Tsogo Sun is pleased to announce the appointment of its first female Director of Operations KwaZulu-Natal Hotels, Samantha Croft.

Mandated with supporting the management team in driving the hotel operations in the province, Croft’s strong knowledge and understanding of the hospitality and tourism sector, especially in strategic business development and in driving corporate social responsibility initiatives has catapulted her to the region’s leading role.

“It is my honour to be appointed to this key position in the Durban region. Tsogo Sun is committed to building a talent pool of highly skilled professionals focusing our commitment to service excellence. As a hotelier, I am passionate about growing new talent and bringing a distinctive and stronger Tsogo Sun touch to our city,” said Croft.

Tsogo Sun Hotels CEO Marcel von Aulock said: “We are very proud to be part of this historic appointment. We are committed to empowering our women in leadership at Tsogo Sun, and this announcement is a momentous achievement, for our group.

“We are confident that this milestone, the appointment of the first, female regional Director of Operations will inspire other women across the country to pursue their career aspirations in hospitality,” said von Aulock.

Despite the huge demands and challenges faced as the first female regional leader in hospitality on the Golden Mile, Croft still finds a tremendous amount of joy in her work.

The most important aspect of the hospitality industry, she says, is to have the right attitude.

“Sincerity and willingness to serve, and the dedication that comes with that, are vital. Of course there are challenges, but they’re all part of a great job.

You have to look for solutions and move forward as a team. It’s important to solve issues together and put policies and procedures in place so you don’t repeat the mistakes,” she says.

“There is an amazing atmosphere down here and it’s fascinating to watch the changes.”

With a keen eye for detail, Croft is constantly keeping abreast with tourism trends and developments and is keen to explore areas for improvement.

“My mantra is ‘hire for attitude, train for skill’. In order to live this, it is imperative that I create an environment conducive to growth. I believe without this, I would not be surrounded by a competent team of individuals.

“I firmly believe in a ‘hands â€" on’ approach and investing time in individuals, by personally imparting knowledge from personal experience.”