David Markham, with over 25 years of leadership in the global hospitality industry, has recently joined the Stenden South Africa Advisory Board as its new chairperson. With an impressive career that spans over 15 years in General Manager roles with IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) and a decade of multi-unit management experience in Shanghai, North East China, and Guangdong Province, Markham brings invaluable expertise to the table. His most recent position was in IHG Greater China, where he spent 12 years in corporate roles as VP of Operations and Director of Operations.
In an insightful conversation with Mr. Markham, we discussed his vision and goals for the Advisory Board. He emphasized the importance of aligning industry practices with academic learning:
“I think the key thing I’ve noticed, and it’s still early days for me, is the need for a closer synergy between the academic side of the Advisory Board and the industry experience of its members. Many of the board members are general managers or executives at hotel companies, and the goal is to put their operational expertise into the context of the university. It’s about how faculties can extract that real-world knowledge to ensure the hospitality management course remains relevant to today’s fast-evolving business landscape.”
He also expressed that while his background is primarily industry-focused rather than academic, he believes this will be an asset in fostering a stronger connection between real-world operations and academic training.
In a personal reflection, Markham shared an interesting connection with the previous Advisory Board Chairperson, Dr. Mornet, who was one of the senior lecturers at Witwatersrand (WITS) University in Johannesburg back in the late 1980s when he studied there.
David Markham’s extensive background in hospitality management and his passion for bridging the gap between industry and education will undoubtedly play a pivotal role in the continued success of Stenden South Africa.