Bay man lands top job at Boardwalk Hotel
The Boardwalk Hotel’s newly appointed operations manager, Keenan Bergins, is a man on a mission to disrupt the status quo in the hospitality industry.
Bergins, 42, said he wanted the hotel to plough back into the community, something he was planning to achieve by expanding sponsorship deals with local businesses and increasing its public donation budget.
“My whole aim is to contribute a little bit more into the community in Gqeberha,” Bergins said, adding that the community was the bedrock of the hotel’s success.
“I also want to revamp the casino and hospitality industry and make it a playground for all our visitors.
“I also want to build a strong team in operations and rebuild after Covid-19.”
Born and bred in Gqeberha, Bergins matriculated from Theodor Herzl High School in 1998, before completing a BCom law degree at the then Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University.
The father of two also boasts a master of business administration degree from the University of Stellenbosch Business School.
He is no stranger to the hospitality industry, having worked in various restaurants, bars and nightclubs in both SA and the US during his student years.
He joined Sun International in 2005 as food and beverage manager at the Fish River Sun.
In 2008, he was promoted to assistant operations manager at Carousel, and shortly thereafter became the operations manager.
In December 2011, Bergins was appointed operations manager at Carnival City and three years later became general manager of the Golden Valley Casino in Worcester.
“I embraced this position, passionately driving the business forward for eight years before opting to move back to my hometown with my wife and sons,” he said.
Outside the office,Bergins is an avid sportsman, enjoying a wide range of activities from cycling to action cricket, golf and martial arts.
“I also love travelling and spending time with friends and family. ”