In 1984, at a time when South Africa was beginning to feel the consequences of international isolation and sanctions, and when the tourism and hospitality industries faced bankruptcy and failure, Protea Hotels was launched – without a cent of capital and with just four hotels. Under the leadership of Arthur Gillis, the Protea Hotels Group grew from the initial four hotels to over 130 hotels operating in seven African countries, and is today the largest and leading hotel operating company in Africa.
Arthur is currently the CEO of Platinum Hospitality Holdings, a leading hotel asset management company with approximately 15 hotels in South Africa.
He has been extremely active in all facets of the hospitality industry and has received many industry awards. He was recognised by a highly esteemed business community, having received the ABSA Jewish Achiever of the Year Award for non-list companies in 2008.
Where do you think your ‘MAGIC’ comes from? | Insatiable curiosity.
What do you think is often the difference between people who are good at what they do and people who are great at what they do? | Persistence and getting up again when knocked down.
What are the principles and values that you believe are important to live by? | Respect for human dignity.
What is your biggest weakness? | A belief that everyone around me is honest.
What are the most important lessons you have learnt so far, in your career or life journey? This could be anything from very simple small lessons to much larger bigger lessons. | To remove myself from toxic relationships as soon as possible.
What is the best advice you have ever received? | Narrow your business focus and pursue it relentlessly.
Who inspires you and who are your role-models? | My wife Lauren who sees only good in people and works tirelessly for those who don’t have opportunities.
Alyson McGregor is a graduate of Boston University School of Medicine and Brown University Emergency Medicine Residency. Dr. McGregor is the Director for the Division of Sex and Gender in Emergency Medicine (SGEM), formerly Women’s Health in Emergency Care, at Alpert Medical School Department of Emergency Medicine and Co-Director for SGEM Fellowship. Dr. McGregor is […]
Rose Caiola could have easily been defined by her success in the highly competitive world of New York City real estate, but she has ventured far beyond the boundaries of the business world. Her yearning for a better understanding of human wellness has taken her down diverse paths and led her to meet many fascinating […]
Willis Raburu is one of Citizen TV’s fast rising journalists, based in Nairobi Kenya. A distinctive and versatile TV journalist, he brings a weekly segment on Citizen TV dubbed “TruthMeter” part of Citizen TV’s weekly new prime-time line-up of programming. My Definition Of Success | Success to me used to mean a good house, a […]
Tessa Plen is a highly accomplished global change-agent for growth and development of individuals, companies and products. She has worked in senior positions at blue-chip multinationals like Colgate Palmolive (associate Director of Innovation) and Unilever in South Africa, Paris, London, Sydney and New York before recently returning to South Africa. She has implemented growth and […]
Dr Sherylle Calder is a visual skills coach and guru. She is a sport scientist and performance coach, who is also known as “The Eye Lady”. Dr Calder has helped teams win 2 back-to-back Rugby World Cups amongst many other sporting trophies and her expertise in this field has long been recognised by the top […]
Anthony Christov is an art director currently designing the look for films at award-winning Pixar Animation Studios. He most recently art directored WALL•E. He worked in a similar capacity for the successful Finding Nemo animated feature and was the set designer for Cars and The Incredibles. My Definition Of Success | I think success is having […]
Shaun Harris is most well-known for his recent role as MD for Futurelife, which he helped become the fastest growing cereal brand in SA as well as market leader in its own new segment, increasing it’s revenue tenfold and in the process leading the brand to win numerous national and international awards along the way. […]
Platinum-selling South African singer/model/actress Lira (which translates to “love” in Sesotho) has already conquered South Africa and much of Europe with her irresistible blend of R&B, Jazz and African styles. She is a multi-platinum selling and an 8x South African Music Award-winning Afro-Soul vocalist and with her debut U.S. release and a US tour in […]
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