Chief Operating Officer – Hospitality and Tourism

Ability Executive Recruitment | Full time

Chief Operating Officer – Hospitality and Tourism

Claremont, South Africa | Posted on 28/08/2026

The Chief Operating Officer – Hospitality and Tourism isaccountable for the operational leadership, performance and reputationalstewardship of the Company's hospitality and tourism portfolio, including owned andmanaged hotels and lodges. The role drives operational excellence, guestexperience standards, project delivery for new openings and refurbishments, andcommercial performance across the portfolio, while representing the Group'sinterests and image in all dealings with operators, contractors and stakeholders.

Operational Leadership

• Provide day-to-day operational oversight of all hospitality andtourism properties across NAM and PAM, ensuring consistent service, brand andquality standards.
• Lead and support General Managers and on-site leadership teams,including performance management, induction of new appointees andsuccession/handover planning.
• Ensure adequate on-site and remote coverage across all propertiesat all times, with documented handover protocols where personal presence is notpossible.

Project and Development Delivery

• Oversee capital and refurbishment projects at hospitality assets,coordinating with engineers, contractors and internal stakeholders to ensuredelivery on time, on budget and to specification.
• Lead pre-opening and stabilisation phases for new or repositionedhospitality assets, including operational readiness, staffing and systemsimplementation.
• Manage technical and project meetings, ensuring appropriaterepresentation and escalation of risks to the CEO and Exco.

Commercial and Governance Oversight

• Own portfolio-level commercial performance, including budgets,cost control and revenue optimisation, in coordination with Finance.
• Ensure compliance with applicable South African and Botswanalegislation, licensing, health and safety, and industry standards across allproperties.
• Manage relationships with third-party operators, consultants andcontractors, including consultancy and management agreements, in line withGroup governance and procurement standards.

Reputation and Stakeholder Management

• Safeguard and actively uphold the brand, reputation and image inall engagements with staff, guests, contractors and external stakeholders.
• Act as an escalation point for operational and conduct matters atproperty level, working with Group HR on disciplinary, grievance and workplaceconduct processes where required.Report regularly to the CEO and, as required, the Board/Exco onportfolio performance, project status and material risks.

Requirements

• Relevant tertiary qualification in Hospitality Management,Tourism, Business Administration or related field
• Minimum 10 years' senior operational experience in hospitality,lodge or hotel management, including multi-site or portfolio-level oversight
• Demonstrated experience managing capital projects, refurbishmentsor new property openings
• Working knowledge of South African and/or Botswana labour andhospitality regulatory frameworks
• Proven stakeholder management and crisis/reputation managementexperience
• Operational and commercial acumen across multi-site hospitalityoperations
• Strong governance, ethics and judgement, particularly inrepresenting the Group's reputation
• Project management and delivery discipline
• People leadership, including performance and conduct management
• Resilience and availability to manage time-critical, multi-siteoperational demands

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