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Kingswood Golf Estate’s new operations manager, Mornay Stoop, took up this challenging and exciting post on 1 September. While he isn’t a golfer we found that Mornay, who is from the northern reaches of KwaZulu-Natal, is truly up to the task.
He comes from afar
Mornay matriculated from Ferrum High School before spending the next two decades working for the South African Police Service. One of three Stoop brothers, Mornay was also in business with one of his siblings, which he did for 10 years before relocating to the Western Cape.
“We started with our own family nice and early,” he says, adding that he and wife Antoinette decided it was time for a change of scenery when their boys had left the house. Now aged 24 and 27, both sons are qualified engineers, working in Bloemfontein and Pretoria respectively.
Mornay preceded his post at Kingswood by serving as estate manager in Herold’s Bay for four years, where he got to know his new Garden Route ‘hood’ from the vantage point of that quaint seaside hamlet.
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The Stoops live in beautiful Glen Barrie, in the foothills of the Outeniqua Mountains. Mornay boasts that his new work scene has resulted in him leaving the grindstone behind and drastically cutting down his commute.
The job at hand
The job description of an operations manager at a top estate such as Kingswood includes many responsibilities and calls for a healthy dose of people skills. Ultimately, the person in this position must ensure all operations are carried out in an appropriate, cost-effective way.
In the line of duty, an ops manager may be required to improve operational management systems, processes and best practices; purchase materials, plan inventories and oversee quality control while ensuring excellent communication between contractors, management and staff.
Mornay says that, 10 days into his Kingswood stint, he’s finding his feet and getting to know the people involved. “My focus will be on security and risk management, dealing with contractors and ensuring that preventative maintenance is carried out, be it on stormwater systems, roads or buildings.”
He adds that his impression of the people involved, from CEO Willem Jacobs down to his management team and staff, is that everybody is particularly professional but friendly. “Their doors are always open and everyone has been approachable and really helpful.”
Family matters
The Stoop sons and their partners visit Antoinette and Mornay whenever their careers allow, and Decembers on the Southern Cape coast has seen the repeat of these special family reunions.
The Stoop couple keep fit by attending regular Boot Camp sessions. While neither of them are golfers, Kingswood residents are sure to spot Mornay on the course and greater estate calling the operational shots.
