Coming from a Hospitality background, Cleo developed an interest in Travel during her early school years. After running a family lodge in Mozambique, she returned to South Africa and applied to Pentravel as the next step in her career journey, marking the beginning of an incredible adventure in her career.
If you love what you do and who you are doing it with, you are half way there – that goes for both professionally and personally.
Joining Pentravel in 2011 as a Travel Consultant, she is now celebrating over 13 years of dedicated service to her clients. Reflecting on her early days, she recalls the initial nervousness of learning new systems and codes as part of her training process. Despite these challenges, her dedication quickly paid off. At her first Year-end Awards, she was recognized as the 1st Runner-Up for Top Newie and became part of the High Climbers Incentive – one of Pentravel’s individual incentive where Travel Advisors would compete with no one other than themselves to grow their sales in the year. This milestone served as a significant career motivator for her.
Demonstrating a strong interest in career growth, she applied to be a Manager at the Rosebank Branch, and also played a key role in opening and kick-starting operations at the Glen Branch. Her goals evolved to focus on both personal and her team’s success, striving to lead the best team and help each member reach their full potential.
We asked Cleo what she finds most exciting about working in travel: “Being in travel keeps you on your toes. Every day is an opportunity to learn, as we are all “teachable,” and this is a principle I value and live by. We all have good and bad days, but they are all exciting. From the people we interact with, to the dream holidays we plan and the stories we hear – that is what makes travel exciting.”
Cleo’s long career with Pentravel has been marked by numerous achievements, and one of her career highlights was receiving the prestigious Mayor Award, a milestone she is immensely proud of. Pentravel CEO Paulo De Oliveira describes this award as “The most prestigious accolade given to the best all rounded and balanced individual. One who proudly lives Pentravel values and is fully committed to their colleagues’ growth; a high performer and consistently growing our culture.” Breaking several commission targets, frequently ranking in the Top 10, and being an incredible leader has been a testament to Cleo’s hard work and dedication, making her a deserving recipient of this award.
When asked about what skills she believes are essential to succeed in the role of a Travel Agent, she emphasised the importance of listening to what is not being said and thinking creatively to turn clients’ dreams into reality. She also referenced consistency as a crucial skill in her success.
As our newly appointed Mayor, Cleo is dedicated to creating meaningful impact, with her mayoral decree cantered on fostering personal and holistic well-being.
Given the dynamic nature of the travel industry, we asked her how she manages to balance her work with her personal life: “Work Life balance is a topic that needs to be mastered and takes a very long time to find your groove. But when you do, you need to maintain it. Time management and discipline is key. Remember you cannot control everything – even though you would love to”
Her best advice: “Be strong and speak your mind. You have ups and downs but in the end it is all worth it – that I can promise.
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