PRO STAFF SELECT - Key Persons

After completing his full-time studies in Hotel Management, at M.L. Sultan Technikon Gavin quickly emerged through the ranks within the industry at institutions like The Royal Hotel in Durban, Elangeni, Umhlanga Sands, and The Cape Sun in Cape Town and later the President Hotel in Sea Point. Whilst he prides himself with his exacting standards of Restaurant, Banqueting and Front of House Service, he soon responded to his passion for training within his varied operational positions and to a greater extent in his capacity as Banqueting Manager and Operations Manager within the Southern Suns Group. "The energy, thrill and vibe" Gavin says "of watching your efforts pay off at remote and off-site catering venues and events made it all worth while". Known for his consistency and delivery of professional service, Gavin happily accepted the challenge to manage and operate all Food and Beverage responsibilities at the IHMES Management and Culinary School in the UK. This four-year experience in a formal training and education business brought Gavin home to South Africa to the excitement of opening the first school and campus of the International Hotel School at The Carlton Hotel, Johannesburg in 1993. Over the ten years that followed, Gavin was tasked with opening the subsequent campuses of IHS in Durban, and finally making his way to Cape Town. In 2003 Gavin joined the Institute of Culinary Arts at Spier as Operations Director and partner of this unique chef training establishment. This is where his realisation of the recruitment needs was further amplified, and frustrations of yet another yet more highly skilled sector within the hospitality industry were identified.

With a study career that so far has reached the level and recognition of an Honours Degree in Industrial Psychology, Tania's early career started in the Tourism and Hospitality industry after Graduating with a Tourism Diploma at Cape Town University of Technology. These early years formed the foundation of her service culture particularly in her working experience within Rooms Division at the original 5-Star President Hotel in Sea Point, Cape Town. It wasn't long before the international bug bit and Tania soon found herself operating, managing and lecturing at the South East Asian targeted Hospitality Management School on the Isle of Man in the UK; initially a coastal resort hotel converted to a fully operational international hotel management school. After being renewed several times, this contract lasted four years also affording Tania the time to commence her studies in Industrial Psychology. Returning to South Africa, Tania entered the corporate environment due to her strengths in finance, organisation and administration. After her employment contract at Syfrets, she entered the recruitment industry when she joined the Kelly Personnel Group and later moved on to Proudfoot PLC Management Consultants in Johannesburg. In this time she was also successful in obtaining her BCom Degree with distinctions. Her relocation to Durban brought her into employment with Amalgamated Beverage Industries - ABI, Coca Cola's bottling and manufacturing regional office. Her influences at ABI brought her even closer to a desire and passion for understanding and working with people and spearheaded her studies even further in Industrial Psychology which she focused on extensively while managing her family and relocation "back home" as she says to the Western Cape. As one of the co-founders of the business, Tania is the mastermind behind the standards, systems and administrative policies and procedures at Pro Staff Select. Her talents are also visible in the business in particular her discerning and intuitive ability to source out the perfect candidates for the corporate market.