As the driving force behind UnionGold’s next chapter, he embraces high-risk bets, champions Zambian tourism, and balances family dynamics with visionary grit. This is how a new generation builds on a foundation of ambition.
A few months ago, I wrote about “The Man Who Built Lusaka”, the straight-talking, clear-minded business titan Mark O’Donnell. As the founder of UnionGold Group, Mark built a business empire spanning hospitality, real estate, construction, manufacturing, and mining. But readers will recall that he never took sole credit; at the heart of his story was his family, whom he consistently praised as key contributors to his entrepreneurial journey.
In a full-circle moment, the story continues with the next generation: Mark’s son, Christopher O’Donnell, now steering UnionGold’s future as Head of New Projects and Business Development.
Little is publicly known about Christopher. He has no social media presence, and a quick Google search mostly turns up an American actor with the same name. But Christopher O’Donnell is very real. I met him at Protea Hotel Lusaka Tower, and our conversation unfolded over a Whiskey Sour and an Espresso Martini at the bar.
While Mark laid the foundations, Christopher is building the next era, introducing fresh ideas and a forward-thinking approach that could reshape the business for decades to come. The night before our chat, he had a late night tinkering with ChatGPT, a system he believes could significantly improve operations. It’s a small moment, but it speaks volumes. As Zambia’s travel, hospitality, and urban development landscape shifts, his vision offers a compelling look at how legacy adapts to the future.
The Unlikely Path Back to Zambia
Born and raised in Zambia, Christopher recalls childhood days spent on the family farm in Chisamba, long before it became part of the Marriott portfolio. Despite growing up in the orbit of one of Zambia’s most prominent businessmen, life felt remarkably normal; there was no pressure to join the family business. Instead, the focus was on exploration, education, and finding his path.
At the age of 15, Christopher left Zambia to attend school abroad. He later earned admission to Cornell University, in the quiet town of Ithaca, New York. He planned to build a career abroad, testing his skills and gaining global experience.
But timing had other plans. The 2008 financial crisis struck just as Christopher was graduating, narrowing job prospects, even for Ivy League alumni. With opportunities scarce, he returned to Zambia to join the family enterprise.
Twelve years later, Christopher has no regrets. What began as a redirection has evolved into a fulfilling career. In stepping into the business, he found not only purpose but a platform to shape the next chapter of the O’Donnell legacy. At UnionGold, Christopher focuses on new projects and development. But to understand his approach, you need to know how he thinks about growth itself. During our conversation, he shared a philosophy that reveals much about his mindset: “You measure success by how many times you’ve failed. If you have too many successes, your dreams are too small. Look for something with a 99% chance of failure and a 1% chance of success.”
I raised an eyebrow. 99% sounds steep. But he smiled and continued: “That 1% is what builds another 100-year-old business. We’ve had a lot of failures, but that’s part of the process. You have to think short, medium, and long term.”
That ethos is perhaps best exemplified by Bonanza, one of Christopher’s signature projects over the last eight years. Today, Bonanza is a staple of Lusaka’s luxury landscape, a destination in its own right. But Bonanza is not just a story of ambition. It’s also one of chance and conviction.
Betting Big During a Pandemic
The turning point came during a chance encounter with Peter Matkovich, a famed golf architect at a Lusaka event. Christopher was initially planning a modest golf facility. Peter challenged him to aim higher, to build something of world-class quality. Christopher listened and acted. He convinced his family to change course. No pun intended.
Then came the storm. The second phase, the construction of Ciela Hotel, was undertaken at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Travel halted. Revenue vanished. Liquidity dried up. And to compound it all, one of the financing banks hiked interest rates during the crisis. It would have been understandable to pause or pull out. But that’s not how the O’Donnells operate.
Bonanza became more than a property. It became proof that bold thinking and strategic risk can deliver landmark results, even in the midst of a crisis.
Business runs deep in Christopher’s veins. He understands the mechanics of entrepreneurship, risk, investment, and growth. But for him, it’s never just about balance sheets and buildings. Like his father, Christopher is driven by a bigger idea: economic progress for Zambia.
That led him to serve as Vice Chair of the Tourism Council of Zambia, a nonprofit advocacy body that shapes national policy and promotes a stronger tourism environment. The Council works with the Zambia Tourism Agency to influence legislation, attract investment, and position Zambia as a premier destination.
Their advocacy effort is starting to show. Zambia has recorded a new high of 2.2 million foreign arrivals. It was named one of the Top 10 Places to Visit by Condé Nast Traveller. And perhaps most notably, lions were successfully reintroduced into Nsumbu National Park, which boosted both conservation efforts and the tourism brand.
Christopher is focused on unlocking more potential. “There are a few things that could work overnight,” he explains. “First is the marketing budget. If you look at our competition, our neighbouring countries, we’re far behind. That can have an immediate impact within 12 months.”
His logic is direct. “We don’t need five years to build new infrastructure. Marketing is quick. The more money you invest, the higher the returns you receive. And it benefits everyone, not just the people of Lusaka. People want to visit far-off places, but they often don’t know about them. So we must first tell them.”
It’s a reminder that Christopher’s ambitions extend far beyond Bonanza or UnionGold. He’s thinking about Zambia’s place in the global tourism ecosystem and how to build an economy that not only grows but also uplifts communities from Livingstone to Nsumbu.
Outside of work, Christopher is entering a new chapter, and he’s getting married to his best friend. Most of his time away from business is spent with his fiancée, enjoying the outdoors. “To be able to marry your best friend is something I cherish. We spend a lot of time in nature, like the Leopards Hill Forest Reserve, we go camping, and I have a dog that we spend a lot of time with.”
Working in a family business has its rewards and challenges. Christopher speaks candidly about the dynamic with his father, Mark. While both are visionaries, their styles sometimes clash. “He’s very determined and has very clear thinking. He can take a complex problem and break it down to its simplest form. I’d like to think I’m similar in some ways, but I also approach things differently. He and I have big arguments in our board meetings over lunch, and they can get pretty loud. We’re both thinking far into the future, and we both think big. But while he wants to go one way and I want to go another, we’re ultimately aiming for the same outcome. We’re both so stubborn that we do clash sometimes. My mother sits back, waits for the argument to end, and then we follow whatever she says,” he chuckles.
What emerges is a portrait of a tight-knit family balancing drive with deep respect—unified in ambition, even when opinions differ. These relationships form the bedrock of UnionGold’s evolving legacy. As things change, the more they stay the same. Christopher is undeniably cut from the same cloth as his father. Mark O’Donnell built his empire on vision, grit, and common-sense business. Now, sitting across from Christopher, it’s clear that ethos endures. As our conversation wraps, Christopher reflects on the weight and privilege of carrying the O’Donnell legacy forward.
“Normally, it’s the old man who sits in the hot seat, but I did enjoy this. We have a responsibility. This is our home, we’ve been here a long time, and we want to stay for a long time. We want to shape this country, and I think we’re doing a good thing.”
From Mark to Christopher, the story of UnionGold is not just a handover. It’s a continuation, and so Zambia’s growth marches forward, powered by visionaries who dream in decades.
