I was born in South Africa in Gauteng on the 18th of March 1966, to parents, Alan and Mavis. I am the third child of their family of four. I finished my high school education at Mowart Park Girls high School in Durban, Natal South Africa in 1985.
After which I began training towards a qualification in nursing at, Addington Hospital. In 1990 I married Robert Holmes and I joined Rob in Botswana until 1992. On my return to South Africa I decided not to return to medical nursing due to the erratic hours required I therefore opted to go into dentistry as many of my nursing friends had done the same and really enjoyed what they did therefore I was greatly influenced by this.
I was trained hands on by the first dentist who had employed me in 1992 he was a general practitioner but chose to treat all forms of patients from peododontics, orthodontics, oral surgery, perio and aesthetics giving me a broad experience regarding dental treatment.
When he immigrated in 1997 to study orthodontics abroad I was employed by a Prosthodontist in 1997 with whom I stayed with until 2002 when Rob and I decided to immigrate to the United Kingdom. When I first arrived I worked in a mixed NHS and private practice in Wimbledon where my experience of dentistry in England began.
Whilst nursing I had a keen interest in practice management and felt that I could improve the running of the practice immensely so I approached my Principal dentist to express my concern at the dysfunction of the practice and it was decided that I would take over the management of the practice. I converted the practice from NHS to a fully private practice during my stay there. In October 2003 I left the Wimbledon practice as I needed more of a challenge and was then hired as the practice manager at the London City Dental Practice in London Bridge. There I began employment with Dr Sunit Malhan and Dr Yogesh Solanki who had ventured into their first joint partnership. Six months into my employment they invited me to a meeting offering me the opportunity to manage a second practice they were considering purchasing. I accepted the challenge and with in eighteen months I was managing four practices. Two of the four practices being private and two being NHS.
The London City Dental Practice is now part of a mini cooperate group called the dental arts studio I have been instrumental in the creation and development of dental arts studio. I am now the Operations Director who manages every aspect of the group along side my Principal Dentists. In 2007 I, won BDPMA, Practice Manager of the year. In 2008 I was nominated for most outstanding achievements at the Private Dentistry awards. My role at the dental arts studio grows everyday and I do whatever it takes to make the practices function. I would say my key strengths are practice procedures and policies and implementation of systems for monitoring the performance of the practices. I micro manage the practice mangers in each branch. I am also responsible for all the internal training with our staff from ethical dentistry to customer care training and development. After winning Practice Manager of the year I was approached by the Dental Tribune to write regular articles under the section DCP’s. I have thoroughly enjoyed my development which has challenged me beyond imaginable.
We are all in the gutter. Some of us are looking up at the stars...Oscar Wilde
