Kisawa Sanctuary in Mozambique, Africa has just announced a new set of executive appointments. The internationally recognized coastal sanctuary welcomed a new general manager and director of sales and marketing to its team, bolstering its commitment to offer luxurious getaways while preserving the local ecosystem and protecting the animals that call it home.
In a press release, the company announced that Mathias Gerds will take the helm as general manager, while Silvia Manganaro will serve as appointed director of sales and marketing at Kisawa Sanctuary.
In his role as general manager, Gerds will lead the Kisawa Sanctuary team—strengthening the resort’s commitment to building a bond between people and place, life and land. With over 20 years of leadership experience representing some of the world’s most iconic hotel brands, Mathias Gerds’ brand experience includes the Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas, St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, and Kempinski Hotels. Originally from Germany, Gerds’ portfolio spans Asia, Europe, and the CIS, and with it, a world-class collection of properties.
Gerds has ambitious plans for growth, “I’ve already been impressed by the level of personalized luxury and detailed attention to the guest experience at Kisawa. In addition to the resort’s roots in Mozambican culture and sustainability, I find this new role incredibly rewarding.”
Born in Italy, Silvia Manganaro will lead the sanctuary’s commercial team, facilitating Kisawa’s drive into wider markets and spearheading the property’s marketing and sales strategy. With more than 17 years of expertise and an excellent track record in achieving high hotel deliverables, she has represented a selection of ultra-luxury boutique properties across Europe and, most recently, within the leadership teams at AMAN Venice and Il Salviatino in Tuscany.
“I joined Kisawa because I fell in love with the project. It is a landmark for those seeking a different type of luxury: a luxury that has its roots in the culture and the people of the island, offering a genuine approach to protecting and preserving the incredible nature that surrounds the resort – perfectly blending in rather than interrupting,” Silvia commented.
Kisawa Sanctuary is a 300-hectare oceanfront outdoor resort located on Benguerra Island in Mozambique, Africa.
The Sanctuary offers guests the utmost privacy across 5 kilometers of the Indian Ocean coastline and enables them to support marine research and conservation, via its sister property Bazaruto Center for Scientific Studies, Africa’s first permanent Ocean Observatory.
Featured image from Kisawa Sanctuary.