Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1517455
54 B M & T ••• March/April 2024 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com V I O L A H N C U B E MAKING HER MARK Viola Ncube has more than three decades of experience in executive corporate roles, specializing in hotels and start-ups sales and marketing. Viola has held VP and Director roles specializing in the luxury hotel brands, holding key positions such as Regional Sales Manager with Accor Hotels (3200 hotels), then moving to Director of Sales with the prestigious hotel group Red Carnations (16 global hotels) before joining US based L.E. Hotels (400+hotels) as Director of Business Development – EMEA. Viola then joined the luxury Pineapple Hotels firm as Director of Corporate Sales before being headhunted in 2011 to set-up Global Hospitality Services for a private investor, a hotel sales & marketing representation company, where she held the position of Vice President. Within 4 years GHS had accumulated 300+ hotels globally and employing 65+ employees. After this role in June 2015, Viola joined InterContinental Hotel Group's to conduct the groups' largest hotel opening of the InterContinental London – The O2 hotel. Through these roles, Viola has been privileged to travel extensively on business trips and hotel openings to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Hong Kong, Beirut, New York, Chicago, Miami, Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, San Francisco, Paris, Amsterdam, Rome, Venice, Florence, Delhi, Mumbai and South Africa, to name a few. Viola Ncube founded The Black Book Consultant in 2017 a bou- tique full-service management, sales & marketing consulting agency spe- cializing in a curated selection of luxury hotels and DMO's worldwide. The Black Book Consultant has since acquired several contracts within its first few years of operation, including managing the $300 million dol- lar opening of Svart.no and Melody Maker Cancun. Viola is currently contracted as VP of Sales & Marketing with Stay Pleasant Hill, the tourism district for the city of Pleasant Hill, CA. Viola is very passionate about youth & women empowerment. In 2012, Viola founded iROCK! UK, a social enterprise, an empowerment program, mentoring women into employment & business enterprise. iROCK mentors and secures career internships for an average 10-15 young women and entrepreneurial mentoring for 10 women annually. In 2019 iROCK! partnered with GIST and SAP South Africa in conduct- ing Africa Code week for over 750 girls. In 2021, she launched My Black Beauty Box, an Afro cultural ecommerce retailer and November 2023, Viola will be launching her first digital content supporting women in all areas of life, available on Amazon, Etsy and her website violancube.com. Viola has been nominated and won several business global awards; AWARDS • Investec Bank UK Business Leader of the Year 2017 (nominated) • CEO's Award for Mentorship Brand South Africa 2016 (won) • Female Entrepreneur - UK ZAA 2012(won) • Heroic Award Mentoring – CNN Hero Child Network 2015 (won) • Business Woman of the Year – UK Women for Africa 2013 (nominated) • Power List 100 – UK-South Africa 2012 (Listed) ADVISORY BOARD/MENTOR • Working Solution -Minority Funding Organization - San Francisco, CA, USA- 2020-2021 • Uptima Cooperative Oakland, CA, USA – 2020 - 2022 • DVC – Community College Pleasant Hill, CA, USA -2020-2022 • Pathway to Tourism – Visit Greenwich, London, UK – 2017-2019 • UN Equality and the Empowerment of Women – UK-Brand SA - 2015 SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS • I AM Mogul 2017 -Girls Talk with Gowling WLG law firm - • International Women's Day 2015– Speaker - CNN Heroes & The Girl Child Foundation • Tokenism/Triumph Women's Day – Speaker - Standard Chartered Bank • She Inspires 2015 –Women of Color – Speaker-Olympic Beauty Show • Different Shades of Success 2012 – Speaker - Deloitte � Inspire - 2014 – Speaker & Mentor - South African Youth Development L O C A L H E R O V I O L A H N C U B E tique full-service management, sales & marketing consulting agency spe- cializing in a curated selection of luxury hotels and DMO's worldwide. The Black Book Consultant has since acquired several contracts within its first few years of operation, including managing the $300 million dol- lar opening of Svart.no and Melody Maker Cancun. Viola is currently contracted as VP of Sales & Marketing with Stay Pleasant Hill, the tourism district for the city of Pleasant Hill, CA. 2012, Viola founded iROCK! UK, a social enterprise, an empowerment program, mentoring women into employment & business enterprise. iROCK mentors and secures career internships for an average 10-15 young women and entrepreneurial mentoring for 10 women annually. In 2019 iROCK! partnered with GIST and SAP South Africa in conduct- ing Africa Code week for over 750 girls. In 2021, she launched My Black Beauty Box, an Afro cultural ecommerce retailer and November 2023, Viola will be launching her first digital content supporting women in all areas of life, available on Amazon, Etsy and her website violancube.com.