Karla's Profile
Job title
Lecturer
Academic qualifications
Masters in Tourism & Hospitality Management, Bachelors Degree in Post School Education (PGCE), National Diploma in Hotel Management
"I've travelled all four corners of the world – from Japan, Argentina and the USA to the solar eclipse site in Antarctica – and I bring all these experiences into my teaching!"
It’s no exaggeration to say that hospitality is my calling. I’ve worked in diverse roles within the industry, from back in South Africa, where I started in food and beverage, rooms division and events, to the UK, where I worked as Operations Manager of a London-based recruitment company servicing five-star hotels. I also have expertise in Hotels and Resorts, Travel, and Financial Analytics, and I’m a committee member of the Institute of Hospitality Midlands charter. My industry experiences have given me deep knowledge of the hospitality landscape and excellent professional connections, and I’m delighted to share my expertise with my students at UCB. I’m motivated by the challenges within the industry, which can nearly all be overcome with strategic thinking. I also make it a priority to stay up to date with developments in the industry.
During my career in education (over 20 years), I’ve travelled far and wide, delivering conference papers in Japan, the USA, Canada, and South Africa. I’ve also catered for teams in all four corners of the world – from Argentina and the USA to the solar eclipse site in Antarctica. All of my experiences have become rich examples that I share with students, which means that our discussions are always lively and varied. I believe that lectures are more meaningful when you can relate theory to industry practice, and I try to make links with my own experiences wherever possible.
I love the fact that my students enjoy my classes and I’m so proud of the awards I’ve won for teaching and tutoring, such as the ‘Teaching Excellence Award’ for the Business Faculty at Cape Peninsula University of Technology (2015) and the ‘Spotlight Personal Tutor Award’ here at UCB in 2023. The fact that students voted for me to win means the world; knowing that I’ve made a difference in someone’s life or career is all the reward I need.
I’ve taught thousands of hospitality students, and I especially love the diversity at UCB, where I teach Strategic Financial Analysis and Rooms Division Strategy. I’m devoted to the success of my students, and I enjoy keeping in touch with them to see what they end up doing after graduation. I think there’s a misconception that hospitality is for low-skilled labour, or offers low-paid jobs, and that there are limited career opportunities; that’s absolutely not the case. The industry holds immense potential - you could find yourself working on a cruise ship or mega yacht, and in roles as diverse as product development or blogging. It’s not all about preparing you for a career in hotels, though, of course, that’s also an option for students on this course.
In my spare time, I love travelling – I even climbed Mount Fuji on my own! I’m a positive, approachable person and live by the motto that “life is hard by the yard, but a cinch by the inch.”