Please give us a brief summary on your career to date
In 1995 I started out at the Fancourt Golf Estate project as a quantity surveyor intern with Murray & Roberts Construction. In 1999 through a jv partnership with SIP Project Managers managed the development and successful delivery of the Boardwalk Casino & Entertainment World in Gqeberha.
In 2001 was recruited to TFMC and lead the project management unit for the Eastern & Southern Cape regions - delivering telecommunication, office, and retail infrastructure for Telkom. In 2005 established Profica through which I managed the first Accelerated Schools Delivery Initiative in the country for the Gauteng Province. In 2012 rekindled my relationship with SIP Project Managers where I am currently a Shareholder Director. In 2015 I took over APM Project Managers and currently the majority Shareholder and Managing Director. Through this practice have successfully delivered projects such as Portside Office Tower in Cape Town, East Rand Mall Refurbishment in Boksburg, and the Barloworld Equipment Head Office & Showroom in Kempton Park.
I am currently involved in socially impactful projects such as Student Accommodation, Affordable Housing, and Lease to Develop Initiatives at PRASA train stations in Gqeberha, Cape Town, and Johannesburg.
Give us details of a project that made an impact in your career.
Murraysburg Wireless Loop Telecommunication Network (2001 – 2002). A very technical and complex project. Located in various jurisdictions - private commercial farms, national key points - military and police installations, Telkom SA sites, and across three provinces - Eastern, Western, and Northern Cape
Impact:
Emotional Intelligence;
Social/Political Intelligence;
Research & Preparedness;
Technical & Commercial Expertise.
What was your position and duties on this project?
Head of Region & Principal Project Manager
Why does this project stand out to you?
Hard and Life Long lessons on how to navigate successfully in a new environment - Telecommunication & Hard Engineering; As an outsider - how to embed yourself into established and set social/political/professional/commercial norms, and influence from within for positive change that delivers very technical/complex projects and commercial organizational objectives successfully.
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What were the important lessons you learnt from this project?
Authority & Position does not equate to influence.
Technical/Commercial Knowledge, Sharing of Expertise, Trust and Collaboration gives you influence
What were career mistakes or regrets you experienced on this project?
Overstating my authority and position; Not saying I don't know so that you can be schooled for the benefit of the project and organisation; Lack of Emotional/Social/Political Intelligence - "Don't insult the crocodile until you cross the river."
How did you overcome your mistakes/regrets?
Relying on your authority and position is not enough to deliver projects and organisational objectives successfully. Even more so when you must depend on teams and individuals to deliver successfully.
What has been the most satisfying thing for you personally wise about this project?
The ability to get teams and individuals to rise to their potential and deliver projects successfully
This industry is said to be one of the toughest industries , how did you manage to stay in for so long?
Through Grit and Knowledge! In this industry Courage, Resolve and Technical know how is paramount.
In your opinion what are the biggest challenges facing the industry currently and how can they be overcome?
Challenge - Profiling based on Race, Gender, Age, Political and/or social/professional Networks.
Solution - Skills, Expertise, Experience and Evidence of Performance must inform the industry
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