Mark Jakins is Head of Valor Advisory Africa and Founder and Director of Futuredrum.
A man with strategy, marketing, and operations delivery in his veins earned in a successful career spanning over 25 years, Mark has held senior executive marketing, operations and commercial positions, including long stints as Group Marketing and Operations Executive at Peermont Hotels and Casinos, Group Marketing, Sales and Revenue Director of Premier Hotels and Resorts, which included Management contracting and franchise development for the Group, as well as Chief Executive: Commercial Enterprises at the SABC.
At Peermont from 2006 to 2017, Mark was responsible for the Operations, as well as Marketing and Sales. He regularly initiated and managed profit improvement plans, brand launches, marketing campaigns for hospitality and gaming, revenue management, reservations and sales strategies for the various Peermont properties, ran the annual strategy and budget process for Operations, and was a member of all subsidiary Boards within Peermont.
As Chief Executive: Commercial Enterprises at the South African Broadcasting Corporation from 2001 to 2006 he directed the new brand portfolio strategy and commercial operations of the 23 radio and television channels, which led to the financial turnaround of the company in the early 2000’s.
He has also held senior management or director positions in Budget Car Rental, Southern Sun and Sun International. He is also a former Unilever brand office graduate and pioneered brand launches at Nabisco. In 2004 and 2005 he was voted as one of the top marketers in SA in the Sunday Times survey. He was also a founder of the new Marketing Association of SA and served as a Trustee of the Vega School. Inspiring and motivating teams is a core strength.
He holds a B Soc Sciences (Economics and Marketing) from UKZN, MAC Unilever, is married with three adult children – and pursues numerous interests such as golf, tennis, wildlife photography, reading and is a former Hot 91.9 radio sports presenter.