"Hospitality is a way of life"

Adriaan du Plessis - Operations Manager Orion Hotels and Resorts - May 2007.

Last year, in a move to enhance operations management and complement its expansion strategy, South Africa's largest independently owned hotel group, Orion Hotels and Resorts, appointed Adriaan du Plessis as operations manager.

"Du Plessis brings to Orion the skills and insight accumulated during more than 13 years of impressive performance in the hospitality industry," said Franz Gmeiner Orion Group CEO. "His expertise in management and operational roles and his management philosophy are ideal additions to the management team and will help us continue the strong performance we have already seen with the Orion brand. With a career encompassing every level of the business, from individual hotel management to corporate strategy, Adriaan is the ideal person to join our national operations team."

After leaving school Du Plessis spent two years in the medical corp of the SA Defence Force after which he attended RAU University where he studied for a B.Comm degree in financial management. On completion of his degree, Du Plessis went to Switzerland where he attended a prestigious Swiss Hotel School. He says that what he learnt there has been invaluable. The Swiss tradition of quality, sound management, and ‘getting things done right first time' has been the cornerstone of his career. "The school enabled me to develop competency in the core hospitality skills as well as the correct attitude that is needed for a career in the industry. I learnt that real managerial confidence starts with practical competence, and most importantly, I learnt that hospitality is not a science but a way of life."

A perfectionist and a firm believer in participative management Du Plessis' extensive experience encompasses various managerial positions at some of the country's most prominent hotels and resorts. He spent time with the Southern Sun group at both unit and regional levels covering operational and financial management before being approached by the Compass Group, the world's second largest food services company. As Compass' national key accounts manager, he gained further valuable experience and insights into hospitality.

During his tenure with Southern Sun Du Plessis met Warren Hewitt, who became his mentor. The mentorship continued when Hewitt moved to the Arabella Sheraton as the financial director and Du Plessis joined Compass. He credits Hewitt with teaching him a lot about the industry. "A committed mentor like Warren is undoubtedly a great help when you are trying to gain experience in this industry. I have the utmost respect for him and others who take the time to mentor newcomers."

Du Plessis, who originally wanted to be a doctor, delights in the strategising and logistics that are now part of his position. He is perceptive and intuitive with a particularly warm and engaging personality and he is highly respected by his peers. He believes in always looking for what is right. "I prefer to focus on the positive rather than the negative," he says. "I believe that everybody has a voice and given a chance to be proactive, and with the right input, everyone can make a valuable contribution to the organisation.

"I am fortunate at Orion in that I have a great support team – we have lots of synergy and between us a very wide range of skills. I also enjoy Franz Gmeiner's leadership – it's nice to work width someone that you can actually learn a lot from."

Du Plessis is not office bound in his new role – he believes in the company's approach to hotel development, management and operations, which is hands-on, and features frequent site visits and constant communication with all role players. "We have centralized accounting, financial reporting systems, strategic marketing, human resources, and day-to-day operations management systems that are designed to increase guest satisfaction as well as the market share and profitability of all our properties."

In the past, despite his hectic schedule, Du Plessis who is a sports enthusiast has managed to contribute a considerable amount of his time to coaching and the advancement of rugby. Time permitting, he looks forward to further future involvement with the sport. Du Plessis lives in Johannesburg and is happily married to Charmaine, an optometrist.

"Du Plessis' appointment has enhanced our operational strength and has enabled us to better service the needs of the hotel properties in our portfolio, as well as to position the Orion Hotel Group for future growth," said Gmeiner. "We are very conscious that we must continue to develop our product and services in order to retain our existing clients and attract new guests. Guest comfort and satisfaction is always a priority. We consistently strive to meet the expectations and needs of all our hotel guests and we are continually re-examining and trying to improve every aspect of our brand in order to meet our goal of getting better everyday in every way." The appointment of Du Plessis to the management team is an important step in the pursuit of our goals. His passion and commitment to the hotels and to the Orion group overall is a tremendous asset to our organisation and we commend him on his successes to date."