One to WATCH

Durban-born Ravi Nadasen has left an impressive career in hotels to run private schools. Matthew Hattingh reports

Hitler quit painting for politics. Elon Musk flipped from online finance to building rocket ships and battery-powered cars. And Mick Jagger abandoned the London School of Economics for a life in rock ’n roll. Dramatic career changes are nothing new.

Still, Ravi Nadasen’s recent move from a senior role in South African tourism to running a group of private schools has to be worth more than a mention. And moreso, when you remember that unlike the tyrant, tycoon and Old Rubber Lips, who were in their spring (or close to it) when they made the leap, Nadasen has spent the best part of 25 years in not only the same industry, but with the same company.

He leaves Tsogo Sun Hotels, the country’s largest JSElisted hotel group with 110 hotels, where he was chief operations officer, to become chief executive of the local arm of Inspired, the London-headquartered, privately held education company

He leaves Tsogo Sun Hotels, the country’s largest JSE-listed hotel group with 110 hotels, where he was chief operations officer, to become chief executive of the local arm of Inspired, the London-headquartered, privately held education company. Nadasen also served on a number of industry and government advisory bodies, including as interim chairman of South African Tourism and deputy chairman of the Tourism Business Council of SA.

The affable businessman said while it was a change of direction, the management skills he acquired over the years (buttressed by formal study) would travel well. The 45-year-old from Overport, Durban, says hotels are in his

BELOW: After 25 years in the hospitality business, Ravi Nadasen has moved to Inspired, a private education group. blood. His late father, Tony Nadasen, was a of Technology, an Institute for Management waiter at the beachfront Elangeni Hotel and Development leadership programme in Nadasen remembers as a boy attending staff Switzerland, and an MBA through the family functions there. University of Stellenbosch.

After matriculating from Overport Nadasen says he has tried not to box himself Secondary he enrolled at ML Sultan as a hotelier. “Running the business is core to College, doing the practical part of his Hotel what I do. It’s not about frying eggs, but about Management diploma at the Wild Coast Sun. what are the drivers of the business.” Nadasen caught the eye of Southern Sun’s The operations side of hospitality and private regional HR director, Hugo Lamprechts, and education share a lot, including “running after graduating phoned him, looking for a buildings and making sure customers are job. Yes, said Lamprecht, but the youngster happy”. Inspired owns 12 private schools needed to be at the Drakensberg Sun Resort in South Africa under its Reddam House the day after next. A Translux bus dropped and Reddford House brands in Gauteng, the him on the N3 near Estcourt and a hotel Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal (in Ballito vehicle took him the rest of the way. It was and uMhlanga). April 1996. Six years later, Nadasen had Private or independent education was worked his way up from assistant food and seen by many analysts as a growth industry, beverage manager to deputy general manager. capitalising on the real and perceived Further promotion followed, bringing failings of the state system. But it was also a him back to Durban and the fiercely competitive sector, with Elangeni where he was made a number of well-established deputy general manager. Tony The operations JSE-listed players, notably was still there, working in the coffee shop, and to be posted side of AdvTech (more than 100 schools in the continent and country to the place “where my father hospitality plus tertiary interests) and Curro had worked all my life was very and private (166 schools plus other interests) special for me,” said Nadasen. education share dwarfing Inspired’s South In 2005 he was promoted again, to general manager of Southern Sun Bloemfontein. a lot, including “running African operations. All promise small classes, child-centred learning and Two years later he was back buildings and holistic education. Inclusivity was in Durban at the Southern Sun making sure another oft-used word at a time Maharani, this time as general manager. The Cullinan, in Cape Town, was his next post, customers are happy” when many of the country’s elite, not-for-profit private schools were being roiled by race issues. where he served as general Nadasen will need to get to manager until 2012. grips with all these matters. But

Nadasen speaks with great enthusiasm of the with the likes of Reddam House founder and many industry professionals he’s learnt from Inspired group president Graeme Crawford over the years. Then there are all the guests on his board, it shouldn’t take long for he’s met. “I’ve had loads of fun,” he said. In the him to come up to speed. Crawford is, of early 2000s the Elangeni – with its substantial course, a veteran of the independent school conference and banqueting facilities – was very business in this country having founded and much at the heart of Durban civic life. Nadasen subsequently sold the group of colleges that got to know many local leaders, celebrities and still bear his name to the AdvTech group. sports stars, including Rudolph Straueli and Inspired chief executive Nadim Nsouli has Sachin Tendulkar. indicated the group does not have immediate

From 2012, Nadasen received a series plans for more schools in the country and of promotions, ultimately becoming chief was hiring the hotelier for his operations operating officer for the group in 2017. Saying and customer skills. But with 50 000 students goodbye would be a wretch. “I’ve had a good on five continents and with an April private run, met some exceptionally good people.” equity transaction valuing the company at

The turmoil Covid-19 has brought to tourism €3,05-billion, the group has a substantial and had nothing to do with it, nor the unbundling growing global footprint. of Tsogo. It was more a case of “what is my Nadasen told KZN Invest his new next move?” Tsogo Sun financed and supported employer’s international links were part his studies over the years, allowing him to of its appeal. Here’s a man who seems to be complete a BTech at the Durban University going places. *