With nearly 100 hotels in operation and development in Africa, including an additional seven new hotels this year, which added over 1,200 hotel rooms to its portfolio, Radisson Hotel Group is surely on a path of sustained growth in the African hospitality market.
Of course, the impressive growth has already placed the Group well on track to reach its goal of 150 hotels in Africa within the next five years.
Also, the Group’s portfolio in Nigeria has increased to 13 hotels and over 1700 rooms in operation and under development, including five new hotels signed in 2023.
In view of the above and for better coordination and leadership in the African operation, especially in its English-speaking markets, Radisson Hotel Group recently promoted Sandra Kneubuhler to the position of the Managing Director for Africa.
With over two decades of hospitality expertise, Kneubuhler, who is based in Johannesburg, South Africa, will now oversee the Group’s operations across the English-speaking African countries, and also to ensure that the Group continues in building on its strong presence and success across the continent.
She joined Radisson in February 2019 as the Country Director of Sales and later became District Director for South Africa, where she demonstrated exceptional leadership and strategic vision in developing and growing the company’s presence in South Africa.
In her initial role, she established the South African Cluster Sales Team, tasked with selling Radisson’s 11 branded hotels across the country. She successfully positioned key revenue segments such as leisure, MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions), government, travel management companies, and corporate clients, resulting in 11 percent growth in the corporate segment within her first year.
Under her guidance, the sales team also grew significantly in capability and performance, now comprising 14 highly skilled sales professionals.
Also, before joining Radisson, she held several senior roles at Hyatt Hotels Corporation. From 2015 to 2019, she was the Global Sales Director for Africa, based in South Africa, where she launched new global sales offices and achieved a 30 percent increase in revenue by the end of her second year.
As well, she played a critical role in sourcing key accounts across corporate, MICE, crew, and leisure markets, contributing to Hyatt’s global revenue stream. Sandra also provided valuable revenue support and joined task teams for new property openings, working closely with Hyatt’s leadership across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East region (EAME-SWA).
Kneubuhler’s earlier experience at Hyatt includes her time as acting general manager at Hyatt Regency Oubaai, South Africa, where she improved Gross Operating Profit (GOP) by 37 percent and implemented impactful cost-saving strategies. Prior to that, she served as Director of Sales and Marketing and as Revenue Manager at Hyatt Regency Oubaai. In these roles, she developed comprehensive sales strategies, optimized distribution channels, and directed an extensive revenue forecasting process.
Her international experience also includes roles in Doha, Qatar, as sales manager for Grand Hyatt Doha, where she led sales efforts in corporate segments and identified new markets, including the UK and US.
Kneubuhler began her hospitality career at Hyatt Regency Johannesburg, South Africa, where she excelled in sales, securing new business and enhancing team performance. Her foundational experience in hospitality is further enriched by roles outside South Africa. She worked in Thailand as a Front Office Receptionist at Imperial Boathouse Hotel and in Switzerland as a Waitron at Schweizerhof Hotel. She also gained experience in Zambia as a caterer with Robin Pope Safaris.
Her extensive and diverse background across multiple countries and hospitality roles makes her a seasoned leader with deep insights into the African market.
Read also: Radisson Hotel Group bolsters Nigerian portfolio with 13th hotel
At a reception in her honour by the hotels under the group in Nigeria, which held recently at Radisson Blu Ikeja, Kneubuhler, who has demonstrated exceptional leadership and a commitment to excellence since joining Radisson Hotel Group in February 2019, expressed her excitement to be in Nigeria, a country she decried as “a market with great potential”.
She does not see a daunting task ahead in her new role, but a positively challenging one with team work, that would grow the group’s brand presence, boost careers and lift people, while impacting the industry at large, in her area of operation.
“I am honored to take on this new role and to lead our talented teams across Africa,” Kneubuhler said at her Nigerian reception, where most of the general managers and sales directors are known faces to her.
“Radisson Hotel Group’s dedication to innovation and excellence resonates deeply with me, and I look forward to driving continued growth and success across our markets in Africa.”
Kneubuhler used the reception platform to reel out feats of the group in Nigeria.
“We have 5 hotels in operation, 8 under development and by 2027 we will have 2000 operating rooms in Nigeria. In 2026, Radisson Blu and Radisson Red will both open in Abuja”, she said excitedly.
While the feats are commendable, she noted that, “It is not all about growing the brand in Nigeria. The most important commitment of the Group is to grow the people. We have seen colleagues who have grown consistently in their careers throughout their time working in Radisson”.
However, her visit brought good tidings for the Nigerian market as Radisson Hotel Group plans to establish Radisson Academy in Lagos.
“We excited to bring Radisson Academy Live to Lagos next year and I know our team will embrace it and make the most out of it. It is our business school where we focus on training and developing our teams,” she explained.
Though the academy’s online platform offers over 30,000 training courses available free to the group’s employees and team members, the true experience and learning, according to her, is when you join people face to face because hospitality is a face to face business.
The rationale for the academy is the fact that it is increasingly becoming difficult for Nigerians to travel in order to participate in the academy’s training, hence bringing to their door step in Lagos and also to grow hospitality talents that would become professionals tomorrow.
Read also: Radisson Hotel Group bolsters Nigerian portfolio with 13th hotel
Speaking on her focus at the reception cocktail event, the new Managing Director for Africa, Radisson Hotel Group, explained that her focus is a balance between growing revenue and growing people.
“We can be very strategic and very smart without going crazy and running around looking for business.
“I believe in that when we grow people and they grow us. So, my absolute commitment is growing people,” she noted.
The new appointment has also attracted endorsements from her colleagues.
Tim Cordon, chief operating officer, Middle East, Africa and South East Asia Pacific at Radisson Hotel Group said, “We are thrilled to have Sandra step into this vital role as Managing Director for Africa. Her leadership and achievements within South Africa have set a new benchmark, and we are confident that she will continue to bring success to our wider operations in Africa. Sandra’s extensive knowledge of the African market and her dedication to operational excellence make her the ideal candidate to drive excellence across the continent.”
In the same vein, at the reception, Christophe Noel, general manager, Radisson Blu Ikeja, Rita Opia, general manager, Park Inn by Radisson Victoria Island, Lagos, Yehia El-Mansoury, general manager, Radisson Hotel Ikeja, Ahmed Raza, Radisson Blu Anchorage Hotel, as well as the sales directors and other top executives of the hotels, all congratulated Kneubuhler on her new role and also pledged to support her in growing the brand across English-speaking African countries, starting with Nigeria.
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