GET TO KNOW
“
FOR THE NEXT
12 MONTHS, I
REALLY DON’T
SEE COMPLIANCE
RELATED TASKS
EASING UP.
spread that is the inevitable outcome
of harnessing these innovations to the full.
How do you deal with stress and
unwind outside the office?
My daily weekday stress release ritual
involves at least one hour of high intensity
exercise. On weekends, I try to throw in a run
or a cycle.
Getting to the bush as often as possible with
my family is a really important ingredient
in managing my stress levels. I find that
removing modern luxuries and roughing
it in the bush has a way of putting life
and priorities back into perspective. More
practical stress relievers I enjoy include
reading, listening to music and socialising
with family and friends.
If you could go back
and change one career decision what
would it be?
While there are some decisions that I
probably would have changed in the
moments immediately afterwards, looking
back now I would not change many
decisions that I’ve made. Where I am today
is a direct result of the path I have travelled
thus far. Some of my most important life
lessons and growth have come from those
decisions that were really tough to make
and possibly even those which at the time
were mistakes.
What do you currently identify as
the major areas of investment in
your industry?
In our industry pretty much everything
comes back to data. The investment areas
we see both internally and externally
include data management, security,
privacy, storage, automation, analytics
[including the use of AI] and
data representation.
What are the region-specific
challenges when implementing new
technologies in Africa?
Many of the challenges in Africa are
the fundamental reasons that so much
opportunity exists here. That said, there
are some important issues which make
it challenging. The brain drain is real –
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INTELLIGENTCIO
finding and retaining the right skills is an
ongoing challenge; consistent supply of
basic services such as electricity negatively
impacts and has far reaching consequences
for business; access to voice and data
services make it difficult for consumers and
business to connect; political and economic
uncertainty has an inherent impact on
confidence levels; and poor confidence
levels affect decision making and ultimately
prolong sales cycles.
What changes to your job role have
you seen in the last year and how do
you see these developing in the next
12 months?
I have had to invest more and more
time in compliance related initiatives.
This detracts focus from more important
functions such as business growth, job
creation and innovation.
For the next 12 months, I really don’t see
compliance related tasks easing up. In fact,
there will probably be additional compliance
requirements in the future, possibly even
requiring the investment of additional time,
money and staff.
What advice would you offer
somebody aspiring to obtain C-level
position in your industry?
Become a subject matter expert in your
field; always listen and learn; become a
dependable resource to all stakeholders in
your ecosystem; own your current role; and
maintain a high level of credibility around
your character and integrity. n
www.intelligentcio.com