Anitha Soni, CEO of ASA, boasts a diverse scope of experience, having successfully been involved in both the tourism and technology arenas.

Anitha Soni has held executive management positions in hotel and tourism in South Africa and the United States as well as lecturing and training many of today's leaders in the South African tourism industry.

Her expertise is in demand in the area of policy formulation. She was a consultant in the drafting of the National Tourism White Paper, and led the development of the Tourist Guiding Policy for S.A. She was then appointed to Government to develop the Tourism Branch within the National Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism.

In addition, she has extensive experience in tourism project development. She participated as the project leader developing a tourism cluster strategy for Southern Africa for the Southern African Enterprise Network (SAEN). The network incorporated representatives from the private sector and government of all countries in the Southern African region. This involvement provided an ideal opportunity from which to draw meaningful participation of Tourism entrepreneurs within the Region. She is currently developing the Tourism Human Resources Development Plan for the Government of Mozambique, as part of a Commonwealth Secretariat co-operation agreement.

Anitha Soni has served on a number of tourism boards and has assisted in the redirection of national tourism strategy within the context of post-apartheid South Africa, including the previous SATOUR Board, Tourism Durban and the Hospitality Industry Training Board. She currently chairs the Board of Tourism KwaZulu-Natal and has been closely involved in the restructuring and repositioning of the organisation in particular in relation to New Product Development and support of Emerging Entrepreneurs with Tourism.

Anitha Soni served as a Board member of the Durban Black Business Alliance incorporating the Black Management Forum and Consultative Business Forum enhancing business opportunity for historically disadvantaged companies.

The Minister of Economic Affairs and Tourism in Kwazulu-Natal nominated Anitha Soni, to serve on the Interim Provincial Tourism Steering Committee (IPTSC), to be involved in the legislative and institutional design. This gave rise to the Provincial Tourism Act and the establishment of the Kwazulu-Natal Tourism Authority, the Board of which she today chairs.

She has served as a Special Advisor on tourism to the Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism and acted in the capacity of Deputy Director-General in this department. Anitha Soni chaired of the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa for two years.

Anitha Soni also held the position of Managing Director of the WorldSpace Afristar Business Unit, the first black woman to hold such a position. Her role was to lead the overall business management of the Afristar Satellite Business Unit, which included providing leadership and strategic direction in turning the WorldSpace operations in Europe, UK, Africa and Indian Ocean islands, into a viable and relevant business. WorldSpace provides direct satellite delivery of digital audio, data and multimedia services to the emerging markets of the world. During Anitha Soni's term at WorldSpace, she was instrumental in progressing education projects, which provided information, education and entertainment to remote rural villages across Africa.

She was chosen to participate in the United States - South Africa Executive Leadership Development Program (USSALEP) in the USA, and served on their board as a Director.

Anitha Soni was awarded the much-coveted and prestigious "2002 Business Women of the Year BBQ Award". The BBQ Awards are a benchmark in the progress of empowered South Africa. It recognises achievements in Black Business and honours excellence in 12 Categories, amongst which is Businesswoman of the Year. The award was presented to her by Minister of Finance, Trevor Manuel who, in presenting the Award recognised Anitha Soni's exceptional achievement in the field of Business and contribution to Pan-African regional integration in post-apartheid South Africa. She was commended for her commitment and loyalty to building businesses and dedication to developing strong leadership within businesses on the African continent.
In pursuit of Leadership development for graduates in Africa, Anitha signed up the first ever structured International Internship programme for tourism and hospitality graduates in Africa. Her offices now select, prepare and manage the American Hospitality Academy internship programme.

Anitha was appointed to the Board of the Service Leadership Institute based out of Hilton Head, USA, in January 2004, and recently appointed by the Minister of Tourism in South Africa, to develop the Black Economic Empowerment scorecard for the transformation of the Tourism industry in S.A.

In addition to heading up ASA Tourism Services, Anitha manages the Investments of Women in Tourism and Hospitality, a women's empowerment group she incorporated in 1999. W.I.T.H seeks to promote the inclusion of women as investors in Tourism supply and demand side enterprises

Anitha Soni has become known in the Tourism sector as a professional who not only develops strategies and plans, but one who has produced some of most implementable and workable strategies and plans.

Anitha has become a role model for other entrepreneurs and especially women in Tourism. In response to this, Anitha takes on a role of career counsellor to students and mentor to women entrepreneurs.