, adventurer
and an entrepreneur with a vision for the
tourism industry. My strengths (optimistic,
creative, energetic) are accompanied with
shortcomings (structure, managing, strategy).
Therefore I’m looking for you, a strong right
hand, so that together we can grow this
beautiful company!
HI, I’M
HI, I’M
CHARLIE
CHARLIE

3. About Charlie’s Travels (CT), it started as a wild
dream in 2014: on a motorcycle, with laptop and
camera, in search of “real” experiences away
from the tourist circus. Turns out, there was a
high demand for this type of travel and curious
travellers knew where to find me. In 2016, a former
Rocket Internet manager joined: with plug & play
techniques the one-man show became a startup!
Years of growth: the travel industry is big, and the
number of (small-scale) Africa travel agencies are
countless on Google. Why didn’t CT remain a one-
man business; how did it grow to 50 FTEs in 4 years;
from 100 to 2000 travellers annually; from € 200k
to € 4m annual turnover; from no office to teams in
Nairobi (HQ, the “Jungle Villa”), Kampala, and Cape
Town? With investors? Nope, we have grown 100%
autonomously on our own profits.
THE
BEGINNING
& GROWTH
KAMPALA
KAMPALA
CAPETOWN
CAPETOWN
NAIROBI
NAIROBI

4. 3. Marketing, Branding & Content: Skilled in-house
marketing & content team that manages our website
and therefore able to do quick iterations. Who does
a consumer trust: a company or a person? Charlie is
a social brand that talks (KLM and bol.com would be
jealous of it!) We also have yet to see another travel
agency that has its own video channel with more
than 250 high-quality travel documentaries and sales
videos? Check Charlie’s & Chill!
4. Being on the ground is essential for all USPs and
has many other advantages: operationally effective,
lower costs, no middle man, ability to create an impact
locally, train partners, excellent product knowledge
and corresponding increased sales power, etc.!
Why have we grown so rapidly? In a traditional
market, we’re distinctive in many ways, but these are
our main USPs:
1. “People don’t buy what you do, but why you
do it!” (Sinek) Few companies know why they do
what they do. CT does! We are extremely passionate
because we want to show Africa beyond prejudices
(e.g.: dangerous, poverty, etc.)! This intrinsic drive is in
our DNA and everyone feels it: the team, the travellers,
the partners, the fans! We’re not just a travel agency
but a (by word of mouth) fast-growing community!
2. Product Development (PD): In a traditional (safari)
sector we develop a new, different, innovative product;
authentic travel. Dutch travel agencies based in the
Netherlands do not have the ‘local’ knowledge or do not
know how to organize this. For local tour operators, it is
difficult to understand the traveller and its desires, and
providers on websites like Tripadvisor/Airbnb aren’t
offering enough service. The demand for authentic
& responsible travel that fulfils is quickly rising and
we fill that big growing gap!
WHY HAVE WE GROWN SO RAPIDLY?
WHY HAVE WE GROWN SO RAPIDLY?
CHARLIE’S TRAVELS
CHARLIE’S TRAVELS - AFRICAN (AD)VENTURE, CEO WANTED
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK TRAVEL TAKES AWAY STEREOTYPES/PREJUDICES AND LETS PEOPLE EXPERIENCE A MORE ‘REAL’ AFRICA!
WOW! NICE USPS!! WHAT’S NEXT?!

5. Main goals in the coming 3 years, we are ready for a
new phase:
1. Market Share in the Netherlands x5: Create a
marketing ecosystem, increase ads budget, finalizing
sales funnel with automations, standardize back-end
product and PD with software without losing tailor-
made feel and options.
2. Expansion: Enter other European markets (DACH,
UK and/or Nordics). Develop a strategy and roll out
with country specialized sales & marketing teams.
3. Expand destination portfolio: A standard
package-traveller: “Africa, it’s such a beautiful country!”.
The second biggest continent in the world counts
approximately 3000 tribes, 2000 languages and 54
countries! We want to show the diversity of the whole
continent! What’s next: The Horn of Africa, Sahara,
Sahel, one of the Islands, Central- and/or West-Africa?
With partnerships, new offices and/or freelancers?
Make a strategy and let’s do it!
4. Responsible & Regenerative Tourism:
Off the beaten track in itself already spreads tourism
and therefore fits in the current trends of tourism.
Our CSR strategy has 3 pillars: Economy, Nature and
Culture! With setting up a Tourism Academy and
Eco-Community Lodges we can offer an even better
experience and train our partners in a better way. And
most important: How can we convince the traveller to
make a more conscious choice? Our behaviour has to
change, and fast! Contribute to this!
CHARLIE’S TRAVELS
CHARLIE’S TRAVELS - AFRICAN (AD)VENTURE, CEO WANTED
“TRAVEL SHOULD CONTRIBUTE,
NOT DETRACT! BE PART OF THIS
DEVELOPMENT!“
MAIN GOALS IN
MAIN GOALS IN
THE COMING 3 YEARS
THE COMING 3 YEARS

6. CHARLIE’S TRAVELS
CHARLIE’S TRAVELS - AFRICAN (AD)VENTURE, CEO WANTED
DO I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION? DO YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE?
Download the attachment with more information
about:
• Startup to scale-up in 3 periods (most important
projects, milestones & lessons learned)
• Development & capacity of the teams & our
offices
• The corona-crisis, the travel industry & CT - why
now?!
MORE ABOUT CT: THE LAST
MORE ABOUT CT: THE LAST
5 YEARS IN 3 PHASES.
5 YEARS IN 3 PHASES.
DOWNLOAD THE ATTACHMENT

7. CHARLIE’S TRAVELS
CHARLIE’S TRAVELS - AFRICAN (AD)VENTURE, CEO WANTED
CORONA CRISIS -
CT’S FUTURE IN LIGHT OF THIS CRISIS:
• Resilience, that’s what a crisis exposes. More about
CT’s resilience & innovation:
• Down-scaled from 50 FTEs to 25 PTEs, with the
original team on standby.
• Continued our best marketing practices and
developed new initiatives of which “Charlie’s & Chill”
was the most successful (most media attention).
• We played into this unique situation by developing
new products (1.5m trips & remote-working trips).
• New software: 25% efficiency increase - we expect
15-25% higher profitability.
• We expect an increase in bookings for some target
groups due to saved money, extra holidays and the
desire to travel.
• Crises are temporary - we have already seen an
increase in the number of leads & holiday inquiries -
the vaccine is coming!
• Trend: corona (and the climate crisis) will increase the
demand for a more sustainable form of tourism.
CORONA, CT &
CORONA, CT &
THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY
THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY

8. CHARLIE’S TRAVELS
CHARLIE’S TRAVELS - AFRICAN (AD)VENTURE, CEO WANTED
• Set up strategies & execute together with MT
& team: where are we going, Why?
• Manage MT: Motivate, hold accountable (KPI’s)
& train them how to manage.
• Commercially: growth NL market and
expansion into other European markets.
• Operationally: streamlining processes across
the company and ultimately responsible for
large projects.
• Financially: P&L forecasts & budgets + analysis
of the most important KPIs.
• General: internal processes, HR (together with
HR manager), legal & tax.
ABOUT THE CEO-ROLE:
ABOUT THE CEO-ROLE:
WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?
WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?

9. WORK EXPERIENCE
Must-haves:
• At least 5 years of management experience
• 8yearsofworkexperiencewithinseveralcompanies
• Commercial mindset: noticing and exploiting
opportunities
Very nice to haves:
• Familiar with growth strategies
• Travel industry affinity and/or work experience
• Africa experience (travelling or living)
• Analytical skills
• Financially well-versed
• Affinity with Responsible, Eco and Community
Tourism
• General management / CEO experience
CHARACTER TRAITS:
An Africa based off the beaten track tour operator
means:
• Open-minded, adventurous, interested in cultures
and new perspectives
• Love for the product/travel, preferably a passion
for Africa
• Culturally sensitive & interest in sustainable tourism
Managing a scale-up with young people means the
following:
• A natural leader
• Open-minded, accessible & down to earth
• Socially intelligent, patient & empathic
• Realistic but also optimistic
• Energetic & fun
• Decision-maker & consistent
ABOUT THE PERSON:
CHARLIE’S TRAVELS
CHARLIE’S TRAVELS - AFRICAN (AD)VENTURE, CEO WANTED

10. • A job that doesn’t feel like work: you’ll working for
another 30 years, better enjoy it!
• Co-entrepreneurship: you lead and grow a company
that is yours too!
• Development & Growth: we love what we do and
by chance, we are on the right side of development
and growth (authentic & responsible tourism, Africa =
booming). This makes the business game fun with lots
of opportunities!
• Joy: There is nothing more satisfying than having a
product/service that brings enjoyment: within the team,
our local partners and of course our travellers!
• Making a difference: our goals are tangible, the work
you do today will be visible tomorrow.
• Contributing to the development of Responsible
Tourism: travel should contribute, not detract!
Contribute to this positive change!
• Lifestyle: living & travelling in one of the most beautiful
places in the world! After a working day/week: nature,
fun, adventure >> YOU’RE ALIVE !!!
• A close-knit team: you are building something beautiful
with friends, not colleagues. The Angels become your
family ;)
THE PROPOSAL: COMPENSATION
• Market-based salary
(according to Dutch travel industry standards)
• Bonus if targets are reached
• Equity (depending on work experience, salary and
investment)
• Travel agency-worthy benefits: housing & ticket
allowance, plenty of vacation days, etc.
• Note: don’t expect exuberant ex-pat style allowances,
we are still a modest SME ;)
THE PROPOSAL:
WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT
CHARLIE’S TRAVELS
CHARLIE’S TRAVELS - AFRICAN (AD)VENTURE, CEO WANTED
“ THE (AD)VENTURE OF A LIFETIME “

11. CHARLIE’S TRAVELS
CHARLIE’S TRAVELS - AFRICAN (AD)VENTURE, CEO WANTED
Applications deadline: January 31. The
sooner you apply the better, as we can then
start the application procedure. Send an
email to charles@charlies-travels.com and
guy@charlies-travels.com with a motivation
and an explanation as to why you are suitable
as CEO and co-shareholder of our beautiful
travel agency!
APPLICATION PROCEDURE
APPLICATION PROCEDURE

12. CHARLIE’S TRAVELS
CHARLIE’S TRAVELS - AFRICAN (AD)VENTURE, CEO WANTED
Do you know someone who is up for the
job? SHARE THE VACANCY ON YOUR FACEBOOK OR
LINKEDIN, OR INTRODUCE THE CANDIDATES VIA EMAIL
(charles@charlies-travels.com). If our new
CEO is reached via your network you’ll get
a finders fee of €1500! This agreement is
based on trust: the successful candidate will
let us know who they found out about this
job opportunity! Link vacancy on website.
SHARING
SHARING
IS CARING
IS CARING
FINDERS FEE: 1500 EURO
(OR TRAVEL CREDIT)