Diversify your career path

Breaking the stereotype of finance people, Emile Langenhoven, General Manager of the luxurious Lanzerac in Stellenbosch, illustrates how a background in finance can help diversify your career path…

Emile Langenhoven

General Manager

On meeting Emile Langenhoven, the first thing that comes to mind is how personable and charismatic he is.

“Many people who study finance are more figures orientated, rather than people orientated. After studying I chose not to do articles because I knew that it would not be a fit for me,” explains Langenhoven.

“And that is how I started my career in the hospitality sector as a debtors clerk at Arabella and moved up to become an accountant, then Financial Manager at Victoria Junction, Park Inn and the President Hotel before joining Lanzerac.”

Different personalities make it exciting

“One of the reasons I stayed in the hospitality sector is because it’s exciting to work with different personalities – we have creatives such as chefs, and then we have the more process orientated people such as the front office employees.”

Having joined Lanzerac in October 2014 as the Finance Manager, Langenhoven became the General Manager for the hotel and after that there was some movement in the winery, which then became part of his portfolio of responsibility.

“Because I was originally the Finance Manager, I had a strong grasp on Operations. Working in finance gave me the attention to detail that is so vital and when I combined this with openness to the people involved, I gained a broad, holistic view,” he explains.

Hospitality sector is always filled with new happenings or challenges

Speaking passionately, Langenhoven highlights that a career in the hospitality sector is always filled with new happenings or challenges. “Lanzerac has a rich legacy so we have a responsibility to retain the authenticity of the brand while looking at ways to stay current and enhance experiences. At any given time, we have three to four projects going on as we anticipate needs and find innovative ways to meet them,” says Langenhoven.

“An example of our innovation would be our conferencing facilities. We established several small boardrooms, and to some this did not make sense. But coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic people were holding smaller meetings and doing a lot of offsite meetings, so this was a great investment for us. Over the past few years we have also done major refurbishments and added new features such as a Vitality Corner at the spa, new menus and new experiences,” he adds.

Teamwork makes it happen

But, Langenhoven notes that he is not solely responsible for the success of Lanzerac.

“We have an amazing team. A typical day starts off with a quick 15 minute standing meeting, which provides everyone with an overview. When I was working in finance, it was easy but when you become a General Manager your focus shifts and you become very aware of the responsibility you have to motivate and challenge your team.

“For me it is very important that everyone understands the functions and operations of the different departments – this helps bring about synergies and ideas of how to improve or innovate.

“Our biggest asset is that we are independent – things are not decided at an HQ in another country or city. We are more intimate and have creative liberty, which allows us to discuss opportunities collaboratively, and implement if it makes financial sense. As a team we are not complacent and always strive for perfection, which helps to push us further as individuals.” ■

W www.lanzerac.co.za