Spotlight On Katie Murphy

What is your role at Royal African Safaris?

My primary role at Royal African is to help guests prepare for their safari. There are many details to consider when preparing for a safari and I enjoy getting to know our guests, providing them with information about the countries they will visit and helping them to make sure they have everything they need when it comes time to travel.

You say “primary.”  Do you have another role and how did that develop?

When I am not working directly with guests, I am busy overseeing the development and maintenance of our database system. This role developed out of necessity as our database continued to grow over the years. I also enjoying collaborating with our marketing team on publications like this one and our annual Royal African Safaris Newspaper. 

How did you come to work for Royal African Safaris?

I came to Royal African 16 years ago, quite literally with a new baby in tow as I couldn’t find a sitter during my scheduled interview time. As I recall, Petrina needed extra help with a large group safari and, 16 years later, I am still here (and that baby has her driver’s license!) I guess it goes without saying that my role wasn’t very temporary after all and I am so happy to be a part of the Royal African Family.

What do you enjoy the most about your job?

I enjoy the connections I get to make, not only with our guests from all over North America (and beyond) but also with so many remarkable colleagues located all over the world. 

Tell us a little bit about yourself? 

I am a Wisconsin native who was transplanted to Salt Lake City at an early age. I live here with my husband Mark, our kids Ian and Annie and our very needy golden retriever Ollie who can often be found under my desk at the office.

I have recently rediscovered my love of tennis and am eagerly anticipating the arrival of springtime weather, as indoor court availability in Salt Lake is hard to come by.

Do you have any memorable “safari “moments

My favorite safari moments definitely come from my family’s safari to Kenya when the kids were younger.  Watching the world through their young eyes was magical. I loved seeing them experience our safari, every step of the journey, each new animal spotted, learning from incredible guides, giggling on vehicle rooftops with their favorite spotters. This uninterrupted family time is so hard to come by these days, it’s priceless.

What’s your favorite animal and why?

I have many favorites, they are all fascinating in their own way. If I had to pick one, in this spirit of this interview, it would have to be the ostrich. In particular, the very awkward ostrich we watched do a mad dash across the Mara, I can’t even remember what he or she was running from but I do remember belly laughs from everyone in the vehicle.