The unexpected passing of Pieter Bekker, Operations Director at BON Hotel International West Africa, has left the South African and Nigerian hotel sector reeling over the loss of this industry icon and hospitality stalwart.
Pieter Bekker brought decades of experience to the industry, spanning some 40 years – thirteen of those in West African hospitality; his commitment to Nigeria was unparallelled.
A good part of his career was spent with the Protea Hotels “family”, which included general management positions at various hotels, a number of years as a member of the board and co-founding a new brand management company. He relocated to Nigeria in 2002 and oversaw two hotels there before being appointed Regional Director based in Lagos where he saw out the rest of his association with Protea (subsequently taken over by Mariott) before being appointed to the board of BON Hotel International West Africa.
Pieter believed that integrity, loyalty and trust are the cornerstones of any and every successful business relationship, and he certainly achieved that with his associations, whether with hotel guests, stakeholders, his staff or fellow board members.
It has been our great privilege to work with Pieter – he has left big shoes to fill, and we hope we can fulfil and cultivate his legacy.
