FEDHASA Cape Board Member and Founder of Flashfyre Solutions
A gap year job in the late 1980s dropped Dawn into a Protea Hotel in Pretoria during a period of mass labour strikes, where she promptly worked three consecutive days on four hours of sleep. Most people would have reconsidered. Dawn fell in love. Nearly four decades later, she is the Founder and Owner of Flashfyre Solutions and has served on the FEDHASA Cape Board for a number of years, but the thing she is most proud of has nothing to do with either. It is a former waiter who now leads expeditions to Greenland, and a manager she mentored a decade ago who recently ran an event that left Dawn beaming from the sidelines. That, she will tell you, is the real scorecard. This Women’s Month, she makes the case for measuring a career not in titles or milestones, but in the people you bring with you on the way up.
1. What first drew you to hospitality and tourism, and what’s kept you in it all these years?
I entered hospitality involuntarily in the late 1980s – a gap year job before I decided what to study, during a period of mass labour strikes that were reshaping the industry. As an intern at a Protea Hotel in Pretoria, I was immediately thrown into an environment that demanded everything. I remember working three consecutive days on just four hours of sleep.
Yet that intensity revealed the shared purpose and unshakeable team spirit among colleagues. It was that sense of belonging, and the thrill of delivering exceptional experiences under the most challenging circumstances, that made me fall in love with the industry. That passion has never faded.
2. Women are still underrepresented in senior roles across the industry. What do you think businesses should be doing to change that?
I have always believed that the right person for the right job at the right time should be the guiding principle, regardless of gender. To make that a reality, businesses need to proactively create pathways for women to rise: intentional mentorship, equitable hiring and promotion practices, and a workplace culture that supports diverse leadership.
When we remove unconscious bias and invest in women’s development, we unlock the full potential of our industry.
3. Looking back on your career, what’s the achievement you’re proudest of, not just for the result, but for the difference it made?
My proudest achievement is the success of the people I’ve had the privilege to mentor and lead.
Nothing brings me more joy than crossing paths with someone who began their career under my guidance and seeing them flourish. Just recently, I partnered on an event with a manager who had worked with me over a decade ago. Watching her in action – the proficiency, the professionalism – filled me with immense pride.
A former waiter is now an expedition leader, guiding adventurers to places like Greenland. Knowing that I played even a small part in those journeys is the true measure of my career.
4. What advice would you give a young woman just starting out who wants to end up in a leadership role one day?
Persevere with determination and bring passion to every task, job, and initiative you touch, no matter how small. Learn from everyone around you but be intentional about who you surround yourself with. Choose people who challenge you and believe in your potential.
Leadership isn’t about reaching the top alone. It’s about growing and helping others grow alongside you.
5. What makes you feel positive about the next generation of women coming into tourism and hospitality?
What gives me the greatest hope is the calibre of young women I see entering our industry every day. They are confident, tech-savvy, purpose-driven, and unafraid to challenge the status quo. Their passion and fresh perspectives are already transforming tourism and hospitality, and I have no doubt they will lead us to places we haven’t yet imagined.
