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.
Emily Bell is the first girl to kayak the length of Britain as the crew captain on Sean Conway’s record-breaking swim. Stand-up paddle boarded 1001 miles down the Missouri River as the writer on Dave Cornthwaite’s big swim. Back in London, she is Deputy Editor of new adventure magazine, Avaunt. With many other adventures up […]
Nicholas Rawhani first felt the urge to photograph everything around him on a family trip to India. Today, he shares the things that shock his senses on his photo blog, iamnixpix , which is a vehicle he uses to capture the beauty that surrounds him and communicate those indescribable emotions that he feels on a […]
Gayathri Ramprasad is the Founder and President of ASHA International a non-profit organization promoting personal, organizational, and community wellness. And, the author of Shadows in the Sun: Healing from Depression and Finding the Light Within. Her successful battle in overcoming life-threatening mental illness and her amazing recovery taught her the power of hope and holistic […]
An experienced strategist, trainer and customer experience improvement specialist, Nathalie has more than 25 years’ experience in the customer service industry. Nathalie’s commitment to enabling her clients to deliver service excellence, coupled with her insight into the vital role that exceptional service has to play in ensuring the lasting success of any company, allows Nathalie […]
Stephen Koch is a professional speaker, climber, snowboarder and mountain guide. His list of alpine ascents and descents include some of the most notable firsts anywhere in the world, most of which have never been repeated. He is best known as the first and only person to snowboard on all Seven Summits, the highest peak […]
Alex Okosi is a Nigerian-born, US-educated media executive responsible for developing and launching MTV Africa (MTV Base) in February 2005. Currently, he is responsible for managing the growth and development of the Viacom International Media Networks Africa business – a multichannel portfolio that reaches over 100 million viewers and includes MTV, MTV base, Nickelodeon, VH1, […]
Bora Yoon Definition Of Success | Success means living a satisfied life, in which one can pursue the art of creation, cultivating self-knowledge, community and enlightenment both inwards and outwards. I Am Driven By | Transformation, purpose and progress, creating something that wasn’t there before. Defying people’s perceptions and ideas of what could or should be, and […]
Ugwem Eneyo | The Legacy Project is Nigerian-American engineer, inventor and entrepreneur, currently serving as the co-founder and CEO of SHYFT Power Solutions (formerly known as Solstice Energy Solutions), a venture-backed, award-winning energy technology company. The company is a bi-product of her research as a former Stanford MS/PhD student in Civil & Environmental Engineering. Prior […]
These remain the property of its owner and are not affiliated with or endorsed by WeSpeak Global.
Our Mission
© All rights reserved 2025. Created using VOXEL THEME
