First Group, a hospitality managing agent, has announced the appointment of Jerod Flaum as the new Regional Manager for the KwaZulu Natal region.
He brings 33 years of experience, having worked with the country’s leading hospitality brands that span across luxury resort and city hotel management to new property launches, after recently opening a hotel in Kampala, Uganda.
Flaum’s credentials comprise five years at Sun City in various hotel management positions that include Resident Manager at The Palace of the Lost City and GM of The Cascades Hotel at Sun City. In addition, he held GM positions at Zimbali Coastal Resort and Mabula Game Lodge. He was the Operations Manager for Coastlands Hotels and Resorts and the Regional Operations Manager with Premier Hotels in the Eastern Cape.
He graduated from Wits Hotel School in 1987 and then went on to do an in-service apprenticeship with Southern Sun for three years and more recently received a Certified Hotel Administrator diploma through the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA).
In his new role, Flaum will ensure the continued growth of the eight properties under his management. These include Selborne Hotel, Spa and Golf Estate on the KZN South Coast, La Montagne on the KZN North Coast, Midlands Saddle and Trout and The Palace on the Durban promenade.
First Group Managing Director, Shaun Lamont, says: “We are excited to have Flaum as part of our team and look forward to the value that his experience will bring to the management of some of our premier properties.”
Drive South Africa has appointed Kirsten van der Hoven as its new Business and Relationship Manager.
Van der Hoven joins the Cape Town-based online car rental agency after 20 years’ service at Bidvest Car Rental. He will be establishing Drive South Africa’s B2B car rental offering.
The new B2B platform allows tourism and other businesses to access a consolidated industry rental fleet at pre-negotiated rates via a single login.
“We are delighted to have Kirsten join the Drive South Africa team. He has vast tourism industry experience, in-depth car-rental experience but, most importantly, he places customer service central to everything he does. We couldn’t have asked for a better candidate to take our B2B offering to market and to represent our business in this next growth strategy,” comments Steve Conradie, Managing Director and Co-Founder of Drive South Africa.
Fairlawns Boutique Hotel & Spa in Johannesburg recently appointed Jandri Niemand as Executive Chef.
He received a bursary to attend the Swiss Hotel School and then went on to take up the position as Sous Chef in Dubai and within two years was the Head Chef at the age of 22.
Michael Kewley, Managing Director of Fairlawns, says: “He (Niemand) is a breath of fresh air and we look forward to seeing and tasting his creations.”
