Staff profile: Meet Charles Sprinkle

Meet Charles Sprinkle - Group Systems Manager

When it comes to property management systems, online distribution, payment gateways, and the successful implementation of new technology, Charles Sprinkle is Newmark's go-to guy. He's the person who drives technological advancement for the hospitality management company and ensures that all systems, across 23 hotels, are properly implemented, integrated, tested, and maintained. This in turn allows Newmark to seamlessly process bookings for nearly 1,500 hotel rooms across Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands.

Charles joined Newmark 7 years ago in a head office administrative role. His proficiency in learning systems was quickly identified and a year later he moved into a role as an online distribution agent. At the time no one was specifically dealing with systems and Charles slowly carved out a role for himself in this area before being officially promoted to Group Systems Manager in 2019. Charles says that from a team of two, Newmark's revenue and systems departments now consist of a total of 8 people, with individually specialised roles.

"As Newmark has grown there's been a shift within the company. We now place enormous importance on business intelligence and strategic partnerships to optimise revenue streams across the group" explains Charles.

What do you do in your spare time?

"I try really hard to find the right balance between work and spending time with my family. My son is four and loves animals. I can't wait for the December holidays when I'll be taking some time off to go to the aquarium and get out into the countryside."

What tips would you give to a young professional wanting to move into a systems management role?

"Before I joined Newmark I studied hospitality at the Cape Town Hotel School and spent a number of years working in hotel operations. I think that an understanding of IT, or a development background, is extremely helpful for a systems role but it has also been hugely beneficial for me to have had an understanding of the hospitality industry when implementing systems across the group. You also need to constantly stay on top of industry technological developments and be able to learn and adapt to new systems quickly."