OUR TEAM

Jacqui is a South African hospitality veteran who started her illustrious career back in 1984. After working her way up the career ladder, she joined Southern Sun in 1993 as Deputy General Manager in Pretoria and held the same position at The Elangeni Hotel, Durban. After 10 years with Southern Sun, during which time she was promoted to General Manager and ran a property in Sandton, Jacqui moved to Dubai to work for Le Meridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina as Director of Operations. In 2005 she returned to Southern Sun, as GM for Intercontinental Kigali and Kivu Sun Hotel in Rwanda.

In April 2006 she was however drawn back to Dubai, this time as GM for the pre-opening of Al Manzil Hotel and Qamardeen Hotel. She stayed on to oversee the pre-opening and overall operation of the Holiday Inn Express Brand of Hotels in the Middle East and moved to Cape Town in July 2009 for the pre-opening of the Coral Cape Town (now Hilton Cape Town). From 2010 – 2014 she was Operations Director for extrabold Hotel Management Company, where she was responsible for nine properties within Southern Africa.

Jacqui joined The Collection by Liz McGrath as Chief Executive Officer in May 2014. Reporting directly to the board, she carries responsibility for the group’s three hotels and overall company performance. Not only does Jacqui bring vast experience to the collection, she also shows excellent leadership qualities, outstanding communication skills, a dynamic personality and a keen sense of humour.

Riefqah Ismail is the Assistant Group Revenue Manager of the Liz McGrath Collection. With over 20 years of hotel industry experience working at various hospitality establishments within the travel and tourism industry, she joined the Collection after most recently, heading up the reservations department at The Vineyard Hotel. In her current role, Riefqah supports the Group Revenue Manager, with key responsibilities include yielding management, building and managing rates and system profiles, reporting, and ensuring optimal revenue production across the Liz McGrath Collection properties. Her biggest strengths lie in her extensive knowledge of revenue management, her outspoken and honest nature, loyalty and her total reliability and punctuality. She describes herself as a driven individual who knows what she wants from life. What she loves most about her job is witnessing the tangible results that are achieved through effective yielding. She is an asset to the team and will undoubtedly continue to make a significant impact in the industry.  

Ashley Martin is the Group Human Resources Manager at our Head Office. With 13 years of experience in the hotel industry, he brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the team with previous roles including positions at the Radisson Blu in Granger Bay, Spier and Ellerman House, as well as ONOMO Hotels where he was overseeing human resources for nine properties in East and South Africa. 

Ashley’s key responsibilities encompass managing and enhancing the human resources functions across our 5-star hotel collection. His biggest strengths lie in his ability to connect with individuals from diverse backgrounds and his drive to provide support and assistance to his colleagues. 

Recognized for his achievements, Ashley was nominated in the category of ‘Most Admired HR Manager in Africa’ in the Hospitality Awards Africa in 2022. His dedication and innate passion for his work make him an invaluable asset to the Liz McGrath Collection. 

Tronette has been a longstanding member of the Collection family, having worked at all three properties since 2008. Following stints at a country lodge and a Relais & Châteaux property in Scotland, she first joined The Marine upon her return to South Africa in 2008. Three years later she moved to The Plettenberg, where she was promoted to Head Chef, before being re-assigned to The Cellars-Hohenort. In 2014 she started to run the kitchens of The Lord Milner Hotel in Matjiesfontein on a managing contract between The Collection and the hotel, and returned to The Marine in August 2017 as Executive Chef. In April 2021 Tronette joins the The Cellars-Hohenort as Executive Chef.