Mark Wernich
With high-wattage GM Mark Wernich lighting the way, it is no surprise that Radisson Blu Gautrain Hotel has earned multiple accolades, including winning World Luxury Hotel’s ‘2014 Luxury Business Hotel of the Year’. Find out more about this dynamic powerhouse.
Cape Town born and bred Mark Wernich has plugged right into the high-energy drive and excitement of life in cosmopolitan Johannesburg as though to the manor born. “I’m totally inspired by the energy and vibe you find in Johannesburg, especially in the renewed rise of the old city centre. In Sandton, people operate at kilometres an hour: it is a high-speed, New York-style vibe, with a positive, can-do philosophy that is so inspiring. Quality is key, and the way people here always take things on – and do them well – is exciting. It fits right in with Radisson Blu’s ‘Yes, I Can’ ethos.”
“Our sheer wattage – the energy of our people, who are driven to provide excellent customer service and who have embraced our ‘Yes, I Can’ philosophy – is what makes the Radisson Blu Gautrain stand out from other luxury hotels in the area. With cross-training in different hotels and meaningful staff empowerment, the Radisson group really invests in staff training, which has resulted in a benchmark that is well above comparable luxury hotels.”
It seems Mark was made for a career in the hospitality industry: “I have a sister in the business and so I went to work with her in restaurants and bars as a young student in the summers. During my military service I served as a chef, which made me realise I was made for the energy and drive of this business, and I’ve been in it ever since.”
Five years ago, after nearly 14 years with the Protea Hotel group followed by stints at Rebserve and Relais Hotels, Mark joined Rezidor, the dynamic hotel group behind Radisson Blu and other expertly curated luxury hotels around the world. His first challenge was to spearhead the hugely successful opening of the Park Inn Foreshore. Two years later he moved on to the Radisson Blu Gautrain in Sandton, where his dynamic energy continues to inspire the team to greater heights than ever. “I love the people, the energy, the interactions with our great staff and fantastic customers. It is a thrill to end up with a platform where the property is producing and to see the results, such as winning awards – for example, our executive chef Stuart Cason won Best Chef at the Cape Legends Inter-hotel Challenge 2014. If you’ve ever savoured his pork belly or chicken dishes at our Central One Restaurant, you’ll know exactly why he was victorious. We’ve also won best business hotel in 2013 at the Business Traveller Awards, Best Dish at Restaurant Week 2013 and, of course, World Luxury Hotel award for Best Luxury Business Hotel in 2014.”
Asked to describe his management style, Mark says, “I love to empower employees. Our guests’ high expectations around service-delivery always keep us on top of our game so we can ensure that, even with South Africa’s volatile labour force, our staff is excited, fresh and can deliver everything our customers need. It is exciting to lead talented and really bright people in an inclusive way.”
When Mark is not feeding off the energy and vibe of life in the big city, he recharges with weekends in the bush interspersed with loads of sport to keep him super-fit and powered up for the next week’s challenges and excitement.
Source: Powered up: Meet our driving force, General Manager Mark Wernich – MyPR
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