Leading on the Frontline

Foreword bySir Richard Branson

I first heard about Linda Cruse through her fearless, compassionate and practical approach to humanitarian work in Thailand. Finding herself in the middle of chaotic scenes, Linda pulled together a high-level taskforce to provide a business ‘hand-up’ for hundreds of survivors of the Asian tsunami. From this moment, her reputation as a courageous humanitarian leader had been established and I wondered how I could involve her in the work of my foundation, Virgin Unite. Soon after, Linda and I worked together for the first time, it was 2005 and we were in Soweto, South Africa leading a group of international business leaders, demonstrating how business can be a ‘force for good’. Linda, in her usual yes-style approach to my request, had flown over to assist.

Three years later, we’re in Morocco. A failed hot air balloon experiment in the late 1990s had led me to Marrakech, where I had fallen in love with the Moroccan people and their country. I wanted to do something that would support them and bring more people to this beautiful place, so with the encouragement of my parents, I bought a crumbling citadel and set about transforming it into the Kasbah Tamadot hotel. Prior to opening, we worked hard to train members of the Berber community to take on the roles of head of departments, waiters, cooks, housekeepers and receptionists. It wasn’t easy, but we did it. Following the official opening, I began to look beyond the walls of the hotel for ways to uplift ...