Marius Wilken
Landlord
Oudtshoorn
Summary
I am hard working and honest and used to working long hours and over weekends. My work experience comes from dealing with and managing groups of people and individuals from different walks of life including skilled and unskilled labourers to highly educated foreign tourists from all over the world. Working with so many people over the past thirty five years has helped me develop my people and communication skills tremendously.
Being self employed I have also learned greatly about home and business maintenance and I have never been afraid of getting my hands dirty. I have served on a number of school boards, coached sport at primary and high school level and travelled to a number of countries to market South Africa as a preferred tourist destination. I am totally dedicated to anything I partake in and always finish something I have started.
Overview
38
38
years of professional experience
3
3
years of post-secondary education
Work History
Construction Assistant
Meiring Ellis
01.2023 - 02.2025
- Assisted with the construction of decks for the purpose of accommodating luxury tents for clients
- Built hot tubs into decks
- Performed all plumbing requirements related to the bathroom and kitchen
- Followed orders closely to help prepare for jobs, ready sites, complete assignments and clean up work areas at completion.
- Increased client satisfaction by providing timely updates on project progress and addressing concerns promptly.
- Identified and fixed issues during phases of production.
Grounds Manager
Carol Shera
06.2022 - 10.2022
- Improved safety on the property by regularly inspecting and maintaining walkways and lighting.
- Collaborated with other departments to plan and execute special events held on the grounds.
- Maintained a well-groomed appearance of the grounds by scheduling regular mowing, trimming, and pruning tasks.
- Preserved the health of trees, shrubs, and flowers through proper fertilization techniques and pest control measures.
- Maintained professional demeanor by staying calm when addressing unhappy or angry customers.
- Assisted in organizing the setup of beach furniture, entertainment and food on weekends.
- Promoted employee retention within the grounds keeping team through effective communication, recognition programs, and opportunities for professional development.
Co-Owner of Small Business
Body Alchemy Retreat
01.2021 - 06.2022
- Assisted with the day to day running of the business
- Interacted with clients to ensure a happy medium between client and hosts
- Developed succession planning strategies to ensure the continued success and growth of the small business, even in times of transition or unforeseen challenges
- Managed financial aspects of the business, including budgeting, bookkeeping, and tax preparation.
- Managed day-to-day operations of the small business, overseeing personnel schedules and handling customer inquiries as needed.
- Collaborated with co-owner on critical decision-making regarding business growth opportunities and strategic partnerships.
- Established strong relationships with vendors to negotiate favorable pricing, ensuring cost-effective purchasing decisions.
- Interacted well with customers to build connections and nurture relationships.
- Tracked employee attendance and punctuality, addressing repeat problems quickly to prevent long-term habits.
- Negotiated price and service with customers and vendors to decrease expenses and increase profit.
Owner of Backpackers Paradise
Self Employed
11.1997 - 02.2020
- Managed day-to-day business operations of a 54 bed backpackers hostel. This included a small on-premises cafe, bar and a shuttle service with bicycles to all the local tourist attractions
- Developed and maintained strong relationships with clients/ tourists resulting in repeat business and referrals.
- Oversaw daily operations, ensuring all tasks were completed accurately and efficiently by team members.
- Negotiated contracts with suppliers for better pricing and terms, reducing overall costs for the business.
- Managed financial aspects of the business, including budgeting, financial reporting, and tax preparation.
- Trained and motivated employees regularly in order to perform at their maximum potential including front of office staff, chefs, barmen, housekeeping and ground staff
- Evaluated industry competition regularly to maintain a competitive advantage in the marketplace.
- Established a positive workplace culture that fostered employee engagement, collaboration, and loyalty.
- Interacted with guests regularly in order to improve higher standards of service
- Dealt with disgruntled clients in order to prevent recurring problems and to minimize future comebacks
- Attended travel shows overseas to market South Africa as a preferred Backpackers destination.
Owner of an Ostrich Hatchery
Jubilee Farms
06.1996 - 06.2002
- Managed day-to-day business operations of a ten thousand Ostrich egg incubation system which included: maintaining a very high standard of hygiene with the setting and hatching of the eggs and housing of ostrich chicks to prevent any form of infection, strict bookkeeping principles to ensure the capturing of accurate figures regarding hatching and mortality rates, providing feedback to clients /farmers on issues positive or negative regarding the hatching process, acted as an agent for clients/farmers to market and sell their products ( ostriches )
- Developed and maintained strong relationships with clients, resulting in repeat business and referrals.
- Oversaw daily operations with a small team of six staff members ensuring all tasks were completed accurately and efficiently by team members.
Forester
Mondi Forest Products
12.1986 - 06.1996
- Oversaw the operations of heavy equipment such as chainsaws, bell loggers, timberjacks and log trucks.
- Supervised and managed 3 teams of 20 labourers ensuring the harvesting of the required quota of timber to be delivered daily to the local sawmill
- Collaborated with contractors and other stakeholders involving felling and removal of timber at negotiated rates
- Managed invasive plant species through targeted removal efforts, promoting the growth of native flora and fauna.
- Inventoried trees, assessed diversity, and monitored health.
- Reduced wildfire risk through strategic thinning operations and controlled burning techniques.
- Supported stand improvement, thinning and economic projects by marking timber.
- Planned efficient harvest operations that maximized yield while minimizing environmental impacts such as soil compaction or sedimentation in waterways.
- Improved soil quality by employing erosion control measures, such as terracing and riparian buffers.
- Directed and participated in forest fire suppression.
Education
No Degree - Forestry
Saasveld Forestry College
George 01.1985 - 11.1987
Skills
A good knowledge of general maintenance
Administration ,including basic computer skills with Microsoft Word, Excel, Emailing
Excellent people skills,labour relations
Management skills due to having run my own business for 25 years with a staff of 12
Additional Information
I have grown up in Oudtshoorn and also worked and lived in Oudtshoorn almost my entire life. I have been a member of Oudtshoorn Golf Club on and off since 1999 and also until recently been part of the Golf Club Committee.I have a good understanding of the workings of the club and its history. In 2006, as part of the committee I was asked to stand in for the greenkeeper at the time to oversee the maintenance of the course for 3 weeks over Christmas and New Year. I picked up valuable information regarding the watering system and general maintenance of the course at the time, which I believe will stand me in good stead should I be successful with this application.
Timeline
Construction Assistant
Meiring Ellis
01.2023 - 02.2025
Grounds Manager
Carol Shera
06.2022 - 10.2022
Co-Owner of Small Business
Body Alchemy Retreat
01.2021 - 06.2022
Owner of Backpackers Paradise
Self Employed
11.1997 - 02.2020
Owner of an Ostrich Hatchery
Jubilee Farms
06.1996 - 06.2002
Forester
Mondi Forest Products
12.1986 - 06.1996
No Degree - Forestry
Saasveld Forestry College
01.1985 - 11.1987
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