1 PAGE STRAP

MAC IS AN

EMPOWERED COMPANY

CONTACT US ON:

Tel +27 (0) 11 537 1800

Fax +27 (0) 11 327 7388

Email

enquiries@macgroup.co.za

Website

www.macgroup.co.za

Physical address

8th Floor The Mall Offices,

11 Cradock Avenue,

Rosebank 2196, South Africa

Postal address

PO Box 2031, Houghton 2041

M A C M A T T E R S

MA

C MATTERS | 2014 | JO

ZI AN

D B

EYON

D

1EDITORIAL

SARAH DE VILLIERS

A beautiful and bright colleague, full of life and options for her future, returned from long-leave in her native Germany the other day. She reports that her European family and friends are aghast that she would choose to return to Johannesburg, and that she would voluntarily cross the South African borders on the back of our various African projects. Curious questions over coffees and dinners revolved around Ebola, Oscar Pistorius, and the dreadful misery that she is so willingly exposing herself to in far-flung Africa. Asking her, too, why she would choose to return to Johannesburg, she implied to me that her reasons are far from simple.

We didn’t have time that day to go into them, but I would venture a guess that it has just something to do with the vibe I personally have grown to love since moving to Johannesburg 14 years ago. With

roots in the beautiful KwaZulu-Natal midlands, and student memories in the tropical and glorious-beach-days Durban, Johannesburg may not be an obvious choice for raising a young family. Yet, here I am. And I love it.

Living in Johannesburg, we could choose to focus on a noir narrative of rolling blackouts and water shortages, shady gangsters and the violent murder of a soccer star. We could dwell on corrupt politicians and dishonest public servants, or the trial of the century in our sister city. This could, indeed, have been the story we crafted to characterise our lives in Jozi. Instead, in our conversations and in the pages that follow – particularly in the “Meet Ten MACers” feature on page 72 – we choose to celebrate all that is extraordinary about this city, a cosmopolitan metropolis that we are proud to call home.

So, from our base here in Jozi, and in this issue of MAC Matters, our people tell their unique stories. Some tell about the privilege of working on life-changing projects with blue-chip clients, extending our reach into the rest of South Africa, Africa, and beyond. Others are thought leadership pieces by people who make it their business to contemplate beyond the surface of things. Yet others are personal reflections by astute professionals, who take their destinies very seriously. In each case, you will get a glimpse of our life at MAC, and the type of people that we invite to join our team. People that we are honoured to associate with, and people who contribute to the unique DNA – the inimitable fingerprint – that MAC is.

Published for MAC Consulting in December 2014

Editor: Sarah de Villiers, MAC ConsultingPublishing and Design: Words’worth www.words-worth.co.zaPhotography: Alexander Smith and Gustav LammerdingCover art: Nellien Brewer

SA Publication Forum Awards for MAC Matters 2013Best-one off publication: Tied in third place with Unisa.Certificates for excellence in design and communication.

EditorialBy Sarah de Villiers

Nellien Brewer (BL; BA Visual Arts) is an accomplished digital artist who has been invited

to exhibit her text-based work at, among others, Artspace, Unisa and the RMB-sponsored

Assemblage exhibition at the 2014 Turbine Art Fair. Her industry recognition includes: Top

15 Finalist at Thami Mnyele Fine Arts Awards; Finalist at Sasol New Signatures Awards;

and Top 15 Finalist at the Ekurhuleni National Fine Arts Awards.

Nellien created our MAC Matters cover as a special commission, using the names of all

employees at the time of publication. The image represents the unique fingerprint that

our people collectively create for MAC.

About the cover

1 PAGE STRAP

MAC IS AN EMPOWERED COMPANY CONTACT US ON:Tel +27 (0) 11 537 1800Fax +27 (0) 11 327 7388Email enquiries@macgroup.co.zaWebsite www.macgroup.co.za

Physical address 8th Floor The Mall Offi ces, 11 Cradock Avenue, Rosebank 2196, South Africa

Postal address PO Box 2031, Houghton 2041

M A C M A T T E R S

MAC M

ATTERS | 2014 | JOZI AND BEYON

D

mac matters 2014 cover out v4.indd 1

2014/11/20 1:13 PM

2 CONTENTS

CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE 4

SUPPORT UPDATEIT 6HR 8Finance 10Office 12

MADThe method behind the MAD psychometric process 14

MAC AT WORK: PROJECTSThe quest for world-class operations at Petro SA 17The challenges continue… 18Case study: Programme Management Office 20 ImplementationKey account update 22Food for thought 26The planet is under threat 28Observations about balancing mega-industry and the 30 precious bushveld eco-system Tread gently 32When the going gets good, the good get going… 34Mission impossible? 36

MAC AT WORK: CONSULTANT STORYWho is Me Inc.? 38Reflections of a “Boomer” 39Surviving out-of-town consulting assignments 40A new season 42Lessons from the 2014 LEAN Summit 44LEANing into consulting 45Your LEAN journey to heaven 48Real data = real issues = real solutions 50The octopus in the OD room 52Organisational culture as a key success factor 53Less teaching and more experiencing 56Coaching through transitions 58A view from the inside 59The Leadership Circle Profile 60Why employees need to feel engaged 62

Contents

6

12

18

34

3CONTENTS

MAC DIVERGENCEThe MAC divergence 64Challenges MAC faces as we spread our wings over Africa 68

SOCIAL RESPONSEMACers donate for Mandela Day 70Rally to Read 71

MEET TEN MACersDanielle Oliveira 72Lerato Hutamo 74Mathe Marengwa 76Kopano Seopela 78Sherryl Oosthuizen 80Carel van Heerden 82Chris van der Merwe 84Val Hammond 86Sarisha Padayachee 88Keshlan Mudaly 90

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENTProfile: Nivan Moodley 92Profile: Trevor Jamieson 94Expanding MAC’s presence at the Mining Indaba 95Population, energy and the end of fossil fuels? 96

SOCIAL MATTERSMAC Family Day 98We’ve come full circle 100A fair way to spend a good day 102McLadies paint the town red 104Company meetings are a laugh a minute 105Love matters 106New arrivals 107

RECOGNITIONChairman’s Awards 108Promotions 111Long service 111

DIARY 112

68

78

100

102

4 CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE

Welcome to our overnight year-end celebration at Mount Grace; we are honoured to have you and your family join us in marking yet another successful year at MAC.

The festive season is occasion for joy, reflection and, most of all, celebration. We believe it fitting, therefore, to publish MAC Matters at this time every year. MAC Matters represents, for us, the culmination of 12 months’ worth of hard work and accomplishments. It is a milestone at which we document and honour the year. It is an opportunity for us to learn from one another, and to share our experiences with family and friends. Ultimately, however, MAC Matters is our way of thanking you, each MACer, who has been so exceptionally dedicated to making the MAC team triumph.

And triumph in 2014 we did! We have seen a phenomenal growth trajectory at MAC over the last few years, and 2014 was no exception. With a turnover of over R180m, it has been one of our best years to date in our 20-year history. We feel very fortunate to be going from strength to strength, and to see

MAC: Where the parts are great and the sum is greater

5CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE

our strategy of expanding beyond mining, and beyond South Africa, coming to fruition.

The good fortune of working with great clients and a team of committed, professional and competent people, has ensured continued success. It hasn’t always been easy though. Working all over South Africa, Africa and Europe, across the mining and resources, public sector, telecommunications and financial services industries, many of you have been away from home for extended periods of time, working under difficult circumstances on challenging projects. As a company, we would like to thank you and your families for your sacrifices.

Our home team, too, have ensured that everything works with the regularity of a finely tuned machine and we would like to thank our support staff, many times unseen and unappreciated, who make the consultants’ successes possible.

We know by now that management consulting is a fickle business and we have seen many competitors stall and falter over the years. We know better, then, than to rest on our laurels and become complacent. With economic indicators predicting only modest global growth and declining growth in China; Ebola gaining a foothold in West Africa; and the increasing cost of doing business in South Africa due to labour unrest, energy shortages and onerous legislation, we will need to remain innovative and nimble if

MAC is an authentic example of “the sum being greater than its parts”. Each individual contributes to the team, and we are stronger as a result.

Richard, Rika, Cara and Lexi at the MAC Family Day in April.we want to keep our competitive advantage.

I urge you, therefore, to enjoy your well-deserved break, to travel safely, and to return with renewed energy and resolve for making 2015 the best it can be.

To close on a sad note, we were shocked by the sudden passing of Rika, Richard Kolbe’s wife, of meningitis in September. Richard has been with MAC for 12 years and, given how involved they have been in our company events over the years, Rika has become a part of the family too. We have on many occasions featured them and their beautiful daughters, Cara (4) and Lexi (1), in MAC Matters. We remember Rika and dedicate this issue of MAC Matters to her.

6 SUPPORT UPDATE: IT

Cloud-based solutions strengthen collaborationBy Chris Birkett and Himesh Deva

were migrated to the Cloud around eight years ago, so MAC has been using the Cloud for a while now. The Cloud model is ideal for a business like MAC. We have significantly more people at clients than are based at the MAC Rosebank office. It therefore doesn’t make sense for

two programmes are designed to complement each other. Thus we needed the one to take advantage of the new features of the other.

Microsoft has shifted its focus to the Cloud, much like many other companies. MAC’s email systems

It has as always been a busy year in IT. Microsoft Office 2013 was released last year and this year we decided that Office 2013 was ready for MAC and MAC was ready for Office 2013. This was also, in part, due to the fact that we upgraded to SharePoint 2013 this year, and the

7SUPPORT UPDATE: IT

MAC to have a large infrastructure at the Rosebank office in order to get email and document-sharing functionality to consultants in the field. The enhanced feature set of Office 2013 and SharePoint 2013 make it a real competitor to other Cloud-based document sharing and collaboration platforms out there. Other companies beat Microsoft to the online collaboration space, but Microsoft is pushing back by incorporating all those Cloud features into Microsoft Office, which remains the business standard for documents, spreadsheets, email and presentations. Thus you don’t have to venture too far from the familiar interface and functionality of Microsoft Office to enjoy the

collaboration and online availability that Cloud offerings bring to the table.

What this means to MAC is that more of the collaboration and online features will creep into your day-to-day work; things like collaborating on a document. This particular article was, in fact, written by both people in IT, at the same time. SharePoint 2013 also has better offline synchronisation functionality, so if you are in an area with less-than-perfect internet connectivity, or if you just prefer to work on synced local machine documents (aka Dropbox style), you can. 2014 has also seen the release of the Office Mobile apps,

making it possible to work across multiple devices on the same document.

MAC has also made far wider use of Lync for meetings, messages and online calls this year. Lync 2013 is Microsoft’s business version of Skype, with all the features of Skype but with document and desktop-sharing added on for meetings.

Soon the last vestiges of the old MAC SharePoint site will disappear. Already whole suites are on the new platform and if you aren’t already working on the new version and want to see what the new MAC SharePoint portal looks like, you just have to go to the MAC templates page.

MAC gives me the opportunity to grow professionally and at the same time be part of a team that shares, cares and takes

pride in everything they do. Anerie Rademeyer, Principal Consultant

Chris Birkett (left) and Himesh Deva

are responsible for keeping MACers

connected.

8 SUPPORT UPDATE: HR

HR ready to take you placesBy Karina Jardim and Rosy Maroleni

right calibre of consultant not only for MAC, but most importantly for our client. The success of MAC’s recruitment can be attributed to our seven-step process and the commitment from HR and our consultants to interview all prospective candidates.

on the development of all our travellers, HRD.

Arrivals Lounge (Recruitment)

We received thousands (1 563 to be precise) of CVs this year. We screen, accept, and sometimes reject, to ensure that we hire the

Flight 537 to MAC Consulting will be boarding at gate 7 (read: HR Office)…

We see HR as the OR Tambo of MAC Consulting. We have, after all, an Arrivals Lounge, a Slow Lounge, and a newly added lounge focusing

Karina Jardim (left) and Rosy Maroleni make a formidable team and run a world-class HR operation at MAC.

9SUPPORT UPDATE: HR

By October we had conducted around 400 interviews and case studies for the year. This process was not without its usual challenges. At times it took some begging and even bribing (sushi) to get our consultants on board, but once here they were fully committed. When last-minute client requirements leave us without an interviewer, Rosy puts on her running shoes and makes the 150-metre dash to the back consultant hot-desk room, to find a willing replacement interviewer. We would like to make use of this opportunity to thank each and every consultant and director who assisted us with our recruitment process, and we are happy to announce that MAC welcomed 48 new arrivals this year.

Human Resources

Development (HRD) Lounge

We recently opened a new lounge in HR, called HRD. Not to be mistaken for a place where you can sit and relax, this is where you learn, develop and grow in MAC. HRD was launched in June and things are starting to come together. We will be introducing a new learning management system to assist all consultants on their development journey, ensuring their progress gets tracked and measured appropriately. You will be able to log on and start your journey early next year, so watch out for emails from HR informing you of the go-live date.

Slow Lounge (General HR)

We don’t believe in an open-door

policy, but more of a revolving-door policy. We enjoy the conversations – from the casual check-ins to the serious project discussions – the laughter, and even the tears. When you are in the office again, come and say hello. We look forward to it.

This has been an eventful year for HR, with Rosy joining the team and making a huge impact on our recruitment side, to launching HRD, researching and testing numerous HRIS systems (we are still working on this), to welcoming new joiners and saying good-bye to good friends.

We enjoyed every moment of 2014 and look forward to an even better 2015.

CVs RECEIVED

INTERVIEWS400

NEW JOINERS48

CVs RECEIVED1563

My first impression of MAC is of a highly professional consultancy which manages, at the same time, to give genuine consideration to the people and personalities involved. It

gives me great confidence that I’ve made the right decision in joining MAC.Robin Carter, Senior Consultant

MAC'S (VERY SELECTIVE) SELECTION PROCESS

10 SUPPORT UPDATE: FINANCE

With the commencement of several new international projects in 2014 we have been trading in Euros, Dollars and, last but not least, Kwanzas at MAC! Our expanding multi-currency operation is, however, only one of many changes in the finance department this year,

so the team would like to take this opportunity to formally introduce ourselves.

Diane Govender joined us in July 2013, and has definitely spiced up the department with her debtor comments keeping directors on

their toes in ADCO (though they also admit to missing her if she isn’t there). Diane is married and has an adorable three-year-old son who often says he “needs a sister”! Diane is also the party planner in our team, and organises birthday parties for her family that would

In for a dime, in for a dollarBy Caitlin Jay, Marius du Plessis, Jackie Whelan, Sue-Mari Strydom, Diane Govender and Mfiso Zwane.

The finance team that's been juggling Rands, Euros, Dollars and Kwanzas comprises (from left): Caitlin, Sue-Mari, Mfiso, Diane, Marius and Jackie.

11SUPPORT UPDATE: FINANCE

compete with the MAC year-end function. Occasionally you’ll find Diane livening up the bar with a Spiced Gold.

Mfiso Zwane’s learnership with us started in October last year and is now complete. Known as Mr Gadgets (as he rolls with his phone, iPad, and, of course, his Phablet), Mfiso has been our database wizard and, at the time of going to press, we are hoping to go live with our database soon. Mfiso is an aspiring entrepreneur and is starting his own business next year. We wish him all the best and know that he will be successful.

The team has a new face with Marius du Plessis joining recently as the Assistant Financial Manager. He is married to Jolandie, who is in the process of starting her own interior design company. Marius previously worked at PwC and qualified as a chartered accountant at the end of 2012, joining MAC in September this year. He has adapted “exceedingly well” to the new office environment, bar the

new speedbumps on the roof ramp slowing him down a bit. We now have two sets of twins in our finance team, both Marius and Sue-Mari say they’re the better half.

Jackie Whelan has been expanding her family and she now has five cats, three dogs, one daughter, one mom and 39-and-a-half silkworms. Jackie, the cool mom, has been taking her whole family to concerts (we’re not allowed to mention it was the Justin Bieber concert). The year has also been kept busy for Jackie with our international work expanding to almost as big as her family. Sue-Mari is our budding golf pro, when she keeps her eyes on the ball!

In her spare time, Sue-Mari too has been doing an interior design course to keep her out of mischief. After six years at MAC, we have finally discovered Sue and Mari’s split personality, you’ll find Sue in her office doing Nigel’s invoicing and Mari socialising at the bar, oh yes please.

Natalie Luke still assists with ad-hoc projects, so you may see her in the MAC offices from time to time. We were all very happy about the arrival of her delightful daughter Andrea in March this year.

The year has also been busy for Caitlin Jay, charged with keeping the finance team in line. In her spare time she helps MACers with their tax returns. Only MACers – no granddads, neighbours or cousins please… On the weekend, you’ll probably find her supporting the Springboks or the Sharks.

In closing, the 2014 financial year has been busy and challenging, yet rewarding. Despite difficult times in some of our client industries, MAC had a remarkable year, with revenue increasing to over R180 million. With phenomenal debtor collections, our bank balance increased by 44%.

We would like to thank the consultants for their hard work in making this happen, for helping us make the financial results look good, and for keeping us challenged!

“When we long for life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and

diamonds are made under pressure.”Anon

REVENUE

OVERR180

MILLION

MAC’s PERFORMANCE IN 2014MAC is a fantastic

environment with really smart people who are humble and

pleasant to work with. I am learning every day from the diversity of skills in my team.

Joel Maine, Senior Consultant

12 SUPPORT UPDATE: OFFICE

A fresh perspectiveBy Tania Stokes

TANIA STOKES Thando Maseti, Millicent Zikalala and Mirriam Shilaloke are a dynamic welcoming committee as they greet guests at reception and ensure they have some refreshment to settle any nerves. Ma Mirriam is even recognised as “the boss of the office”.

13SUPPORT UPDATE: OFFICE

The doors of the lift open and I nervously follow the direction of the signage only to turn and take in my first impressions of MAC Consulting: light flooding into an inviting space that is tastefully and subtly furnished. Locking eyes with the lady behind the counter, I feel welcomed by her smile. She invites me in and offers me something to drink. Immediately I am at ease, as if I belong. As I am paging through the numerous professional publications in reception, laughter bubbles down the passage way. Curiously I look up to see who the bearer of this contagious laugh is and I am met with yet a bigger smile and a warm “welcome here” while she hands me my glass of water.

This was the first of a series of interviews and every time, without fail, I was met by friendly smiles and genuine care. They even remembered my name! Since becoming a MACer, taking over the role of Office and Events Manager, on 1 August this year, every time I walk into reception and see Milli or Thando’s smiles, or hear Ma Mirriam’s laugh, I feel that I belong.

Never thought a friendly greeting at reception was a critical part of MAC Consulting? Consider this: a good first impression may not generate revenue, but it does indicate whether we, as MAC Consulting, want to build relationships and walk the road with our employees and clients. Though it may seem small, the reception process is

representative of the culture of the company as a whole.

Our efficient, friendly desk is staffed by Milli and Thando, who know not only the support staff, but every consultant!

And then there is Ma Mirriam, who not only knows all MACers by name, but also their likes, dislikes and most importantly of all, which beverage they need prepared in what way in order to get going. And in Mark Cotterrell’s words: “She is the boss in the office.”

What I saw on the surface that first day reflects what I’ve found underneath in the last couple of months, and I am looking forward to growing with this team.

Thando, Millicent and Mirriam ensure that first

impressions of MAC are warm and reassuring.

“MAC is a place of intelligence, integrity and respect, and it feels like my second home. It is a place of values and culture, yet a place where you can be spontaneous and have fun. I feel connected to this team,

where there’s mutual respect, open communication, acceptance of who people are, and everyone is collaborating towards the same goal.”

Thando Maseti

“It has been a magnificent year for me at MAC, a journey of amazing experiences, growth, motivation and inspirations. It really fills me

with satisfaction to be part of this remarkable organisation.”

Millicent Zikalala

14 MAD

The Method behind the MAD Psychometric Process By Robyn Stephenson

15MAD

Many people have completed some form of psychometric testing at one or another stage in their lives. The use of assessments is on the rise as more and more, organisations are using psychometric tests as part of the employee selection process, to help them get the “right” person and to give them a competitive edge.

Assessments date back to the 19th century when handwriting analysis was regarded as a window on psychological make-up and became a popular selection tool. The 20th century saw the advent of IQ and aptitude tests, which performed better but were a long way from foolproof.

The addition of personality questionnaires added a new dimension. Although most of us feel frustrated by its many contrasting and unrelated statements from which we are forced to choose, it still somehow produces results that are often disturbingly accurate. With the rapid advancement of technology, the process of developing psychometric tests has become easier and has made testing more accessible the world over. There are now literally thousands of assessment instruments to choose from that allow employers to learn as much as possible about potential employees.

This growing trend is hardly surprising given that few of us reveal our true selves in an interview. To be fair, the interview is designed to qualify the “what” and “where” of the individual’s experience. It is certainly a useful tool for gathering information about the prospective hire, but it’s not going to reveal the “how”.

MAD’s assessment process covers the “how”, using several different instruments and techniques that allow the candidate to showcase their talents and skills in a variety of ways:l the cognitive assessment asks

how you are going to deal with complex problems;

l the personality questionnaires ask how you think you relate to others, approach tasks or make decisions; and

l the behavioural exercise is a means to demonstrate how you handle yourself in a pressurised situation when confronted with some unusual challenges.

But it doesn’t end there. The one feature of psychometric assessment that is often underestimated is the feedback session with the candidate. This is where the real “stuff” happens, where masks are set aside and where facades fade. This is where the conversation leads to true understanding and

where it’s less about the actual scores and more about what those scores represent for each unique being. And this is where the learning occurs. Each feedback session is an opportunity for the candidate to gain insight into their own psychological make-up and explore their strengths and defining characteristics, something most of us very seldom get a chance to do.Through more than a decade of working hand-in-glove with the MAC team and literally living and breathing the MAC culture, the process has been honed to cater for the complexity of the human mind and character, yet deliver a simplistic portrait for each individual that doesn’t just reflect a bunch of scores but rather entertains the human factor, something that is much lacking in the “quick and cheap” automated processes prevalent in today’s market. And we believe it’s this that aids the MAC team in making informed choices about hiring, at the same time offering the individual the potential to use this compelling data to define development actions that can take them to the next level. And the results speak for themselves – the fact that MAC continues to grow from strength to strength, producing amazing results year-on-year, is testament in some small way to the great decisions that are being made at the point of hiring.

THERESA COTTERRELL

ROBYN STEPHENSON

“It’s the human factor… that aids the MAC team in making informed choices about hiring… offering the individual the

potential to use this compelling data to define development actions that can take them to the next level.”

Run by Theresa Cotterrell and Robyn Stephenson (or MADers

as they are affectionately known), MAD is a long-standing sister

company to MAC Consulting. Having started off as a division

of MAC, and later becoming independent, they continue to

About MAC Assessment and Development (MAD)share business premises with us (one might say they are part of

the furniture), and they remain a valued supplier for recruitment

assessments and a valuable support system for all psychometric

processes.

EDITOR'S NOTE

In this feature we chose ten of our

consultants to photograph against

ten Johannesburg landmarks. We

wanted to showcase just some of the

talent we have at MAC, at the same

time celebrating this vibrant and

cosmopolitan city that we work from.

16 PROJECTS

MAC AT WORKWith over a hundred consultants working on between 50 and 60 projects at any given time, MAC offers a unique blend of world-class consulting expertise and bespoke solutions, with specialist capability in key business areas. Our head office is in Rosebank, but our consultants are based at client sites all over the world. Projects have been completed successfully in more than 25 countries over our 20-year history and, in 2014, we worked in predominantly South Africa, Netherlands, UK, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, and the DRC. In this section, a few of our people talk about their current projects.

17PROJECTS

The quest for world-class operations at Petro SABy Klaus Wohlfarth

Problems in the workplace were now resolved at shop floor level, rather than everything being escalated to management. Visual management was taking place and workers could see on display boards what the tasks at hand were, the expected targets, and how they were doing against these.

Another difference that was very noticeable was the involvement of management on the shop floor, who attended the team meetings, did walk-abouts on a weekly basis, and interacted with staff. This showed a marked improvement in the general morale of logistics services, and the momentum of wanting more started kicking in. The results of the design test at logistics services were well received by the PetroSA management, and we are looking forward to continuing the Journey of Operational Excellence within the broader PetroSA.

were under the impression that operationally the fundamentals were in place and that Operational Excellence would take the company to the next level. On closer analysis it was, however, highlighted that there were gaps in the foundation elements, these being leading and managing change, teamwork and visual management, and before any further initiative could be embarked upon, these would need to be addressed. Thus it was decided to do an Operational Excellence design test at the logistics services base.

Starting the design test at PetroSA logistics services, it was evident that there were definite improvement opportunities, especially when it came to getting employees to work as teams towards a common goal. The staff of the logistics base grabbed the approach of an Operational Excellence Journey with open arms. In a matter of weeks, remarkable differences could already be seen.

PetroSA, South Africa’s national oil company, is situated in Mosselbay, which I was told has one of the world’s best climates. Having spent more than a year there, I can confirm this. I have to add, though, that it is not the most energetic of places – with the highlight of a week being the pensioners’ specials that are offered in the local restaurants.

The PetroSA refinery is located about five minutes out of town. With the worst traffic and everyone sticking to the speed limit it still takes five minutes to get there, which is an absolute pleasure when one is used to Jo’burg traffic.

In 2013, PetroSA embarked on a journey of Operational Excellence. For this they sought the help of MAC Consulting. We started the Operational Excellence Journey with a six-month analysis and design phase, during which we looked at all areas of the operation. Senior management from PetroSA

KLAUS WOHLFARTH

Born in Cape Town, Klaus

originally joined the SA Air

Force and studied through

them to become a flight

engineer. A change in

career saw him becoming a

management consultant in

1991, first at Proudfoot and

then various consultancies,

before joining MAC three

years ago as Principal

Consultant. His industry

experience spans mining,

banking, automotive,

government, aeronautical

and petrochemical. Klaus’s

areas of expertise include

process analysis, productivity

improvement, project

management, business

analysis, management

controls and operational

excellence.

About the author

MAC is truly a family. MACers work hard, help each other out and remember that sometimes a good laugh is just what the doctor ordered.

Julia Martin, Senior Consultant

18 PROJECTS

The challenges continue…By Nigel Worthington, Key Account Director

NIGEL WORTHINGTON

See Nigel’s profile on our

website www.macgroup.co.za

Market volatility, depressed commodity prices, surging Rand and global turmoil. What a challenging environment we operate in!

As global economies continue to fight their way out of recession, doubts remain as to whether we are going to stick with the insipid growth levels or break out. At this stage it looks like the former, especially in SA.

Certainly had we known that this would be the case, it would have been highly unlikely that we would have forecasted any form of growth within MAC for the foreseeable future. The mining and resource sector continues to be stressed. Commodity prices are falling to levels last seen in 2009; cost pressures continue with above-inflation increases, reduced output and strikes that have been pushing up unit costs, and a Rand that has devalued by nearly 30% in 24 months. The net impact has most probably resulted in an increase in unit costs in excess of 40% over the past two years, which has not been matched by price increases.

Some signs of growth exist albeit off a low base, but the next two years could be very much of the same. Despite all of this, MAC has had a record year. Why?

Photo courtesy of Royal Bafokeng Platinum (RBPlat).

19PROJECTS

One of the key factors behind this has been the MAC brand which has continued to strengthen over the 20 years that we have been operating. The ability to consistently deliver good work, at a fair cost, while at the same time building deep relationships across the industry, has been fundamental to our results. During this period of downturn, we have seen many of our client personnel move to different companies and different opportunities. From their new base, it has been surprising how many have promoted and supported us based on their dealings with MAC in the past. This combination of our existing clients, plus the addition of several new clients, has made 2014 remarkable.

Our somewhat unique brand has also had an impact in other areas, such as recruitment, and it has been very satisfying to see a number of old friends rejoin the business and lend their considerable skills

and experience to our collective capacity.

The confluence of client networks and experience has certainly been a major influence in a couple of the accounts that I am involved in – notably Anglo Iron Ore, Anglo Platinum and RBPlat. Each of these clients are in sectors under financial pressure – iron ore and platinum group metals (PGM). However, in each case, we have managed to provide the client with broad-based solutions to a number of issues that they have, and this has led to additional opportunities to assist.

Despite the reality of this depressed and chaotic world we are struggling in, MAC has shown amazing growth over the last five years – testament I believe to the resilience that MAC and our consultants have. It is also a reflection of our strategy in broadening our client base both within the mining sector, as well as beyond mining. Our genuine

relationship focus and approach to clients has not only buffered us from the economic storms that have existed, but has allowed us to strengthen the MAC brand.

The various economic scenarios that currently exist (Clem Sunter, etc.), do not provide any real, likely scenarios of the return of the “good days” and 2015 promises to be more of the same. Even potential for further downside, given the socio-political landscape that lies ahead of us.

Having said that, I am confident that resilience, relationships and good leadership, are three key characteristics that will allow us to continue to maintain our position.

My sincere thanks to all those involved in the account for their hard work and support, and for the exceptional results that they have achieved during 2014. I look forward to the challenges that next year will bring.

200

180

160

140

120

100

80

602010 2011 2012 2013 2014

1900

1800

1700

1600

1500

1400

1300

1200

PLATINUM AND IRON ORE

Iron Ore (Fe63.5%) IN CIF China $/MT

London Platinum Free Market $/Troy oz (RH Scale)

Source: Thomson Reuters Datastream

20

Case Study:

Programme Management Office ImplementationBy Lynne McLean

LYNNE McLEAN

Lynne originally consulted

with MAC between 2000

and 2007, after which she

left for Umtali Consulting,

where she worked from 2007

to 2013. We were pleased

to welcome her back to

MAC as Senior Manager in

2013. With an MBA from

Heriot Watt, Edinburgh

Business School; a Marketing

Management Diploma in

Research and Strategy

from Unisa; and a BA (Law,

Psychology and Sociology)

from Wits, Lynne has

developed strong capability

in project management over

her 15 years in consulting,

eight of which were within

a SAP environment. Her

areas of expertise include

shared services, change

management, business

process re-engineering, and

organisational design and

blueprinting, particularly

within the mining and

resources industry. She

is currently on the Anglo

American Platinum account.

About the author

PROJECTS

Photo courtesy of Anglo American Platinum.

21

Anglo American Platinum Operations, which turned an operating loss of R6.33bn in 2012 to an operating profit of R1.97bn at the end of 2013, has seen a decline in profits in 2014. The recent economic downturn, which brought about a reduction in price and demand for platinum products, as well as unprecedented strike action earlier this year, saw operating profit down 87% for H1 to R0.4bn. The organisation subsequently announced the sell-off of its expensive and unprofitable assets in an attempt to regain its operating performance and reach a market cap of R55bn by 2020.

In the wake of these economic and cost pressures, restructuring was seen as critical to the success of the organisation and, as a result, the Platinum Review Office (PRO) was established to monitor and track operational performance improvement for the company. Significant effort was expended defining 32 key initiatives, which

would engender a R3.5bn financial benefit over three years. During the first year, the PRO tracked R1.9bn worth of financial benefits to the organisation, achieved through these initiatives. Theory will tell you that the standard role of a Project Support Office entails tactical support for the organisation in delivering on its projects, including the administration, tracking and monitoring, and mentorship support. The PRO filled this role, specifically focusing on tracking and monitoring benefits attained, and ensuring that these are reported to Anglo American.

Over time, however, it became evident that the PRO needed to play a more strategic role as well. Anglo Platinum has evolved into a functional matrix organisation and so the PRO needed to reflect the same way of doing business. Of critical importance is the ownership of project initiatives, and the outcomes and sustainability of the changes by the business. Although

not simple to achieve, the PRO undertakes projects using business resources, with a minimum reliance on outside experts if such resources do not exist internally. Given a reduction in overhead staff complement by 30%, this approach has placed significant strain on business resources. However, the organisational decision to focus on strategic drivers aligning to the focus of the company, has meant that each function has needed to carefully consider the activities occupying their time. As a result, over 70% of projects have been stopped or put on hold, until the right resources have capacity to undertake the work.

The PRO is seen as a strategic resource for the organisation; it receives its mandate from the office of the CEO, and is supported by each of the directorates. Initially, a two-year programme, the PRO lifespan has been extended for the foreseeable future to support the strategic drivers of the organisation.

“The establishment of a Project Management or Support Office within an organisation is often brought about by the need to change and change drastically.”

PROJECTS

Following economic and cost

pressures, Anglo American

Platinum Operations

established the Platinum

Review Office to monitor

and track operational

performance improvement

for the company.

Photo courtesy of Anglo American Platinum.

22 PROJECTS

From the Netherlands to Lephalale, from business turnaround strategies to basic financial training, the MAC team’s versatility continued to make an impact on our clients and their employees.

Key Account Update

By Harry Steadman, Key Account Director

who have had to learn new skills while operating in a new industry, across multiple countries, cultures, legislations, languages and a multiple-consultant-deployment environment.

As we have come to expect under Victor’s stewardship, MAC is now well positioned to move into a leadership role in the implementation phase of this project and expand our team’s presence across geographies and functions.

So far the MAC team has comprised Victor, Michael Gering, Tjaart Coetzee, Kesh Mudaly and Sherryl Oosthuizen. The work has been primarily focused on the design of new Pan-European processes and organisational structures that will allow for considerable cost cuts to be made which, in turn, will return the business to profitability.

During 2014 the team has held work sessions in England, France, Spain, the Czech Republic, Sweden and Italy and, although the team’s initial focus was on four out of the 14 workstreams, it has expanded its role into the Project Management Office (PMO) where it will continue to grow during 2015. Additionally, 2015 will focus on implementation together with the redeployment

in the Netherlands close to the German border. The project involves creating and implementing a new business model for the company’s European operations with the objective of reducing operational costs, improving margins and moving from a country-based to a Pan-European based organisational structure.

The project was initiated via Neil Maslen (an ex-MAC Director) who has been appointed into a Senior Vice President role responsible for Business Transformation. Neil “cherry picked” consultants from his network and previous jobs, and in this way created a blended team from BMGI, Dicitas and MAC.The Office Depot breakthrough could be used to expand MAC’s global footprint if we choose that as a strategic goal. In addition, it represents a new industry sector into which MAC could also choose to expand.

The project team, led by Victor Bergh, has had to endure long periods away from their families, challenging working environments, grounded flights (due to striking French pilots) and, of course, the ever-famous European weather system. Nonetheless, it has been a thoroughly enjoyable and rewarding project for all team members

The 2014FY was a fantastic year for our account in that we only missed achieving R75m in revenue by 33 man-days of billing, but were still up 12% on our record year in 2013. This was achieved despite the major project, led by Hercu Venter, that carried us through the 2008/9 recession, and beyond, progressively coming to an end. Just over 50% of the revenue came from new, or relatively new, clients, which is a great indicator of the health of our business.

Office Depot

Office Depot is one of the largest, if not the largest, office supplies company world-wide. It has a primary listing on the NASDAQ stock exchange in the United States and in 2013 posted an annual group turnover of $11.2 billion. Of this, almost $3 billion could be accounted for by its European operation, which spans multiple countries across the continent. In order to remain competitive in a highly dynamic and challenging business environment, the company has initiated a transformation programme for this aspect of its operations.

MAC has been involved in both the design and implementation phases of this project, which is based in the company’s European headquarters in Venlo, a small industrial town

HARRY STEADMAN

See Harry’s profile on our

website www.macgroup.co.za

23PROJECTS

The Medupi site in Lephalale (2011).

process to ensure that the transformation programme’s business benefits are realised and that the company’s recovery is both sustainable and growth-based.

Exxaro

Despite implementation of the latest round of restructuring in Exxaro and major delays to their newest major capital project in the Republic of Congo, under Hercu Venter’s leadership and with Chris van der Merwe, Ben van den Berg and the team’s support, MAC maintained a significant presence through continuing to provide value-adding services in the capital project and sustainability areas.

This year also marked MAC’s sixth year of involvement with Exxaro’s flagship Grootegeluk Medupi Expansion Project (GMEP), which will be completed around the time of going to press. It has been an

incredibly rewarding experience for all of the MAC people involved and enabled MAC to make a substantial contribution to this very successful project.

An additional project involved the Grootegeluk mine management team recognising an opportunity to become even more effective and efficient as a team, resulting in Henriette Rieger leading them on a “High Performance” journey aimed at enabling the development of the team into a cohesive and effective unit. This experience was highly valued by the management team members.

Once again Exxaro maintained a strong position in the Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index (CDLI), which measures transparency and data management with regards to the emission of greenhouse gases among those companies

responding to the CDP. Exxaro improved its CDLI score from 97 to 98 in the reporting period.

Lephalale Development

Forum (LDF)

MAC continues to provide coordination and facilitation support to the LDF. The success of this forum is critical for all stakeholders in Lephalale on their quest to establish the first democratic city in South Africa. Jacques Snyman has taken up this challenging role and has established strong relationships at all levels throughout the community. Jacques has even become a member of the community by moving to Lephalale recently!

City Power

The City Power environment continued to prove challenging but, with Sherryl Oosthuizen at the helm, MAC has maintained a

Photo courtesy of Murray & Roberts.

24

have been provided with a two-day intensive programme to create a life plan during a course called “Drive Your Life”. The content is based on similar modules to MAC’s internal “Strategic Alignment” process, with similar outcomes. The goal is to offer this programme to all 6 000 locals by the end of 2015.

Nathan Ananmalay has been accountable for putting in place and implementing the funding, capacity and capability to provide local people with the opportunity to gain vocational skills opportunities that will enable them to participate more fully in the economic activity in their region now and in the future. By year-end over 200 people will have completed the six- to eight-week fully SETA-accredited courses in either basic bricklaying, roofing, fabrication, or welding. The goal is to complete over 2 000 people during the life of the project and there is much to be done to achieve this lofty goal.

Lukas Dreyer has worked tirelessly leading MLI’s “flagship project”, which sets out to provide job opportunities that are focused on improving the natural environment, encouraging sustainable land management, and developing a bio-diverse rich, rural green economy. l Four “Working on Fire” teams of

25 people each, put in place in March this year, have completed their basic training, and are ready to go into action during this year’s fire season.

l The second batch of ‘”Environmental Monitors” (anti-rhino poaching) trainees will complete their basic training this year, and a total of 50 will be undergoing on-the-job training

accelerate the infrastructure projects required to prepare the municipality for the opportunities and challenges that the SIP-1 Projects will present; and

l Facilitating the expansion of essential services, including vocational education and training, to prepare the local people for future growth.

By year-end over 10 000 people (9% of the local population and 95% of the local on-site employees) will have completed financial literacy training. From a recent press article, quoting Lyndy van den Barselaar (MD, Manpower South Africa), the business case for such a course is clear.

“It is estimated that the average worker wastes 15 hours a month dealing with their debt issues. They may even take up a freelance job that may include working night shifts, further impacting on their performance. In addition, these individuals experience extreme stress levels, which results in impaired productivity and increased sick leave. It may not be possible for employers to raise wages to ease the debt concerns of their employees but employers can equip their workers with money management skills. The best line of defence for employers is to educate employees as much as possible. Training employees to either avoid debt or get out of it as quickly as possible is one of the best gifts an employer can give. Otherwise, many employees could go their entire careers not seeing half of what they earn.”

Initially under Kesh’s and then Ben’s leadership, over 1 000 people

significant presence and remained the consultant of choice in key business areas.

Transnet

Through Dave Collins’s world-class knowledge, experience and thought leadership in sustainability, MAC has maintained its relationship with Transnet.

Medupi Leadership

Initiative (MLI)

The MLI team were just starting on their journey at the start of the 2014FY – and what a journey! MAC now has a contract to continue on this journey until 28 February 2017. Incidentally, this is my 74th birthday – not sure if that is a milestone or a tombstone.

The objective of this innovative initiative is to provide a bridge to future capital project employment opportunities for Medupi contractors’ demobilised local people by:l Presenting them with the chance

to develop financial literacy skill and to prepare a life plan during employment;

l Providing portable skills training opportunities for up to 660 people per year for three years;

l Implementing the Drylands VP Projects to restore the natural environment and provide an income for periods ranging from three months to three years;

l Assisting in the acceleration of the delivery of the Corporate Social Investment (CSI) projects that are required;

l Identifying and implementing additional fully funded Value Propositions that provide job and training opportunities;

l Attempting to identify and

Just over 50% of revenue came from new, or relatively new, clients, which is a great indicator of the health of our business.

PROJECTS

25

during early 2015 before taking up full employment either in the Waterberg game farms or in SANParks reserves.

l The “Working for the Environment” project is the bulk employer and over 700 people have been recruited to create food gardens in the traditional areas, and restore the adjacent land to productive use.

Chris has spent his time attempting to integrate local municipality infrastructure projects and construction site contractors’ CSI plans, in an attempt to optimise the impact of these investments on the lives of the local people and simultaneously provide employment opportunities for our clients.

The integration, control and reporting of the programme’s projects has rested with Paolo Scalco, Kesh Mudaly and Wynand Singels through the PMO. Paolo has also been accountable for trying to gain benefits for the significant investment that MLI has made into the local SMME Hub.

The difficult job of placing people into the opportunities created by the projects has been driven by Ian with the placement team – Rose Mokoena, Mpho Kekana and Aggy Baloyi.

Expanding the projects offered by MLI for our clients is essential to absorbing the many thousands that will be demobilised over the next few years. We were blessed to have in our team people with a real passion for making a real difference in the lives of others – Megan Evans and Mathe Marengwa. Both have created and leveraged wide networks of influential leaders in the agriculture and youth programme areas. New projects in both these areas are being developed and will prove critical to the funding submissions that are in the process of being prepared.

Funding is the lifeblood of this project and we were fortunate to have in our team two exceptionally knowledgeable and passionate people in this area – Annie Snyman and Peter Adams.

Annie has, through her studies and passion for sustainability, built up a vast network of influential people focused on funding projects in the green economy area. The doors that have been opened through these networks are incredible and are soon to bear fruit in the form of tens, if not hundreds, of millions of Rand.

Peter has spent much of his life in the further education and training

area and he, too, has been able to leverage a vast network of highly supportive senior people. The impact has been remarkable. MLI has been working with the Department of Higher Education on the “Skills for and through SIP” initiative, which includes the Waterberg Skills Development Programme. This Programme, which includes MLI’s skills-building implementing agent, the Lephalale Technical and Vocational Education and Training College, has been approved as a “Presidential Flagship Project”. This recognition should enable the MLI team to access the required funding and support to achieve our ambitious goals.

Testimony to the outstanding outcomes that have been achieved comes in the form of a quote from a client leader during the recent contract extension process: “We just cannot imagine MLI without MAC.”

What a journey 2014 has been for everyone on the account. It has been a challenging, exciting and hugely rewarding year – with achievements, extensions and results that could not have been predicted a year ago. Thank you to each member of the team, who made this possible.

PROJECTS

MAC is the most “together” organisation I’ve ever come across – vendor, customer or employer. There’s a consistency about the mature approach to trust, integrity, quality of work, and mutual support which I’ve never encountered before, and which contributes enormously to

our ability to deliver on customer expectations.Dave Evans, Principal Consultant

26 PROJECTS

Food for thoughtHeading into rural farmlands

By Megan Evans

The World Bank has calculated that growth in the agriculture sector is at least twice as effective at reducing poverty as growth in other sectors. An analysis completed by the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations shows that, in sub-Saharan Africa, growth in agriculture is 11 times more effective at reducing poverty than growth in other sectors.

contact with the primary sources of some of our most basic sustenance requirements. The regional focus on agriculture around Lephalale and the potential for employment creation in this sector through smallholder farming development, has recently afforded me a deep dive into key sustainability questions that centre on food security as part of the research for my current project.

Driving up to the North of Limpopo involves a social and geographical transition, moving out of the urban world and into the rural. About halfway, there is a sign that marks my mental cross-over point, exclaiming “If you have eaten today, thank the Farmer and the Farm Worker”.

As urbanites, we rarely have direct

MEGAN EVANS

Megan has been a Consultant

at MAC since 2012. Prior

to that she had 10 years’

working experience at GIBS,

the Business Results Group,

and with Dr Edward de

Bono. She holds a BCom

communications degree from

RAU, a PMD from GIBS, and

A BPhil at Honours level in

Sustainable Development from

Stellenbosch University, which

she obtained cum laude.

Megan has designed

and managed a number

of world-class learning

interventions for managers

and executives in the

construction, financial services

and telecommunications

industries. She is currently

leveraging her most recent

studies and developing a

strong base of consulting

experience working with

MAC clients on complex

sustainability problems.

About the author

A new solar borehole pump being installed on a a local farm.

27PROJECTS

Developing Agro-Industry is therefore, quite rightly, a priority of South Africa’s National Government. This sector has been identified by government as a potential driver of one million jobs by 2030 and is also central to plans related to national land reform, rural development and food security objectives.

According to the Statistics SA Household Survey, over 46% of households in Limpopo are involved in some form of agricultural activity. Agriculture contributes to food security in the region by providing an extra source of food for these households.

Agriculture is also a meeting point of social and environmental sustainability pressures. Limpopo province is highly vulnerable to these pressures and disruption due to water scarcity – some areas of the province are already degraded and experiencing climate-related pressure. The WWF states in a 2014 research report that:

“It is becoming increasingly clear that climate change is an inevitable process. With likely long-term changes in rainfall patterns, rising temperatures and shifting climate zones (IPCC 2013), climate change is expected to increase the frequency of climate-related shocks, which in turn will put pressure on food, energy and water supply. The impact will be amplified through the interconnections and interdependence among these three resources...”

Of critical concern to creating a sustainable agricultural sector is the resilience of the environmental system and maintenance of the productivity of South Africa’s slender amount of arable land. Many ecosystem services provide inputs into the farming process that directly impact on the quality of the final produce. It is therefore of great importance that the region’s environmental integrity

is safeguarded for sustainable agricultural activity, to protect highly vulnerable, rural livelihoods.

The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) “Working for Ecosystems” initiative works on this problem, creating jobs by rehabilitating degraded land so that it is returned to productivity and can generate the vital ecosystem services that local communities depend upon. Our team is now investigating how to build upon this

type of work, in order to generate further employment opportunities in agriculture value chains with emerging farmers. We are working closely with key corporate stakeholders in the region, as well as the Department of Agriculture, and other local government stakeholders.

This initiative is an example of how MAC is becoming an integral player in sustainability-related problem-solving that will have a long-term impact on South Africa.

Mathe Marengwa engages with a farmer and his prize bull.

A rural farm road leading to the middle of nowhere, somewhere near the Botswana border. The Lephalale project has seen MAC team members jumping into the back of bakkies and exploring the agricultural context of the region.

1 000 000Agro-Industry has been

identified by government as a

potential driver of one million

jobs by 2030.

FAST FACT

28 PROJECTS

The Working for Wildlife project aims to conserve endangered animals including White Rhino.

Restoring Ecosystems, Providing Jobs

The Planet is under threatBy Annie Snyman and Lukas Dreyer

The word “ecosystem” is derived from the Greek word oikos, meaning house and system, which beautifully supports the notion that the earth is our “house” and we should protect its “system” if we want to continue living in our “house”.

The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment defines ecosystems as “a dynamic complex of plant, animal, and micro-organism communities and the non-living environment interacting as a functional unit. Humans are an

The recent Living Planet Index (LPI) Report by the World Wide Fund for Nature found that humans are consuming environmental resources at a rate that would require 1.5 earths to sustain. The LPI also found that, based on 10 380 populations of over 3 038 vertebrate species assessed, these species declined by 52% between 1970 and 2010. 1

Why should we care? Because humans are dependent on biodiversity, ecosystems and the services they render for our existence.

ANNIE SNYMAN

With over 20 years’ consulting

experience managing

multi-disciplinary projects in

industries spanning mining

and resources, aviation,

health, financial services,

ICT, the public sector and

utilities, Annie is an Associate

Director at MAC. She has

significant international

experience, including in the

USA, EU, UAE, UK, Canada,

Ghana, Namibia, Botswana,

Zimbabwe, Angola, Tanzania,

Kenya, Nigeria, China, India

and Peru. With a specific

interest in sustainable

development, Annie is

currently completing her

Master’s in Development

Finance at the University

of Stellenbosch Business

School. Prior to joining MAC

Annie worked for, inter alia,

Gold Fields, Anglo American,

Deloitte, and Booz-Allen &

Hamilton.

About the authors

integral part of ecosystems.” 2

Ecosystem services refer to “services” humans are dependent on – for food, timber, biomass fuels, many pharmaceuticals and industrial products, as well as recreation. However, during the past 50 years almost 60% of the ecosystems that exist, have been degraded or are being utilised unsustainably. 3

A similar situation exists in South Africa, where 20% of our terrestrial ecosystems

29PROJECTS

have been lost. In addition, 48% of wetlands, 42% of rivers and 80% of estuary ecosystems are critically endangered. Finally, 62% of known ocean species are overexploited, have collapsed or are threatened. 4 And, although many species are on the endangered list, sadly 3 550 rhinos have been poached between 2000 and September 2014. 5

Making a difference

on the ground

MAC is privileged to currently be supporting one of those projects that many consultants dream of: making a real difference to people and the planet. It is a truly collaborative effort between public, private and community sectors, who are working together in creating jobs, addressing ecosystem threats, and protecting biodiversity. Funders include the Department of Environmental Affairs, as well as commercial companies.

The Drylands Programme is one element of the project. It aims to gainfully employ unskilled and semi-skilled workers who are being demobilised from a large capital project, as well as local unemployed people, on projects that significantly improve the natural environment, ensure sustainable land management, and make a start on developing a bio-diverse rich, rural green economy in the area.

Currently the Drylands Programme focuses on three sub-projects, namely:

1. Working for Ecosystems to restore the productive potential of land by reversing degradation through erosion, overgrazing and alien vegetation;2. Working for Wildlife to increase conservation capacity within SANParks and to provide patrols, rhino monitoring and other

conservation tasks; and3. Working on Fire to undertake fire prevention interventions, wild fire suppression, and the safe use of fire for ecological functioning of systems.

These projects are already employing more than 660 people and impacting positively on people’s lives and the environment.

Apart from the direct benefits to the employees concerned, there are indirect benefits to the broader communities as well, such asFood Gardens where 2 000 children are being fed from the harvest as part of the “School Feeding Scheme”. The first harvest of the year took place at Seleka Primary School.

1. WWF, The Living Planet Index Report, 2014

2. UNEP, Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Summary, 2005

3. UNEP, Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Summary, 2005

4. SANBI, The State of South Africa’s Biodiversity, 2012

5. DEA, 2014

Food gardens are making a real difference in the lives of children in the area.

LUKAS DREYER

Lukas has been a Principal

Consultant at MAC since

2010. Prior to that he

worked for, among others,

Proudfoot, Umtali and Plessey

Telecommunications. With a

Master’s in Education from the

University of Pretoria, Lukas

started his career in schools

in 1979, working his way up

to the level of headmaster of a

large comprehensive school.

He decided to change to

consulting, however, which he

did in 1993. He therefore has

over 20 years’ consulting and

line management experience

in the mining and resources,

retail, and telecommunications

industries.

30 PROJECTS

Lephalale continues to transform from a quiet rural community into one of the fastest-growing towns in South Africa. Although Woolworths Food, Ster Kinekor, Motherland Coffee and Kauai are still to arrive, it now boasts three KFCs, a McDonald’s, the largest gym in South Africa, and the new Lephalale Mall. This development is driven by mining and power generation, juxtaposed against the surrounding game farms and breathtaking natural beauty.

Our project team in Lephalale has observed how the protection of these natural assets is offset with industrial growth. The drive to the project site is characterised by magnificent scenery, and the team has seen sable, giraffe, nyala and wildebeest, not to mention numerous impala, warthog, baboon and monkey sightings. As you descend from the Waterberg to the huge flat plain that stretches into the

LEPHALALE:

Observations about balancing mega-industry and the precious bushveld eco-system

By Ian Sandilands

Note the PFO Office in the background.

31PROJECTSKalahari, and look past the scenic Mogol River and the three baobabs at the entrance to town, the massive Matimba and Medupi power stations loom in the distance.

The drive is also known for its potholes, bakkies, huge numbers of trucks, some hair-raising driving and interesting places to stop. The MampoerBoer, Biltong Go Back, Boere wat Braai, Plek van die Vleisvreters, Die Koffiekan and Castle de Wildt (host to exclusive and rare game auctions), among others, provide a taste of this opposing, changing setting.

The annual Bosveldfees, on a chilly winter’s evening in July, is a traditional “platteland” festival with cattle shows, 4x4 competitions, dodgem cars, live entertainment, traditional food and a beer tent. This is contrasted with an increasingly cosmopolitan feel and a number of new residents: Pakistani street vendors who speak little or no English; Indian shopkeepers; a Chinese-owned bottle store and money lending business; Congolese artists, and a Thai restaurant offering karaoke and massages. On-site there are Scottish engineers, Taiwanese technicians, French inspectors and (rumour has it) even some Afghan welders. The project office itself has some interesting neighbours, including the “Human Biltong Kiosk” and “Dr H Adlam from Central Africa”.

Additional power stations, solar parks and other independent power plants, and the development of mines to supply them, will continue to drive unprecedented growth and attract people from all over the world to this small bushveld town. How this growth is balanced with the delicate eco-system, the availability of water, the health of the wider economy, and the impact of other planned infrastructure projects, will determine how fast and where further growth will take place. Meanwhile our project team will continue to be part of this dynamic, contrasting story.

The competitive world of bakkies in the Bosveld.

Everybody loves a good braai.

Not sure if Mr Human thought this through.

IAN SANDILANDS

With BA and MBA degrees

from UCT and GIBS, Ian is a

Principal Consultant at MAC.

Starting out as a graduate

trainee at Anglo American in

1992, Ian moved to Accenture

in 1994, where he reached

the level of Senior Manager

before joining MAC in 2004.

His areas of expertise include

strategic alignment, financial

and human performance;

organisation design and

transformation; operational

improvement; and change

management. He has been

engaged on a number of

large-scale change initiatives,

primarily in the resources

sector, and spanning countries

that include South Africa,

Namibia, Botswana, Tanzania,

the United Arab Emirates and

the United States.

About the author

32 PROJECTS

Tread gentlyMitigating the negative impact of Capital Projects on local communities

By Ben van den Berg

Major capital infrastructure projects change the lives of people in the relevant communities forever. Infrastructure development brings with it excellent personal growth opportunities, but also major challenges. For many it means getting a job for the first time and higher income than they are used to. It does also, however, bring the pressure to spend their money wisely and plan their lives, to ensure a better future for themselves and their families.

The leaders of a major infrastructure project in South Africa recognised this need early in 2013 and appointed a training company to educate local people on how to handle their finances effectively, and plan their lives for the future. And so the “Life Skills Value Proposition” programme was born, a project which MAC has been privileged to assist the training company with in 2014.

The Life Skills

Value Proposition

Many hours were spent in planning the execution of this training initiative, in an environment where operational pressures are intense. Nine local facilitators were appointed to roll out the training on-site and in the community. Targeting mainly on-site unskilled and semi-skilled employees, the programme consists of two courses.

1. Financial Literacy aims to develop knowledge and skill in handling money, while encouraging

13 200Number of people who have

received life skills training.

FAST FACT

a culture of saving. It helps people take control of their money by understanding more about personal financial management, and how to plan for their financial goals and future.

2. Drive Your Life assists participants to set goals and design the roadmap for achieving their dreams. It helps people see opportunities in the world around them, and build a life plan aimed at maximising these.

Various and interesting challenges had to be dealt with in making the programme work. From finding venues (training was and still is done in a variety of venues ranging from bomas, tents and parking bays, to extremely professional facilities), to chasing up schedulers and making sure there is adequate water and food supply!

A combination of planning, relationship building, effort and persistence, has led to great results so far. Since June 2013, more than 4 700 people have completed the Financial Literacy course, and 900 Drive your Life. Plus 8 500 people were trained in Financial Literacy offsite, in the broader community.

The valuable life skills that these people have obtained is a once-in- a-lifetime gift, and we are hopeful that it will make a significant contribution in enhancing the socio-economic context of a massive construction project.

We’d like to think that the feedback we’ve received already attests to this.

Participants

“I worked for the Municipality for the past 20 years and had nothing to show for it. When I left the job I was given a very good package and with all the excitement I had misused the lump sum I received. Life was good, until I finished it, then I started looking for a job. Basil Read hired me and then they sent me to attend the Financial Literacy course. There I have learnt how to manage my money, draft a budget and have a savings goal. I started saving to build a house and am now the proud owner of a five-roomed home. The progress I see in my life is amazing. All this I have achieved in a period of two years. I have learnt that it is not about how much you earn, it is about planning and thinking ahead and spending less than what you earn.”

“I attended the Financial Literacy and Drive your Life training and my life has a whole new meaning. With the skills that I have acquired from these two life skills courses, I have managed to start saving my money and bought tilling [tiling?] and welding material. I have opened a business which is also renting out this material to other small business people. As I speak, that material is being used in Johannesburg, while I’m busy working here.”

“I used to withdraw all the money in my bank account after I got

33PROJECTS

paid my salary. Then I would buy expensive clothes and sponsor my friends with alcohol. I had a mountain of debt, from cash loans to clothing accounts. Since I attended this course, I’m a free man now, with the budgeting activity that they taught me, I am now able to plan, save and decide on whether what I am saving for is a need or a want.”

Facilitators

“As a facilitator it has taught me a lot in terms of shaping my own life into something positive. I feel honoured that I play a positive role in the people’s lives that I train. I have found that most learners who pass through the programme are interested in starting their own businesses after the training. It gets people thinking and planning for their children’s education, taking control of their family’s expenses and spending and, most importantly, finding a way of grabbing the opportunities that exist by including them in their plans for the future.”

“It has been an incredible experience for me and I always look forward to my sessions. I have noticed the impact of the training during and after the course. I have been approached in the street by employees who have been through the training and they invariably let me know how they are now determined to change their lives for the better. It has taught them the importance of unity, community and working hard to achieve their dreams. The training also gives them an opportunity to realise their vision for a better town, and a way of expressing their hunger for what is possible in their communities. People really enjoy the training through participating and engaging. It is indeed a great source of inspiration and motivation for everyone who is fortunate enough to participate in this programme.”

IR Managers

“As a management team, we would like to extend a word of thanks to the training team for the course

they provided to our employees. The positive feedback received from attendees signals the value of the service to them. Judging from the employees’ reactions, we are convinced that the course had brought positive changes to their lives and behaviour. We appreciate the service delivered.”

“The initiative of training unskilled workers is great, obviously, but through this programme they receive a direction, instead of a task. Their eyes have been opened and most of them are doing a lot more planning now. They’ve got ideas to open little businesses which they hadn’t had before. I truly think that their appreciation for what they do have has grown, and they are now capable of leading better lives. It isn’t easy changing someone’s way of thinking, especially if they aren’t open to change, but this initiative has done that quickly, with an excellent programme and, for that, I say – WELL DONE!”

BEN VAN DEN BERG

With an MCom in Psychology

from Unisa, Ben is an Industrial

Psychologist registered with

the HPCSA, and a Principal

Consultant at MAC. He has

over 28 years’ experience

mainly in the resources and

petrochemical industries. His

areas of expertise include HR

management, performance

management, communication

/ stakeholder engagement, and

talent management. Prior to

joining MAC Ben worked for

several blue-chip companies,

including Sasol, De Beers and

AngloGold Ashanti.

About the author

Large projects, such as Grootegeluk, place more disposable income in the hands of the local communities, which often means they need financial skills training.

34 PROJECTS

When the going gets good, the good get going…

SHAUN SCHMIDT

See Shaun’s profile on our

website www.macgroup.co.za

By Shaun Schmidt, Key Account Director

Illustration by Lisa Botes.

35PROJECTS

Econet to our client list. We are currently embarked on a significant international project for them.

Account growth has allowed us to build the team, and we have been pleased to welcome a number of very capable new people. Over the last year Leigh Anne Albert, David Tannahill and Rhian Capastagnio, among others, have deepened our skill base considerably with their many years of consulting experience. And the capability of our team has been recognised through a number of promotions this year. Well done to all of you!

We recognise that, after an extended growth period, we need to allow our clients time to breathe after large projects. We need to

Our account has had a wonderful year and we far exceeded our revenue targets, making a considerable contribution to MAC’s stellar performance in 2014.

More importantly, on the client front, we continued to deliver great work for some of South Africa’s most recognised companies, such as Sasol and MTN. In fact, our clients are increasingly regional African and global players, and the work we are doing is significant, meeting one of our stated goals.

For example, we have been an important component in helping one of our clients roll out a new operating model and restructure their entire organisation. It’s a journey we started with them several years ago while developing their long-range strategy. It doesn’t get much better than that!

At another client we have helped implement a new budgeting process and system, reworking how they do budgeting from strategy through to business performance management.

Then we are assisting another two clients on their journey to improve their operations and drive down operating costs, through lean and continuous improvement methodologies.

We continued to build on our Telco expertise and have welcomed

Our clients are increasingly regional African and global players, and the work we are doing is significant, meeting one of our stated goals.

A Sasol Plus account teambuild.

The Sasol Plus account team align their personal growth to four principles espoused in the MAC values:

1. Play for the team 2. Value the individual 3. Deliver on your commitments 4. Bring something extra

breathe too! Looking after our people during this consolidation period will be one of our priorities.

As a team we will focus on self-renewal in a continuous quest for personal, as well as collective, growth in the coming year. Our personal and team growth will be aligned to the four principles espoused in the MAC values: 1. Play for the team2. Value the individual3. Deliver on your commitments4 Bring something extra

I therefore urge each of you to enjoy a well-earned rest period in December, and to think about what that improvement journey will look like for you, in 2015.

36

Mission Impossible?By Saar Ben-Attar

SAAR BEN-ATTAR

Prior to joining MAC in 2003,

Saar had held marketing and

then general management

roles in the manufacturing

industry. After five years

consulting with MAC, Saar

left for Ernst & Young, where

he was Associate Director

between 2007 and 2008. We

were pleased to welcome

Saar back to MAC in 2008, first

as Principal Consultant and

now Associate Director. With

a BBusSc (Honours) degree

from UCT, Saar has over

18 years’ work experience,

during which exposure to

a number of consulting

practices, methodologies

and projects, has led to

a deep understanding

of the transformation

process, as well as detailed

knowledge of supply chain

management, strategy and

project management. He

has led projects with MTN,

Anglo American, Transnet,

Gold Fields, Rio Tinto, Total,

Nampak and others.

About the author

PROJECTS

time, generate new revenues from providing services to others. Special thanks to Rhian Capostagno and Johann van Jaarsveld for their leadership, and the team for their great work – Kate Barnes, Alex Storey, Lovemore Fuyane, CJ Nwosa, Robin Carter, Joel Maine, Sarah Wadlow, Julia Martin, Susann Ribe and Jannie du Toit. It has been great working with each of you.

And, as we become known and our reputation grows, this is also the first time we will be attending AfricaCom, the “mining indaba” of telecoms on the continent.

Looking back over the past year, there is much for us to celebrate – we have gone Beyond Mining and Beyond South Africa – two strategic priorities for MAC. We connected with our clients at a deeper level and contributed to their growth, often at both personal and business level. We have grown our understanding of the industry and the issues that really matter in our clients’ lives, and we have grown as individuals and as a team.

Having travelled such a journey this year, I wonder where we will venture in 2015?

attracted to the business with a compelling value proposition and working in an environment within which they can thrive.

But where there is challenge, there is often opportunity. This year we have seen our work in the telecoms industry grow from strength to strength. Our relationship with MTN has grown as we worked across the 22 operations to roll out a group-wide business planning and budgeting solution. We were also selected to facilitate the group strategy session, where we helped clarify the strategic priorities for the group and agree a coherent approach on how they take new products and services to market. I would like to thank Lisa Botes and Susann Ribe for their great work, lifting the bar on many occasions, Dunja Kartte, for her contribution to the strategy, and Shaun Schmidt (Key Account Director) for his guidance and masterful facilitation – an example to us all in the team.

We also began work with a second Telco operator in southern Africa. Our work with Econet has seen us designing a shared services organisation to support their international growth and, over

You are the newly-appointed CEO of a large telecoms operator in the emerging world. Your mission, having accepted the role, is to steer the company through the stormy waters of today’s world of telecommunications. Expect the commoditisation of Telco services and pressures on your margins to continue. While your brand has won accolades and awards in past years, distinguishing it in the face of increasing competition will be difficult. You will meet more business-savvy and demanding regulators, who require a different model of engagement, as well as increasingly astute consumers who are no longer tied to your organisation and who can switch to competitors where they see greater value. Your traditional voice revenues will decline and must be replaced with new revenue streams. Unfortunately, these are in industries with mature and capable competitors – think banks, insurance companies, and healthcare providers, not to mention Google, Facebook and other “platform owners”. And the organisational capabilities and talent you will need to grow these new businesses are not always within reach – they will need to be

MAC places strong emphasis on achieving outstanding results for clients through dedication, innovation and teamwork. This

creates a challenging yet hugely rewarding work environment, which allows for individual growth and development.

Siseko Zibi, Consultant

37PROJECTS

You will meet increasingly astute consumers who are no longer tied to your organisation and who can switch to

competitors where they see greater value.

FAST FACT55%By the end of 2014, 55% of all mobile-broadband

subscriptions are expected to be in the developing

world, compared with only 20% in 2008.

Source: ICT Facts and Figures

38

Who is Me Inc.?By Lisa Botes

the environment that manages your personal brand to ensure its success, your positioning. Finally, you should monitor to ensure that your personal brand continues to support your aspirations. As those aspirations change and progress, so too will your personal brand design and strategy for embedding it. This is a continuous cycle that ensures your brand stays relevant; the second imperative for a strong personal brand.

Madonna is a personal branding master, she has created and re-created herself from a material 80s fashion icon, to an outrageous sex-crazed wild woman, then a devoted family woman, and now an avid philanthropist. I’m not proposing that changing your personal brand from one extreme to another is a good idea but I do appreciate that with a stated personal brand and strategy you can position yourself almost any way you want (provided it is authentic, of course). I really enjoy Madonna’s perspective, “No matter who you are, no matter what you did, no matter where you’ve come from, you can always change, become a better version of yourself.”

equipped on how to do that. You also may not have the know-how or tools to drive and embed your brand. You land up with a personal brand that is born out of luck, or lack thereof, with a haphazard or opportunistic approach to strengthening it. The end result is an underperforming personal brand that offers weak service to your personal success. With a defined personal brand and strategy to drive it your brand will work for you, creating momentum for your personal goals. As Tom Peters said, “We are CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called You.”

Authenticity is imperative to a strong personal brand; without this all you have is a façade that will either be exposed or make you come off as phoney. That’s why the journey starts with understanding yourself properly; what makes you, you, and how that shapes the way you do things. Only once you understand yourself, can you define and fine-tune your purpose in a way that keeps you authentic. This informs the design of how you want to be seen and how you create

We all come across people with exceptional capability whose competence is never in question but their personal brand is weak. They seem unsure of who they are or something seems “off” about them; their physical appearance does not match what they seem to value or say, or how they behave seems out of sync with their aspirations. This could very well be a misaligned personal brand.

You may have heard the saying that if you are not branding yourself, you can be sure that others are doing it for you. And it’s true, it’s human nature and we can’t help ourselves. In almost every interaction you have with others physically, remotely or electronically, you are positioning yourself in their eyes, creating an imprint in their minds of who you are, what you stand for, what you value, what you are an authority on, your intentions, capabilities, strengths, etc.

However, the brand you have been associated with may not actually be the one you want. Often it’s a case of not having given enough time to defining exactly what your brand is, which could be because you are ill-

LISA BOTES

A Principal Consultant with

MAC, Lisa is a generalist

consultant with strengths in

strategy development and

implementation, sales and

marketing management,

process analysis and

improvement, communication,

as well as programme- and

change management.

With an engineering degree

from UJ, Lisa started her

career as a heavy current

electrical engineer at Eskom.

With a BCom degree from

Unisa, MAP from Wits

Business School and MBA

from GIBS, Lisa subsequently

occupied various marketing-

related management roles

at Altron, Xerox, Aberdare

Cables, and AG industries Ltd,

prior to joining MAC in 2011.

Lisa holds a special interest in

the topic of personal branding.

About the author

MAC has undoubtedly been my best “New Joiner” experience in the course of my career. I found the

processes to be super-slick, and my new colleagues to be warm, welcoming and knowledgeable. Serious professionalism, client-centricity and focus on quality

are highlights of my experience to date.Alex Storey, Senior Consultant

CONSULTANT STORY

39

I used to enjoy the joke that went: – “Employ a 16-year-old while they still know everything”. Since the young generation of the 21st century have become my colleagues and friends, I have learned that there is more truth than humour in this. Why have I come to the conclusion that we had better listen and listen again to our young talent?

The answer lies in what seems to be a truism: they are a new generation in a new era. Keith Coats quotes Toffler’s prediction in Future Shock: “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.” That seems to be a warning to me to keep up please!

Very little stays the same in the economic and political environments of today and Steven Covey’s white water analogy brings him to the conclusion that “success breeds failure” in the sense that new challenges demand different answers to the ones

that have worked for us before. This requires some of the things that the Xer/Millennial generation bring to the table – inquisitive minds, flexible norms, outputs not inputs, optimism, confidence, and principles not rules.

Being a borderline Silent/Boomer I have to work my mind around a generation that “works to live or contribute” rather than “lives to work”, with all the attendant norms like differences in ideas on work/life balance, loyalty, pecking orders and personal values.

Part of that process is to examine myself and ask “Why shouldn’t it be good to be loyal to self first, career mobile, self-reliant and life style-centred, just because my generation wasn’t? Is there anything wrong, I should ask, with preferring matrix rather than hierarchical structures, or a rights- rather than responsibility-orientation?”

It is always going to create debate to generalise, so if the

characteristics mentioned above don’t all apply to you as an Xer/Millennial, that’s fine, but they do give me food for thought. It certainly should make leaders pause to consider whether there are different things you need to do when leading the new generation.I am always guided (sometimes unsuccessfully) by these two principles: firstly, be constantly discovering and developing your “authentic self” as a leader and, secondly, become a leader with an abiding humility and a fierce resolve to achieve your goals. If these goals are achieved they will work, I believe, with any generation of colleagues.

Perhaps I can leave you with this thought from Coats: “Leaders who aren’t learners aren’t leaders of the future.”

The idea for this article was seeded

by Keith Coats in a 2007 blog, and I

acknowledge his contribution to my

learning, www.keithcoats.com

KEITH HARTSHORNE

With a BA degree obtained

from Wits in 1967, and

numerous Executive

Development Programmes

under the belt (Wits, UCT),

Keith started off his career

with OK Bazaars in 1968,

working his way up to

Group HR Director by 1988.

Ten years later Keith joined

Strategem Training Services

in a consulting role, before

moving to MAC in 2000,

where he is currently a

Principal Consultant. Keith

has a wealth of experience

in the human resources,

leadership development,

organisational development

and change management

disciplines. on a personal

note, he has been married

for 44 years to Penny and

they have three daughters,

four granddaughters and

two grandsons.

About the author

Since my first interaction with MAC Consulting I was impressed with the leadership style, the people, the brand, the values

and the culture. MAC is a paragon in the consulting industry.Cobus Terblanche, Principal Consultant

Reflections of a “Boomer”

By Keith Hartshorne

What I’ve learnt in discovering the mysteries of the Xer/Millennial generations – somewhere between my children and grandchildren

CONSULTANT STORY

40 CONSULTANT STORY

Surviving Out-of-Town Consulting AssignmentsBy Val Hammond

VAL HAMMOND

See Val’s profile on page 86.

heard it’s hot, sticky and dusty. We were headed to a Copper Mine and I was unsure about whether I’d like the work, whether I’d enjoy travelling with my colleagues, what the accommodation would be like, or whether I’d survive the motion sickness on the little plane (an Airlink 27-seater).

dinner at night? Who would find the car keys for my husband in the morning? Who would remind him to buy dog food or lock the front door at night? I was absolutely sure their lives would collapse without me.

I also wasn’t sure whether I’d enjoy the assignment in Phalaborwa. I’d

I always thought that I could not do consulting assignments outside Gauteng. I could not possibly leave my daughters (aged 10 and 12) and my husband alone. How on earth would they cope without me? Who would get the girls up in the morning? What about school lunches and homework? Who would make

40 CONSULTANT STORY

Val was pleasantly surprised to find out how resilient her two daughters Jenna (13) and Megan (11) were when she

had to be out of town on assignment. Husband Roan discovered his culinary talent en route.

41CONSULTANT STORY 41

So, on that first trip to Phalaborwa I left home anxious, wondering if this was an assignment I could endure. As it turns out, that first night in Phalaborwa was tough and I had some tears from the children at home (and a couple from me). But, it was an excellent experience and I can now say: I can do the travelling thing. However, for a consultant with family commitments, there are a few lessons that were useful in helping me not only to survive the out-of-town assignment, but also to thoroughly enjoy it. Perhaps others might find these useful too:

1. Children are quite resilient and mine surprised me by how much they’re capable of doing (and doing well) without my help. They ably got up in time for school in the morning, diligently completed their homework and studied for tests – all without driving my husband completely insane.

2. Husbands can actually cook. Even though my husband’s culinary skills quickly disappear when I’m at home, I have it on good authority (from the children) that he produced meals and they did not suffer any negative side-effects. However, they all admit to preferring my cooking (sadly).

3. Working with an accommodating Key Account Director and Project Leader always makes things easier. Paul Whysall and Andrew

Wilson were understanding of my family situation and allowed me some flexibility in the travel schedule. I was never away from the family for more than two nights and three days at any one time and, if I was not needed on-site or could successfully complete certain deliverables in Johannesburg, Paul and Andrew graciously allowed me to do so.

4. Working with colleagues who have a sense-of-humour is an absolute necessity. Andrew cracked me up at least once every hour when we were away. He has a dry sense of humour that I so appreciate. On one occasion, we were running a little late for a meeting, but we still had to go through the security checkpoint. Andrew, very seriously, put on his sunglasses and told the security guard that we were from the FBI and were at the mine to complete important inspections. This helped speed up the process considerably.

5. Interesting work and fabulous clients make out-of-town assignments much more rewarding. The clients we dealt with in Phalaborwa offered us a great opportunity to work in an area that was new and interesting and to engage with problems that required teamwork, and a sharing of ideas. The clients also placed

a lot of trust in us and didn’t require us to be on-site five days a week.

6. Fabulous, upmarket, air-conditioned accommodation is a must – especially in places as hot and humid as Phalaborwa. We always stayed at an incredible lodge with self-catering units. Self-catering is definitely the way to go, otherwise one risks weight gain as well as homesickness.

7. Motion-sickness medication. I can’t say enough good things about motion sickness medication. It not only helped me endure the small plane experience, it also made Andrew’s driving completely bearable.

8. Make friends with the lodge or hotel staff. Andrew did this very quickly (especially with the ladies in the reservations department) and as a consequence was always given the best accommodation.

9. Find the local Spur. Nothing makes you feel at home quite like the Spur. Every town has one and they’re all the same.

10. Find the local Woolies. This is even more important than finding the Spur!

Armed with these vital life lessons, I now say “bring on the out-of-town assignments”!

My earliest impression of MAC was the natural, effortless excellence of the people. In the months since joining, that impression is only

stronger. The real MAC difference is in how much people care about work, their clients, and their colleagues. I am proud to be part of an

organisation with such a rare blend of brain and heart.Kobus Prinsloo, Senior Consultant

42

far and an opportunity too good to be missed. This situation obviously posed a very important question – what happens to the fiancée? Luckily MAC came to the rescue. With some help from my Key Account Director (Paul Whysall) we discovered that there is a need for an Organisational Development Practitioner on the project. By May 2013 all was in place and we started our new life in a small border town called Musina, straight after the honeymoon.

About the project

The Venetia Mine (VM) open pit is scheduled to be mined out in 2021

A new season

There is a famous quote that says the only constant in life is change itself. This year I have experienced it first-hand. Getting married, starting a new project and moving to a new town (all in one year) certainly was a whirlwind of adventure. Now that the dust has settled I finally have some time to reflect on, and tell you about, our big move.

Where it all started

At the end of 2013 Johann-Albert (my then future-husband) was contracted to do work on the Venetia Underground Project (VUP) – one of the biggest capital projects South Africa has seen so

By Esté Meyer

The beautiful scenery invites you to explore and Esté and Johann-Albert have taken up cycling to do just that.

and the life of the existing operating mine should therefore be expanded to create sustained shareholder wealth for the De Beers Group of Companies. The purpose of the Venetia Underground Project (VUP) is to deliver a safe, sustainable and profitable underground mining solution and operation for De Beers Consolidated Mines (Pty) Ltd by moving from an open-pit mine to an underground mine. Once the project is completed the economic life of the current mine will be extended by approximately 30 years.

My role on VUP

I am mainly responsible for

ESTÉ MEYER

With an MCom in Industrial

Psychology from the

University of Pretoria, Esté

is an Industrial Psychologist

registered with the HPCSA.

After lecturing at Unisa and

completing her internship

with the Military Psychological

Institute, Esté joined MAC

in 2010. She is a Senior

Consultant, with a special

interest in leadership, culture

and team development.

About the author

CONSULTANT STORY

(which, by the way, is on a small guest farm) came with some adjustments. No more Woolies food, decent cappuccinos or temperatures below 35 degrees. I frequently have to face unidentifiable eight-legged creatures and I am not yet at a point where I can make friends with the boa constrictor visiting our unit every now and then. On the plus side, we are surrounded by beautiful nature which is something not everyone has the privilege to experience.

embedding a high-performing culture on the project, developing managers and retaining talent throughout the transitioning and demobilisation phases, as well as aligning project teams to work towards the same vision, strategy, objectives and culture (project on-boarding). This role does not only allow me to do what I love, but also adds value to MAC’s Capital Project capability.

Our life up North

The transition to our new home

Esté started her married life by following her heart all the way to Musina where her husband works on the Venetia Underground Project.

The road to work – the only thing you have to give way to is a passing Waterbuck.

Editor’s Note: See

Esté and Johann-Albert’s

wedding photo on page 106.

We took up cycling and enjoy our Sunday afternoon rides, always on the look-out for giraffes, Kudus and Waterbuck (among others). The best part – no traffic to work!

This is indeed a very special season for us and we plan to follow the words of the famous philosopher Alan Watts, “the only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance”.

43CONSULTANT STORY 43

44 CONSULTANT STORY

Lessons from the 2014 LEAN SummitBy Grant Hansel

Consider the word “lean”. People will have different understandings of and connotations for this word. In an everyday context it may imply for some that an individual’s physique is well-toned and muscular. For others it may refer to a preference for a cut of meat, e.g. more meat and less fat. So what? The reality is that, regardless of the connotations held, the principles underpinning the concept of “lean” in an everyday context are equally applicable to a business context.

In the business context the core idea behind LEAN is a philosophy that is lived by an organisation with the primary intent of providing perfect customer value while minimising waste. Or, in layman’s terms, doing more with less. A customer may be someone internal, such as a work colleague, or someone external – a purchaser of goods or services. A LEAN-focused business understands that in order to increase value, a business and its individual components work together as an integrated system and therefore an improvement or change in one area must benefit the whole.

For LEAN to be successful it is fundamental that the business knows what “value” means for their customers. Unfortunately, though, many businesses do not. They think they have an idea of what this may be, but instead of listening to the voice of the customer they address customer wants based on their own perceptions of what the customer needs. History is, and continues to be, littered with countless examples of this. A good example is online purchasing or social media. Customer needs and expectations are forever changing and business needs to respond appropriately and quickly. Or they may find themselves going out of business.

Once the voice of the customer has been listened to and their wants understood, through a set of tools that are applicable to both production and service environments, the waste within the organisation is made visible. Once it is visible, it is systematically eliminated. There are eight types of waste which include defects, over-production, waiting time,

non-utilised talent, transportation, inventory, motion and extra processing. A wasteful activity is one that is deemed not to be working towards achieving the goal of perfecting customer value. A simple everyday example is standing in a queue for a checkout counter, or responding to email.

Finally, listening to the voice of the customer, focusing on the business as a system, identifying, exposing and eliminating waste, are very difficult to accomplish unless the business has a continuous improvement culture. In this view the business is an integrated system of people, processes and equipment. If the culture is not right, not only will results tend to be once-off, but they will also be unsustainable.

From a consulting perspective the concept of LEAN may seem like common sense, but even if it is, it appears not to be so common after all.

GRANT HANSEL

A Principal Consultant

with MAC, Grant’s areas of

interest and expertise include

operational planning, mining

optimisation, industrial

engineering, business

performance optimisation and

supply chain management.

He originally joined MAC in

2003, and worked with us

on and off over the last 11

years, with stints working for

Nedbank and Anglo American

in between. We were pleased

to welcome him back to

MAC again in 2013. His

qualifications include a BTech

in Industrial Engineering

from UJ, a BSc Hons in

Management of Technology

from Tuks, and an MBA from

GIBS – all of which were

obtained with distinction.

About the author

Joining MAC this year, I have been so impressed by the level of professional support and assistance provided to

me by every MACer I’ve met. Alison Prentice, Senior Consultant

About the authors

NICO PRINSLOO

A Principal Consultant at

MAC, Nico started his career

in roles that included client

manager for an environmental

consulting company, project

manager and design engineer

at a multi-disciplinary

engineering company, and

independent consultant in

Cape Town. His areas of

expertise include analysis and

modelling, as well as project

management and operations

optimisation. Nico joined MAC

in 2011 and holds a BEng

degree from the University of

Stellenbosch.

45CONSULTANT STORY

LEANing into consultingBy Nico Prinsloo, Marisi Ridgway, and Carel van Heerden

Peter (a fictitious Operations Manager who lives in Brakpan) suspects that his daughter is wasting valuable minutes every time she makes him coffee, so Peter decides to investigate. Peter maps the kitchen on a little notepad they keep on top of the microwave. He gets distracted by the coffee that is made, so he captures only the “make” portion of the process. He jots the following down:

literally refers to “without waste”. LEAN is a philosophy of continuous improvement, where a framework is set to eliminate waste (waste is considered all that is not value-creating to the customer, for which the customer will pay). The LEAN approach is perhaps more easily understood in the form of an example.

Case study

Let’s pose a hypothetical example.

The annual LEAN Summit for 2014 was hosted in Cape Town and attended by MAC Consulting (who was also one of the sponsors). MAC is an industry leader in Operational Excellence (OE) and LEAN methodology (and philosophy) is considered to be part of successful OE execution.

Fortunately, LEAN is not just another acronym. The word “lean”

MAC was one of the sponsors at the 2014 LEAN Summit.

46 CONSULTANT STORY

He also sketches her movements through the kitchen:

By now you, the reader, have undoubtedly already formed some ideas for improvement in your mind’s eye, as did Peter. Through experience Peter has learned to restrain himself from jumping into solution mode, to ensure he follows a proper process. He, therefore, formulates a few hypotheses:1. Boiling time could be reduced by

filling the kettle to a specific level;2. Movement time could be saved

by storing the coffee jar in the same cupboard as the mugs; and

Mixing time could be saved by

determining exactly how much stirring is required.

He finishes his coffee and decides to experiment with these ideas over the weekend, before he embarks on a formal implementation plan and manages the family’s resistance to a potentially new kitchen layout.

Let’s look at another example.Away from home, Peter’s company installs and maintains air quality monitoring stations across South Africa. With five regional hubs, 230 vehicles, and over 5 000

sites, this can be an intimidating operation. On the latest financial review the above-average escalation of the cost of maintenance has drawn a lot of attention and Peter needs to assess the problem.

Seems daunting, doesn’t it?Peter embarks on a process to identify and eliminate waste in the process. Peter goes out to see first-hand what happens and where the waste could exist. He joins Victor, a maintenance foreman, for a week, and notices the following process is typical of a repair visit:

MARISI RIDGWAY

Marisi has been a Principal

Consultant at MAC since

2011, joining us from PwC.

She has completed a Dip

in HR Management and

Practices at UJ, as well as the

Management Advancement

Programme at Wits Business

School. She has over 10

years’ experience in various

aspects of the HR field. Her

key areas of interest and

expertise include strategy and

policy development, learning

and development, skills

development, performance

management, organisational

design and effectiveness,

recruitment and selection,

reward, retention and change

management.

Value is considered from the customer or end-user’s point of view – what are they willing to pay for because of its value-offering.

Fill kettle

Fetch milk

Switch on

kettel

Wait for kettle

to stop boiling

Fetch coffee

jar

Mix

ingredients

(stir)

Fetch mug and

teaspoon

Hand coffee

to Peter

47CONSULTANT STORY

Peter notices how – when following a structured process – the two problems, coffee-time and travel/repair-time, seem quite similar, though the scale is vastly different. By utilising a simple and tested approach it is possible to break down an environment into simple constructs that can be understood and improved. In continually addressing the small constructs in view of the whole system, continuous improvement is possible.

Peter has now grasped the underlying philosophy of LEAN.

Value and LEAN

Key to improvement, whether organisational or personal, is aligning effort with value to ruthlessly eliminate or minimise those activities that do not add value (as seen from the customer’s perspective of value). To consistently improve on value requires a philosophy of continuous

improvement, complemented by the required conceptual frameworks, in turn complemented by the improvement tools.

LEAN methodology provides us with a consistent and robust framework, as well as tools, that have been developed over millennia. LEAN in this sense has always been around and practised, however, it was only acknowledged as a concept on its own in more recent times.

LEAN is much more than an approach to cost-effective manufacturing – it is the philosophy of continuous improvement. Classic project management courses teach that with Quality, Cost and Time, one parameter can only be optimised at the detriment of one or both of the other. As the saying goes: “You can have it fast and cheap, but it won’t be good, or you can have it fast and good, but it will cost you”. In contrast, with a LEAN

mind-set, it is possible to optimise all three towards customer value. One view of the interplay is that improving the quality of time, quality of cost and the quality of product, will lead to increased value without detracting from the other parameters.

Value is considered from the customer or end-user’s point of view – what are they willing to pay for because of its value-offering. The customer does not consider walking up and down to collect components within the manufacturing process as a value-adding activity.

In conclusion

LEAN is at the very heart of improvement, whether it is explicitly stated or intuitively implied. To embed continuous improvement, LEAN needs to ascend from a concept to a philosophy – a state of mind. In principle, management consulting is all about improvement. Value creating, sustainable and continuous, LEAN speaks directly to this principle.

CAREL VAN HEERDEN

With BCom Law and

MSc Mineral Resource

Management degrees, Carel

started his career at Alexander

Proudfoot, and is currently

a Senior Consultant at MAC.

Read his profile on page 82.

Walk to

vehicle parking

(up to 400km)

Travel to nearest

hardware store

Fetch spares

at stores

Buy additional

required tools and

commodities

Travel to site

Travel to site

Confirm the scope

Finish repair

LEAN is much more than an approach to cost-effective manufacturing – it is the philosophy of continuous improvement.

Your LEAN journey to HeavenBy Peter Campbell

I have been to Heaven. It was a lengthy trip, but well worth it. I took some amazing pictures.

Ok, so perhaps I’m exaggerating slightly. Let me compromise on my inflated claim, and suggest instead that I have been to one of Heaven’s depots. The angels present operated high-speed machinery, churning out tons of perfect products in quietly whirring production lines…

I arrived with the preconceived idea that something special loomed. After all, this was a developed country in the Far East. Surely everything here would run with the regularity of the church bell.Heaven’s depot had a big banner welcoming us as visitors when we drove in. A ramp led up to automated glass doors and onto a panelled walkway, polished to a sheen and lined with posters of recognition and performance

dashboards. But this welcoming entrance wasn’t for us. They had the red carpet out too. But it also wasn’t for us. It led off to a smaller door, off to the side of the walkway. Our resident Saint Peter instead led the group aside to another entrance – a more traditional reception area – plain and simple, of the kind one would expect in any office block.

We later discovered the panelled walkway was a Walk-of-Fame for

PETER CAMPBELL

A Principal Consultant with

MAC since 2012, Peter

started his career at Afrox as

engineer, moving to a general

management role at FKI

Logistex in 2005. In 2007 he

joined Kimberly-Clark where

he held strategic projects,

LEAN and then Operations

Management roles. During

this time, Peter delivered a

number of assignments in

analysing, designing and

implementing business and

operational strategies. He

is particularly interested

in LEAN transformation

management and continuous

improvement methodologies,

involving culture change in

production environments,

waste elimination, time-

and-motion studies,

constraint assessment, visual

management, and grade-

change optimisation. He

holds a BSc Eng (Mech)

degree from Wits, and

completed an MBA with

Heriot-Watt. He has also

completed an executive

development programme at

the University of Stellenbosch.

About the author

In this article, Peter describes his visit in 2011 to a South Korean factory in the FMCG industry, considered a paragon in the LEAN industry.

The workers' entrance has a red carpet for staff bringing their kids to the company crèche, and a cleaning station to

use before entering the factory.

48 CONSULTANT STORY

49CONSULTANT STORY

production workers arriving on shift. It was lined with very formal photos of workers posing in suits – the winners of a range of prizes and recognition. (Ironically, the person acknowledged for smiling the most in the month held a sombre pose in his portrait!)

Dashboards showed positive trends and record results. A safety board, updated manually every single day using little magnetic letters, indicated the date of their last incident, and counted how many days had lapsed safely since. A large cupboard, filled with shoes, overalls and safety gear, invited staff to draw whatever their needs were, without key or question. Finally, the red carpet: reserved for workers bringing their small children to the on-site crèche.

Once inside, the value placed on creating a better operation, and in particular the focus on operators working on the production lines, became obvious. Some best-in-class items that stood out were:l Raw materials stock-holding of

12 hours (for locally-produced materials) and seven days (for imported materials);

l Production lines that operate at 65% above nameplate design rates;

l Noise and dust levels up to 10 times lower than global benchmarks;

l Posters and banners throughout

the factory and offices depicting children and families having fun – all professional pictures taken at fun days (imagine working on a production floor with a super-sized picture of a loved one looking on!);

l Oasis areas or rooms scattered across the facility, where an employee can relax on a leather couch, watch some TV, flip through a magazine – whatever is necessary to reduce their stress levels, with breaks taken at their discretion;

l When asked when the last dismissal occurred, the facility manager without hesitation offered a name, reason and date – “October 1997” – some 16 years prior. An impressive record for a facility with 500 employees!

l Each production line has a clean station with refreshments and a bottle of multivitamins. A colleague on the visit quipped, “Back in my country, these vitamins would be stolen!” The response: “They were stolen here too. But management reasoned that whether the vitamins are being consumed at home or at work by the employees and their families, the company will still ultimately benefit. So when a bottle was stolen, we simply replaced it with two new bottles. Once the demand for having the vitamins at home was satisfied, the theft stabilised.”

I could continue with a lengthy list of

impressive practices in this amazing facility, where a surprise awaited around every corner of our four-day visit. But beyond impressing you with the above, the following points are of greater importance:

The success of this facility is

NOT inextricably spawned by

the culture of the country

The tour visited a renowned auto manufacturing facility where, beyond the scale of operations, the post-visit assessment agreed it was really nothing special. In fact, the tour guide’s first words were: “Management sits in that building over there. They had to move out of the factory after relations with workers turned nasty.” And most telling of all: the company’s two sister production facilities in the country are just quite ordinary, and no better than any of the group’s other facilities across the globe!

The achievements of this

facility were a journey

A journey of 18 carefully orchestrated and laborious years. Employees could tell you the date on which the journey was launched. And the last dismissal related directly to this launch: an individual who rejected the new journey, and despite appeals to buy in, continued to incite colleagues to oppose the new way of working. The best illustration of this journey is a tracking of the grade-change*

A passage in the factory is lined with photographs of employees’ children.

process over 14 years. A grade-change in the company’s South African facility takes 24 hours, and can only be executed on day shifts (so that management, engineers and maintenance are present to orchestrate and help) and using the senior crew members of neighbouring production lines. At Heaven’s depot, a grade-change took one hour (yes, ONE hour), and could be conducted by every shift team, at any time, in total independence from neighbouring crews or engineering interventions! A graphic depicting their journey showed how improvements slowly accumulated over the years, after much hard work and effort. And the graphic projected into the future shows how the target was to improve further still.

Your facility or operations can

also be a branch of Heaven

Embark on the journey! Chip away at waste and inefficiency; revolutionise your management practices and culture; continuously improve. Irrespective of your starting point and your environment, your facility or operation can also become a role model in industry.

* A “grade change” refers to the machines being changed to make a different product. It is a key focus area for LEAN production facilities, who stand to lose a great deal of productive time while setting up.

Behind the glass doors a machine is churning out milions of diapers a

year – and the factory looks this pristine all the time!

50 CONSULTANT STORY

Real data = real issues = real solutions

By Liezl Lock

The South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa) was in the spotlight recently with the Divisional Executive: Corporate Services, Mr Xolisa Mahbongo, being involved in the signing of the nuclear co-operation framework between South Africa and Russia. This September 22 strategic partnership, signed on the side-lines of the International Atomic Energy Agency conference in Vienna, has been rather controversial, sparking various debates around the expansion of South Africa’s nuclear capabilities.

Few details of the deal have been released, although the South African government has said Russia could supply as many as eight plants with a capacity of up to 9 600 megawatts of power, with most coming online by 2030. South Africa has tried to do more in recent years to bring electricity to its masses (as many as 11% of the country’s households – around three million people – are estimated to be without power). The additional power plants would be a welcome infusion of energy for the country, where a single nuclear

LIEZL LOCK

A Senior Consultant at

MAC since 2012, Liezl is

an Industrial Psychologist

registered with the HPCSA.

She completed her BA

and Honours degrees at

Stellenbosch University, and

her Master’s in Industrial

and Organisational

Psychology at Unisa. With

over 10 years’ Human

Resource Management and

consulting experience, Liezl’s

areas of expertise include

organisational development,

leadership development, team

development, specialised

and routine psychological

assessments, performance

management, job profiling,

change management,

organisational design and

career management.

About the author

CONSULTANT STORY

MAC’s approach to the Necsa culture analysis proves that personal interactions inform the real issues, allowing MAC to provide real solutions.

51CONSULTANT STORY

power plant is in operation, no new power plants have been built in decades, and the electrical grid is under significant pressure.

Necsa is, however, in our sights for very different reasons. Necsa approached MAC in July this year to provide an understanding of their current organisational culture. The intention was to develop an approach, in partnership with them, aimed at instilling a healthy, sustainable way of working and interacting going forward.

The objectives of the project were to: l determine what is going well

and what is not going well within Necsa (based on the Blueprint Business Model framework);

l determine how the recent structural changes are perceived and received in the business;

l determine why transformation within the corporation isn’t happening as required; and

l unearth possible issues detracting from Necsa achieving its strategy.

The client initially requested that an electronic survey be conducted with the entire organisation (approximately 1 400 employees). Upon closer investigation we learnt that a similar survey on ethics had been done earlier in the year, but that, due to a poor response rate, insufficient data had been collected for valid conclusions to be drawn. In order to mitigate the poor response rate and ensure we uncovered the real issues within the organisation, a different approach was proposed. We recommended following a qualitative approach and collecting information through personal interaction by conducting one-on-one interviews at executive and senior levels, and facilitating focus group sessions with middle management, lower management, semi-skilled and unskilled workers.

In order to identify issues that were

possibly adding to or detracting from Necsa’s strategy, a holistic approach was followed by using the Blueprint Business Model. The Blueprint model emphasises humanistic elements (culture and competency) as well as more technical and transactional elements in the organisation (strategy, structure, processes, facilities, equipment and technology). The project commenced with the formulation of hypotheses with inputs from the CEO, Divisional Executive: Corporate Services and the Senior Manager: Human Resources. A structured interview, testing the set hypotheses in the framework of the Blueprint Model, was then developed. The project team selected the focus group samples, representative of each division in the organisation, and scheduled one-on-one interviews and focus group sessions in order to collect our data. A total of 31 executives and senior managers were interviewed and 89 employees participated in the focus groups. Overall, 120 individuals participated in the process (9% of Necsa, representative of all

levels, races and genders). Once data was collated and analysed the project team formulated findings, conclusions and recommendations per division. In order to validate our findings from this qualitative process, all 120 participants from the interviews and focus group sessions were asked to complete a quantitative engagement survey. The survey covered similar dimensions probed in the structured interview.

The results indicated nothing uncommon to the South African context. The project team will now roll out the feedback from the survey, as well as proposed interventions, to the entire organisation through an eight-day exhibition. Thereafter we are aiming to help the executive team prioritise and implement selected critical interventions, tailored to the specific needs within Necsa, and are hoping our efforts will have a positive and lasting impact on the organisation, to assist them with the challenges that may lie ahead.

CONSULTANT STORY

52 CONSULTANT STORY52 CONSULTANT STORY

The Octopus in the OD roomBy Koos van Heerden

Business management consultants are often working in a world defined by other people’s opinions. These include, among others, specified client needs, literature, benchmarked outcomes, Google, knowledge management systems, as well as templates and other ready-made solutions.

But can we still think for ourselves? Do we observe what is right in front of us? Or are we oblivious of the “Octopus in the Organisation Design (OD) room”?

Observation: Major organisation (re)design initiatives are not regular events. When organisations embark on these initiatives, they often design as if the designs will last

KOOS VAN HEERDEN

A Principal Consultant with

MAC, Koos is a seasoned

consultant, with specific

interest and expertise in

organisation design and

development, as well as

change management. With a

MPsych degree in Research

Psychology from Tuks, Koos

started his career at the HSRC.

After a stint farming, Koos

joined JCI as OD Manager,

where he remained for 11

years. After a short period as

Principal Consultant at PwC,

he ran his own consultancy,

Human Junction, for 12

years, joining MAC in 2013.

Koos is a systems thinker,

with a deep understanding

of project management and

delivery. He has been involved

in numerous transformation

initiatives across the

mining, petrochemical and

communications industries,

as well as in the public sector.

About the author

forever. In well-managed projects they ensure effective integration between design elements, such as business processes, information requirements, information technology and organisation structures. They even embed these design components well, and they on-board their current staff effectively. As if this design will last forever.

Challenge: But no design remains unchanged. Most often the blueprint starts changing even before it has been embedded. Wave after wave of smaller changes hit the organisation from various angles. These include process adjustments, technology consolidation, growth, downscaling, and the likes.

Unsurprisingly, at the commencement of subsequent change initiatives, relevant “as is” design components are no longer valid. They have to be redesigned (in relative isolation and at unnecessary cost), which aggregates the down-ward spiralling of the “sustainable enterprise design” problem.

The solution (a common sense perspective) is continuous synchronisation of all OD components through a mechanism that governs and technically enables continuous synchronisation, rather than once-off alignment. Such an approach, I believe, enhances business performance and cost reduction on many fronts.

After a five-year break it has been fantastic to be reintegrated into the MAC family. Despite the company’s growth and

diversification over the past few years, MAC has stayed true to its core and its values, and continues to add great value to

clients through very capable teams. It’s good to be back.Trevor Jamieson, Associate Director

53CONSULTANT STORY 53

Organisational culture as a key success factorBy Dr Kobus Nel

Organisational culture is generally regarded as a soft issue, something that is possibly important in the business, but that takes a backseat to strategy, business planning, financial performance management and many other commercial processes and procedures.

In a recent client case study, it was identified by top management that, in order to improve the organisation’s profitability and return for stakeholders, they needed to implement a ‘Coherent Transformation Strategy’, where success is defined in both system and human terms. That is, in addition to effective management of strategies, plans, structures, operating models, processes and mechanistic tracking methodologies, leaders would need to take their people along, they would need to set people up for success, and they would have to engage people on a daily basis – if they were to have at least a reasonable prognosis of

KOBUS NEL

Kobus is a HPCSA-registered

Industrial Psychologist who

specialises in personal,

team and organisational

transformation. With a

Doctorate in Commerce, and

well over 40 years’ senior

management and director-

level experience in both

corporates and consulting,

his core skills and areas of

interest include executive

profiling, leadership

development, and coaching

/ mentoring. He started

consulting with MAC in 1998

and is one of the recipients of

our Chairman’s ‘Hall of Fame’

award, signifying significant

contribution to MAC over

an extended period of time.

Kobus has been happily

married for 43 years

to Claudia, and they have

two daughters and four

grandchildren.

About the author

CONSULTANT STORY

achieving business success. This synergy between Systemic Success and Humanistic Success, is known as ‘Coherent Transformation’.

Humanistic Success can be described as a leadership accountability to drive, reinforce and monitor an organisational culture, ambiance or spirit in the company, which will allow the tangible assets

and resources to be optimised.

In other words, all human resources need to experience a sense of coherence every day. They need to have a clear understanding of their roles, responsibilities, targets, communication lines, etc. Any uncertainty detracts from coherence and sets the scene for anxiety, stress, withdrawal and disengagement. They also need to experience a sense of control in executing what is expected of them and, lastly, experience meaning or purpose in what they are doing, or the value they are adding.

In the case in point, it was discovered that people were hurting, felt incoherent and disengaged – a situation that needed urgent remedial attention. The foundation for the new culture was the embracing of a mind-set of not only focusing on company success, but also setting up its people for success. Against this fundamental shift in leadership thinking, a leadership style of serving and supporting (an inverse triangle to the traditional management hierarchy) was adopted.

Together with transformation from just managing to servant leadership, six values were behaviour-anchored and a strategy for engaging the total workforce on a personal, job, team and organisational level was accepted as the cornerstones of the new culture.

Transforming the culture meant not only making use of extrinsic

MAC’s success is founded on the ability to recruit great people who collectively shape a sustainable

future, both for MAC and for clients. Jaco Houman, Senior Consultant

54 CONSULTANT STORY

I recently conducted a so-

called dipstick survey of

the current MAC culture.

The motive was to source

unbiased and anonymous

perceptions around “the way

things are done at MAC”,

specifically in terms of which

aspects are seen as enabling

effective performance, and

which are not.

Both qualitative and quantitive

data was gathered in one-

on-one interviews, with two

respondents representing

each organisational layer in

MAC. The sample included

seven men and seven women,

three of whom were black,

coloured or asian, and 11 of

which were white.

All respondents were clear

on what the concept of

organisational culture means

and were adamant that a

healthy culture is a prerequisite

for business success. They

were also in agreement that the

cultivation of an organisational

culture in MAC is the

accountability of the Chairman

and his leadership team, and

that all employees have the

responsibility to live out that

culture.

Results suggest that the following

aspects of the MAC culture are

experienced as positive:

l MAC is seen as a “family”,

where communication is

open, where we work hard

and play hard, where many

networking and social activities

are arranged to keep people

informed, and where people are

acknowledged for both private

and official achievements.

l The respondents were

unanimous in their approval

of the way in which MAC is

managed commercially. People

reported that ample time is

spent on continuously reading

the economy and the consulting

market in particular. Timeous

strategies are developed and

communicated. Over the last 20

years, MAC has grown steadily,

survived some tough times,

and is still today regarded as

a successful company. The

directors are seen as astute

businessmen with a drive to

grow the business, delight our

clients, and deliver bottom-line

results.

l MAC and its leadership are

seen to provide a contemporary

office environment, as well as

making sure there are effective

systems (HR, Finance, IT and

Office Management) in place

to support the core business of

consulting.

l Finally, the company is viewed

as a generous employer. There

is a willingness to reward,

but also to spoil people – with

measures to execute the change management process. Instead, 80% of the success of the transformation was in the intrinsic modification of how leaders think, believe and behave.

The methodologies for cultural transformation of the workforce therefore included:l The greater visibility of the CEO,

senior and middle management;l The cascading of all strategies,

standards, objectives, etc. by leaders themselves;

l The formulation of guides on the topics of Significance, Business Success and Personal Leadership;

l The synchronisation of all ‘Coherent Transformation’ initiatives with the HR value chain, from recruitment to exit;

l The synchronisation of all ‘Coherent Transformation’ initiatives with both group and operational communication efforts (internally and externally), and the tracking of progress on personal, team and organisational levels.

Transforming an organisation with a 100 year history of how things are done, is no easy task, but the prognosis is positive. The principles for transformation are sound and the buy-in of a critical mass of leaders is on track. Initiatives are being driven on a personal mastery basis and the first impact survey across the company is scheduled for the end of this year. It will serve as a benchmark for the institutionalisation of the new culture during 2015 and beyond. The net strategic intent is to deliver a 40% growth in market capitalisation and achieve a 15% return on capital employed to the benefit of stakeholders.

Reflections on the current MAC culture

55CONSULTANT STORY

quality memorabilia, long-

service awards and exclusive

venues for functions, such as

the annual overnight year-end

function for the whole family.

These factors, then, appear to

have contributed to MAC being an

employer of choice, as evidenced

by alumni often returning to re-

join the team.

On the more negative side,

respondents indicated that the

quality of people – as opposed to

commercial – leadership could do

with improvement:

l There is a sense of some

dissent among MAC leaders,

silo structures, and low people

engagement at a personal level.

Some respondents described

an ambience of power, fear,

instructions and insensitivity,

with over-emphasis on

commercial drivers.

l This could, in part, be due to

the MAC values, recognition

and reward systems. All of

these seem to drive sales,

client satisfaction, as well as

profit and business growth, but

appear to discount employee

satisfaction as a key driver of

job satisfaction and therefore

client satisfaction.

l There seems to be a “voice

calling” for the MAC culture to

be revisited (more than just the

values), and for a modification

of leadership behaviour, to

re-engage employees and

re-instate trust and respect

as the key success factors for

sustainable business viability.

In terms of taking the results of

this survey forward, many “stop,

start and continue” actions were

proposed by the respondents,

which were included in the formal

report to the Chairman.

In summary, this survey of a

small but representative sample

of the MAC population revealed

a high level of support for the

MAC culture as it has evolved

over the years and for how it has

contributed to MAC’s success.

There is a sense, however, that

our culture needs modification

and modernisation in order for

MAC to reach a next and higher

level of business, team and

personal success.

56 CONSULTANT STORY

Less teaching and more experiencing By Siphokazi Ntetha and Dr Morné Buchner

The Leadership Development (LD) space has exciting trends on its horizon. World-renowned LD experts agree that methodologies for equipping leaders have not changed sufficiently to meet the uncertain, dynamic and more complex challenges of our current environment. LD practitioners argue that traditional “behavioural skills classroom training”-related interventions may be effective in the education of what good leadership looks like for leaders, but may fall short in the how of leaders’ own development (Kegan,

SIPHOKAZI NTETHA

While completing her MA in

Industrial and Organisational

Psychology at UKZN in 2011,

Siphokazi started working at

MAC Consulting in a part-

time capacity. In Jan 2012 she

joined full-time as Assistant

Consultant, while completing

her Industrial Psychology

internship. She has since

been promoted to Consultant

level at MAC, and is now

registered with the HPCSA

as an Industrial Psychologist.

Her areas of interest and

specialisation include

research, psychometric

assessments, organisational

and people development,

as well as wellness in the

workplace. At MAC she is

currently assisting with the

design and facilitation of

leadership development

programmes. Siphokazi was

recently offered a Fulbright

scholarship to complete her

PhD in the USA, which she

will be embarking on late in

2015.

About the authors

Fundamental shifts in Leadership Development

2012; Petrie, 2011; Allen and Wergin, 2009; Kuhnert and Lewis, 2001 – among others), leaving the bitter taste of LD programmes not able to meet the needs of their stakeholders. It could be argued that different skill-sets and methods are now needed, not only to build leadership competence, but to grow more adaptive, complex thinking in the way leaders see the world.

Subsequently, four transitions have been identified as fundamental shifts that LD practitioners are

starting to adopt (see table below).

It has been intriguing to experiment with these shifts in LD this year, and bring them to bear in MAC Consulting’s LD offering. This is especially true of our development journeys with two senior leadership teams in the mining and resources space recently. Both LD interventions were based on a simple approach; to balance explanatory models (content-heavy training) with applicatory models of learning (process-oriented development) – see Figure 1.

Adapted from Centre for Creative Leadership, 2014

CURRENT FOCUS FUTURE FOCUS

1 Horizontal development (competencies) Horizontal and vertical development (growing

“bigger” minds to make sense of the world)

2 The “what” of leadership The “how” of development

3 LD and training practitioners have ownership of

LD

Individuals own their development, LD

practitioners facilitate process

4 Leadership resides in individual managers Leadership resides in the collective systemic

network of the organisation

I joined MAC this year and would like to thank my team for their patience, friendliness and willingness to assist.

I am excited about my future at MAC.Wynand Singels, Consultant

57CONSULTANT STORY

Explanatory models provide knowledge and are usually transferred through teaching methods (for example, classroom education). In addition, these models create context and provide for theoretical grounding. Alternatively, with applicatory models the focus is on creating intrinsic substance and then further maturing these aspects within individuals and teams over time with the use of iterative processes. This process work is usually characterised by meeting people where they are and inserting focussed practices and interactive dynamics within a learning context. Although not neatly overlapping with literature, our learning process has been very similar, reinforcing:l The leader orientates him/herself

as the instrument of change. The leader-self is positioned as the tool that needs to be sharpened,

as opposed to a person in need of a box of leadership tools;

l The leader thus focuses on self-development which is embodied in him/herself as a leader;

l The leader actively explores and experiences him/herself as a part of a bigger system where he/she directly and indirectly makes a difference;

l The leader sees this development journey as part of his or her continuous personal development and takes more ownership in this regard.

We start to understand that people do not simply gain skills and experience over the years; they change as people with significantly different motives and aspirations in relation to the environment around them. Most of our processes find their origins in the recent work of positive organisational scholars (Cameron and

DR MORNÉ BUCHNER

With a PhD in Industrial

Psychology and a Master’s

degree in Counselling

Psychology from UJ, Morné

is a Counselling Psychologist,

registered with the HPCSA.

He obtained three of his

four degrees cum laude

(BA, Hons and MA), before

commencing his career at

Sasol. Prior to joining MAC

as Principal Consultant in

2010, he spent nine years

in HRD at Sasol Mining and

Sasol Technology, where he

designed and implemented

talent management solutions,

as well as managed the

operational and restructuring

aspects of the department.

His areas of interest and

expertise include leadership

development, change

management, organisational

success, strategic analysis

and safety at work. Industry

experience includes mining

and petrochemicals, and

education.

Spreitzer, 2012), the brain at work (Rock, 2009), appreciative inquiry (many authors), neuro-linguistic programming (many authors) and, perhaps most significantly, classical human transformational approaches suggested by therapeutic literature ranging from Gestalt, Logo, and RET, to a vast range of behavioural therapies.

This makes us reconsider our contribution as LD consultants. Perhaps our value lies not so much in the education of our leaders, but in developing and positioning dynamic processes that will challenge leaders to think, feel and apply themselves in more challenging ways. These processes do not fit the conventional mould of teaching an old dog new tricks. Differently stated, less teaching and more experiencing; trusting the person to find and elicit the leader within.

Figure 1: Balancing explanatory and applicatory models in our LD interventions

References

S. J. Allen and J. F. Wergin, “Leadership and Adult Development Theories: Overviews and Overlaps” Kravis Leadership Institute. Leadership Review, Vol. 9, Winter 2009, pp. 3-19.

K. S. Cameron and G. M. Spreitzer (Eds.) 2011. The Oxford Handbook of Positive Organizational Scholarship (Oxford Library of Psychology). Oxford University Press: New York.

K. Kuhnert, and P. Lewis. 2001. Transactional and transformational leadership: A constructive/Developmental Analysis. Academy of Management Review.

D. Rock. 2009. Your Brain at Work: Strategies for Overcoming Distraction, Regaining Focus, and Working Smarter All Day Long. Harper Collins publishers: New York.

N. Petrie. 2011. Future Trends in Leadership Development. Centre for Creative Leadership.

58 CONSULTANT STORY58

Coaching through transitionsBy Otto Pepler

Transitions are part of life and we experience them continuously as we move through different life stages as human beings. Some of these transitions can be exciting and wonderful, while others can be challenging or traumatic. How we experience them will depend on our own individual personalities and psychological profiles. These changes are, however, essential for us to grow and to be successful in how we live and what we do.

The well-known Fisher’s personal transition curve (quoted in various sources on change management) illustrates how individuals deal with personal change.

The most important transitions we face during the working stage of our lives include:

l Starting a new jobl Restructuring or a career changel Being transferred to a new

locationl Being retrenchedl Going on pension.

These transitions can be highly stressful and will only be successfully achieved if one can keep the transition curve illustrated above, as level as possible. A clear vision of the future, dissatisfaction of the present, a process to achieve one’s goal, and clear action steps, will all contribute to achieving this.

It can sometimes be overwhelming for an individual, especially when s/he doesn’t have a choice in the change. A coach can work with people through their transitions, helping them to feel in control of their own destiny again. They become partners in navigating

the unknown and following the necessary steps, which include:1. Determining what the individual

wants to be different in his/her life, while gaining clarity on who s/he is in the present.

2. Determining what is important for the next stage in the individual’s life by looking at his/her values, passions and core beliefs, and identifying possible obstacles and patterns that could be getting in the way of his/her future vision.

3. Putting practices and action steps in place to support the individual’s goal of a new way of being.

The final result of the transition coaching will be an individual with a refreshed sense of motivation and accountability for the life s/he wants to be living.

OTTO PEPLER

Otto comes from a

distinguished 38-year career

at Sasol, where he has

run some of their largest

production units both locally

and internationally. While

based at Sasol Germany, Otto

was MAC’s client when we

worked on a Shared Services

project with him. Following

a role in talent management

at the Sasol head office, Otto

developed a great interest

in human capital and went

on to qualify himself as an

executive coach. Since retiring

from Sasol, Otto has headed

up the Coaching offering at

MAC, a role he is well suited

to given his substantial

management experience and

extensive business network.

Otto holds a BSc Hons degree

in Energy from UJ, as well as

an MBA from the University of

North-West, and a Diploma in

Coaching from Stellenbosch

University.

About the author

CONSULTANT STORY

valley of despair

Anxiety

Happiness

Fear

Threat

Guilt Depression

Moving forward

Gradual acceptance

Fisher’s personal transition curve

59CONSULTANT STORY 59CONSULTANT STORY

Large Scale Transformation Programmes

By Angela Burini

Since the 2008 economic crisis, Large Scale Transformation (LST) programmes have become more common due to exponential pressure to increase profitability and reduce cost. According to research conducted by Source Information Services, between 33% and 66% of organic growth among big consulting firms in 2012 came from large-scale transformation projects “which differ from conventional consulting work in their breadth, scale and ambition, and are having a substantial impact on the shape of the consulting industry”.

MAC has successfully delivered as a partner in the design and transition phases of a number of LST programmes over the last five years. Most recently, MAC partnered with a multinational client and its international consulting partner to cascade the new operating model of the organisation to the business units and functions. MAC demonstrated significant Organisation Design capability, a critical component of any LST programme.

Transformation programmes are often a result of either a technology project that has evolved into a fully-fledged transformation programme which addresses all dimensions of the business, or they are an expansion of a new strategy or specific change project which affects many dimensions of the business

ANGELA BURINI

Angela started her consulting

career at Investec Bank as a

learning and development

consultant, followed by two

years as HRD Manager for a

large shared service centre.

During this time Angela

completed her Master’s

degree in Management

at Wits Business School.

Angela subsequently joined

PricewaterhouseCoopers

Advisory where she spent six

years in various management

roles in the HR, Change and

Organisation Design (OD)

space, working on large-scale

transformation projects for

private and public sector

clients. Angela is currently

a Senior Manager and OD

Lead at MAC Consulting,

where she has been focusing

on restructuring and

transformation projects in the

energy and resources sector

for the past four years.

About the authorA view from

the inside(Source Information Services, 2013). LST programmes are often delivered in a fragmented manner by adding or changing structures, processes, technologies, target markets and products in attempts to respond to change – hoping that the parts will add up to the sum of the whole. The result of such a fragmented approach is a painful experience, and an organisation that is not more efficient or profitable (PA Consulting, 2013).

Some critical lessons learnt to ensure the design process results in an architecture that supports the overall transformation objectives, ware as follows:l If the LST programme has a

savings objective, the savings methodology and measures need to be well thought through, to ensure baseline and post-project savings compare “apples with apples”;

l Agree the non-negotiable design principles (for the operating model and organisation structure designs) and the design methodology upfront and onboard relevant stakeholders/participants in the process;

l Appoint an executive curator for the operating model and next level designs, to ensure the designs fully reflect, and do not deviate from, the targeted design and that the elements (process, structure, data and reporting, etc.) are all aligned and the alignment

is maintained throughout the transformation process;

l Put in place an independent design authority to quality assure the designs, ensuring that they adhere to design principles and robustly underpin the implementation of the new operating model; and

l Use independent design facilitators who bring objectivity to the design process. Change driven from within, by managers who are personally invested in the status quo, does not always achieve the desired results.

According to research conducted through interviews with 200 C-suite executives in the UK and Europe, designing change to deliver an integrated business is fundamental to maximising returns from re-design interventions. Organisations that take the whole picture into account when they embark on change projects, achieve better results than those who improve only one aspect of the business – because knock-on effects are taken into account (PA Consulting, 2013).

In summary, to ensure a successful design process on a LST programme, agree the rules of the game upfront and stick to them! The best strategies, processes, structures and technologies will not be enough to ensure success if the people and the culture of the organisation are not aligned.

References

Transformation and consolidation: The

two defining trends in the 2013 consulting

market, Source Information Services 2013,

www.theconsultant.eu

Business design survey - Making

sense of large-scale transformation,

PA Consulting Group, 2013.

60 CONSULTANT STORY

High-performance Leadership

The Leadership Circle ProfileBy Jolandi Yeates

they significantly upgrade their inner “operating system” in order that they embody the kind of leadership that can create the envisioned culture. True leadership development is a process of transformation where leaders are encouraged to make a profound shift – one that takes them towards a deeper understanding of themselves, the world, and their relationship to others.

Over the last 20 years, MAC has been helping local and international clients develop leaders at a personal and group level. The assessment described above is just one of many tools our experienced psychologists and facilitators use in our talent management solutions.

It is imperative that leaders keep pace with the rate of change. The greatest reason for strategic non-performance is a failure of leadership to focus on the right things. An organisation not developing leaders faster than the pace of change is “planning” for strategic failure. In the end, if leadership does not evolve, the organisation loses heart and degenerates in its purpose and capability.

patterns of competency over- or under-utilisation. The symbolic placement of dimensions in the circle quickly shows how all of the dimensions interact with each other. The whole picture (strength and weakness, balance and imbalance, internal operating system and external competency) is immediately apparent.

In summary, the assessment is designed to measure behaviour and assumptions simultaneously. In this way, patterns of leadership behaviour are connected with habits of thought. It measures inner assumptions, well researched by cognitive psychologists (Burns and Ellis), that are giving rise to high and low 360 results. In this way, the leader gets beneath the surface of the behaviour to the automatic thought processes that underlie behaviour. Deeper insight is facilitated and, as a result, more possibility for transformation. It also measures thinking and behaviour at multiple stages of adult development to, yet again, make it a platform for leadership transformation.

The kind of cultural change that many organisations strive for requires far more than mere skill development from their leaders. It requires that they grow – that

It could be argued that there is a leader in all of us and, even though you may not be leading others, you are a leader of yourself.

Among many others, Robert Kegan was instrumental in helping us understand leadership transformation by contributing the adult cognitive development theory to Psychology, which defines five stages of mental complexity or stages of adult development: egocentric, reactive, creative, integral and unitive – which can all be converted into leadership orientations.

It is within this sweet spot where The Leadership Circle Profile integrates many of the best psychological and leadership frameworks into an integrated, competency- and 360- based leadership assessment.

The Leadership Circle Profile reveals how certain assumptions distort or enhance the expression of leadership competencies. The distorting assumptions we call Reactive. The enhancing assumptions we call Creative. The information allows the leader to gain insights into his/her creative strengths, the competencies that need development, and the deeper issues that are giving rise to the

JOLANDI YEATES

With an MCom in

Industrial Psychology from

Potchefstroom University,

Jolandi is an Industrial

Psychologist registered

with the HPCSA. Prior to

joining MAC in 2011, she

held various consulting and

organisational development

roles at several companies in

the human resources space.

Her industry experience spans

chemical, mining, aviation,

manufacturing, defence,

financial services, FMCG,

media and communications,

hospitality, retail and

telecoms. Jolandi is a Senior

Consultant at MAC.

About the author

6161

Source: www.theleadershipcircle.com

“Success is when I add value to myself. Significance is when I add value to others.”

John Maxwell

CONSULTANT STORY

62

Why employees need to feel engagedBy Johann van Jaarsveld

JOHANN VAN JAARSVELD

With a MCom in Industrial

Psychology from Unisa,

and currently completing

his doctorate, Johann is

an Industrial Psychologist

registered with the HPCSA.

He works from the positive

and Salutogenesis paradigms,

focusing on factors that

support human health and

well-being. Johann has

worked extensively in the

energy industry in the areas

of organisation design,

change management, talent

management, psychometric

profiling, facilitation, as well

as wellness and coaching. A

Senior Manager with MAC

since 2010, Johann worked

for Sasol prior to that for 13

years.

About the author

The South African and international business environments currently demand much more from employees than during any previous time in history (Rothmann, 2013). Modern organisations expect their employees to take a proactive approach, work safely, show initiative, develop a sense of responsibility and be committed to the execution of high performance standards. MAC is often asked to help organisations establish a high-performance culture through various service offerings, such as leadership development, wellness programmes and safe production initiatives. It would appear therefore that organisations require employees who feel energetic and are dedicated to, and absorbed by, their work. That is, employees who are engaged with their work.

Recent research has found that engaged employees care for their own engagement by shaping their work environments – not only making full use of their job resources, but also creating their own resources in order to remain engaged (Bakker, Demerouti and Zanthopoulou, 2011). Also, engagement has been shown to mediate the effect between job resources and organisational commitment (Bakker and Demerouti, 2007). In addition, work

engagement has been positively correlated with safety performance (Bakker and Demerouti, 2007), with engaged employees displaying a “safe production” mind-set.

Work engagement is characterised by high levels of energy and vigour, dedication and enthusiasm while working, and being pleasantly absorbed or immersed in work activities. Since organisations consider their employees their most valuable asset, they are by implication not only interested in their performance, but also in their health and well-being. Ulrich (1997) made the following statement in his seminal book Human Resources Champions:

Employee contribution becomes a critical business issue because in trying to produce more output with less employee input, companies have no choice but to try to engage not only the body but the mind and soul of every employee.

Instead of traditional organisational structures (i.e. control mechanism, chain of command) and a strong emphasis on economic principles (i.e. cost reduction, efficiency, cash flow), the focus in modern organisations is on the management of human capital. In addition, organisations expect their

employees to be proactive and show initiative, collaborate well with others, take responsibility for their own professional development, be committed to high quality performance, and primarily be safe.

Obviously, this objective is not achieved with a workforce that is “healthy” only in the traditional sense, meaning that employees do not suffer from job stress and are not absent because of sickness. Something more is required and this is where the emerging science of positive psychology comes in.

Burnout vs engagement

Paradoxically, interest in work engagement grew out of previous research on occupational burnout (Maslach, Schaufeli and Leiter, 2001). By studying burnout, a negative work-related state of mind characterised by exhaustion and mental distancing from work, researchers became increasingly interested in its opposite positive pole – work engagement. After investigating burnout for over a quarter of a century, it seemed logical to ask: what about the other side of the coin, and more specifically, can employees be identified who work vigorously and who are highly involved and immersed in their jobs? If so, what is driving them? Are the same,

CONSULTANT STORY

63

albeit inverse, factors involved that cause employees to burn out? What kind of effects does engagement have? How can it be increased? And, last but not least, what psychological processes are involved? With these and similar questions in mind, researchers at the turn of the century started to investigate the opposite of burnout more systematically.

Employees need to be motivated, proactive, responsible, and involved. Instead of just “doing one’s job”, employees are expected “to go the extra mile”. Contrary to those who suffer from burnout, engaged employees have a sense of energetic and effective connection with their work activities. In addition, they see themselves as able to deal well with the demands of their job. Employees can become engaged when they find meaning in their work, feel safe to do good work, and can then transfer their energy into performance. Engaged employees are both cognitively and emotionally connected to their work and workplace. Employees become involved in their work when their basic needs are met consistently, and when they have a chance to make an individual contribution.

Elements of engagement

Vigour is characterised by high levels of energy and mental resilience while working, the willingness to invest effort in one’s work, and persistence even in the face of difficulties. Dedication refers to being strongly involved in one’s work, and experiencing a sense of significance, enthusiasm, inspiration, pride, and challenge. Absorption is characterised by

being fully concentrated on, and happily engrossed in one’s work, when time passes quickly and one has difficulty with detaching. Being fully absorbed in one’s work comes close to what has been called flow, a state of optimal experience that is characterised by focused attention, clear mind and body unison, effortless concentration, complete control, loss of self-consciousness, distortion of time, and intrinsic enjoyment (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990).

In addition to the fulfilment that

comes from being in the right job and getting recognised for good work, employees who feel connected to their co-workers and the larger organisation, and those that can clearly see their future in their work, have high levels of enthusiasm, or positive emotional energy. Engaged employees use their discretionary effort to help their organisation improve through higher productivity, greater efficiency and innovation, and more meaningful customer impact, leading to higher profitability.

References

Bakker, A.B., & Demerouti, E. (2007). Towards a model of work engagement. Career Development International, 13(3), 209-223.

Bakker, A.B., Demerouti, E., & Xanthopoulou, D. (2011). How do engaged employees stay engaged? Ciencia & Trabajo, 13, 135-142.

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. New York: HarperCollins.

Maslach, C., Schaufeli, W.B., & Leiter, M.P. (2001). Job burnout. Annual Review of Psychology, 52, 397-422.

Rothmann, S. (2013). From happiness to flourishing at work: a Southern African perspective. In M.P. Wissing (ed.) Well-being research in South Africa: cross

cultural advances in positive psychology – Volume 4 (pp. 123-152). Dordrecht: Springer.

Ulrich, D. (1997). Human resource champions. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.

The MAC Consulting Engagement Model illustrates a holistic approach to the issue of employee

engagement, and we have applied it in various forms in different client projects.

• Attitude – The nature and level of my state of mind regarding life and people. How positive and optimistic am I? Do I see the good or bad in others, situations and challenges? Do I have a critical or grateful demeanour?• Energy – The willingness to apply myself mentally, emotionally and physically at work. My preparedness to go the extra mile when needed, i.e. applying my discretionary effort.

• Cohesion – Having a sense of belonging, commitment and teamness. Harnessing the benefit of synergy, cooperation and having a

shared vision/intent for the team.• Support – Willingness to co-operate

with and support team members and value the importance of collective

effort.

• Work Environment – Being able to comprehend the requirement of my role (clarity), responding appropriately to environmental stimuli and being fully present and immersed in my work (with concentration and focus).• Meaning – Demands are seen as challenges, worthy of investment and commitment. Finding purpose and significance in the completion of my task.

• Identification – Loyalty felt towards the organisation

and the level of pride felt in being associated with the company and

its people.• Alignment – Levels of synergy between

personal and organisational values, target and strategies (level of buy in).

Personal Engagement

Team Engagement

Job Engagement

Organisational Engagement

CONSULTANT STORY

64 MAC DIVERGENCE

The MAC divergence

MAC consultants sitting at hot desks at the Rosebank office are reflected in a picture of the Johannesburg city centre by local photographer Brandon Barnard.

By Tamsin Oxford, Words’worth

65MAC DIVERGENCE

The African continent is an extraordinary landscape that spans thousands of kilometres, each metre offering something new and different, revealing another side to its multifaceted nature. Today the economy of the continent is growing, forecast at 5% by the International Monetary Fund in October 2014 and boosted by rising investment and development. Infrastructure is improving and a growing middle-class is driving social and economic improvements across the region. Sub-Saharan Africa has seen significant growth, especially in countries with rich resources such as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Sierra Leone and Ghana.

MAC Consulting is a nimble and opportunistic business with trusted relationships and an awareness of the market - and it’s a brand that’s agile enough to take advantage of opportunities in Africa and the European Union (EU). The company has also diversified its focus in South Africa and leveraged relationships for growth into Europe.

“Our strategy incorporates two development thrusts,” says Les Wood, Business Development Director. “Beyond Mining sees us diversifying into other sectors in South Africa that include telecommunications, financial services and oil, gas and chemicals. Beyond South Africa is our goal to win work outside of South Africa with a focus on mining. It is a deliberate strategy we initiated to enable growth, mitigate risk and improve the sustainability of our client base.”

There has never been a better time to forge new frontiers and MAC is not letting the opportunity go to waste. Once again it is relationships that have created the bridges into these new areas – the Office Depot project in the Netherlands and the projects across Africa.

“Our relationships are our core – we have worked with Sasol and with Anglo Platinum for 20 years and now we have this project with Office Depot, which is the biggest office supply business in the United States and one of the biggest in Europe. It’s all down to fostering rich relationships,” says Victor Bergh, MAC Director.

From South Africa to sub-Saharan Africa and beyond, MAC is building on its foundations of people and professionalism to develop a diverse and robust portfolio that ensures the growth and security of the business well into the future.

BEYOND SOUTH AFRICA

“MAC is an organisation that does more than just understand the business of tomorrow; it’s as passionate about driving the business of today,” says Les.

He isn’t describing a business model that navel gazes and ignores the need for expansion and growth; instead he is explaining how MAC Consulting has planned for the future. The company has diversified its focus within South Africa and strategically expanded into Africa. Locally, the focus has moved from mining to the financial services market, telecommunications industry and the oil, gas and chemicals environments. This

shift is in line with the company’s goal to mitigate the risk of remaining exclusively linked to the mining sector as it is undergoing significant turmoil and change.

In addition, South Africa is on the cusp of an economic crisis and has lost some of its allure as an investment destination. Expanding into Africa broadens the corporate footprint, makes financial sense and drives business sustainability.

“We needed to mitigate the country risk so our expansion into Africa has been a very deliberate process,” says Les. “We did a lot of research and decided to focus on mining to start with as we have strong relationships within this sector.”

African countries present plenty of opportunity; however, they are coming off a very small base with limited mining, financial services and telecoms corporations in play. By working with companies that already have a presence across the continent, MAC is able to develop and grow the business strategically through existing relationships.

Many of MAC’s consultants have done impressive work on the continent. It has been an interesting journey with some unique challenges. “I have worked in the DRC, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Botswana and Namibia, and have found some interesting challenges along the way,” says Nigel Worthington, Key Account Director. “People tend to be appreciative and it’s great to see other countries and states of affairs – they make Johannesburg look like heaven.“

The MAC divergence “MAC is an organisation that does more than just understand the business of tomorrow; it’s as passionate about driving the business of today.”

Les Wood

66

Les. “We want to assist their growth and expansion, strengthen our relationships and deliver sustainable solutions that help people to be the best that they can be.”

Sometimes, though, the countries give something back to the consultants, teaching them lessons of their own…

“I did some work in Botswana with Debswana Diamond across Gaborone, Jwaneng and Orapa and found working with the Batswana very refreshing,” says Siphokazi Ntetha. “Two-hour lunches, latecomers in workshops with no air of panic – it made me think, what’s with all the rush and constant urgency in Johannesburg? Botswana’s economy is stronger than ours!”

work for them,” says Les. “There is a lot of expansion in the mining sector across Africa and we have the capability to help optimise their operations for the future, as well as improve their business operations of today. A lot of them are heavily focused on opening up capital projects and we have significant experience in that space – capital project enablement, operational readiness and skill transferral.”

A number of the organisations within Africa don’t have capacity or the right levels of maturity or expertise, and this is where MAC steps in to provide support and the solutions they need.

“De Beers Namibia, Debswana, Metorex, Trafigura, Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton, Anglo Gold – these are just some of the companies we have worked with in Africa,” concludes

Susann Ribe, Senior Consultant, adds: “It was a challenge creating a project roll-out plan that would ensure successful implementation across 21 different countries with different time zones, working times, war, political instability, embargoed countries, language barriers and limited face-to-face time. Fortunately, our experience in working in Africa, as well as our tailor-made approach to a specific client need, is a great advantage.”

It is this hands-on approach that makes MAC unique and underscores what the business brings to the table – sustainable solutions that last.

“Our style of consulting is very much on the ground and on-site, as opposed to being remote, and we ensure that we collaborate with our clients to find solutions that

Every wondered what our

consultants think about when

they’re overseas? What they

do in their spare time or what

lessons they have learnt? We

asked and they answered…

Ben Nathanson: “I don’t think

Africa, in which I include South

Africa, is very different from

any other part of the world in

needing help in approaching

what they think they do or

should do. What may be

different is the way of giving

advice, or implementing ideas,

as this is culturally driven

rather than place driven.”

Johann van Jaarsveld tells a

fantastic story: “I had to travel

to Orapa in a tiny aeroplane.

The pilot indicated to the five

people on the plane that a

cooler box is available for cold

drinks during the flight and we

should help ourselves. He then

said ‘If we make it to Orapa it will

be within an hour.’

In this town you need a permit

to enter because of the diamond

activities. As a result they have

had no crime-related activity

for more than 10 years – they

sleep with doors open and leave

belongings everywhere without

any issues.”

Johann also offers the most

profound African quote and one

that taps into the MAC ethos

succinctly:

“The best time to plant a tree is

20 years ago. The next best time

is now.”

An international affair

Les has been with MAC

Consulting for 15 years and,

as Business Development

Director, he is driven to

explore and uncover new

opportunities and challenges.

He is committed to MAC’s

plans for expansion into

Africa and knows exactly

why the company is ready

for international success.

“The way we operate is to

respond to the needs that our

client organisations have and

offer bespoke solutions, and

if you look at Africa we bring

a very valuable service,” he

says. “We have a strong

focus, expertise, and we want

to invest into our business

developments in Africa. It

is a very deliberate strategy

that has unlimited potential.

Our business model at

this stage is to respond to

referrals through relationships

we already have with

corporations that have a

base in South Africa.”

See Les’ profile on

the MAC website

www.macgroup.co.za

BEN NATHANSON

JOHANN VAN JAARSVELD

Les WoodDirector

MAC DIVERGENCE

67

Victor has been a Director

with MAC for 19 years and, as

he sits on the cusp of this 20th

year, he doesn’t see himself

being anywhere else.

“I’ve found my home. Unlike

many other consulting

companies this one feels

like being part of a family,”

he says. “As I look back I can

see how each year has been

an exciting and challenging

experience, and as I look

forward I can see that it’s

dynamic enough to keep me

here for another term.”

“One of my highlights is when

I worked on Sasol Germany

with Neil Maslen over 10 years

ago, and proved that MAC

could compete with the best

firms in Europe. Not only did

we forge a relationship that

has lasted over a decade,

but our client, Otto Pepler,

now works for us at MAC

Consulting. Now that’s called

building, and retaining,

relationships!”

See Victor’s profile

on the MAC website

www.macgroup.co.za

BEYOND MINING

(AND AFRICA)

Office Depot is one of the biggest office supply organisations in Europe with an impressive reach and more than 8 500 employees across the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Sweden, Spain, Italy and the Czech Republic. The goal of the project, led by ex-MAC Director Neil Maslen, is to restore the company’s profitability and create a robust operating model within which to achieve key performance targets. Neil opted for MAC Consulting as he had worked with Victor Bergh in the past and knew he was the right person for the job.

“Neil has very specific ideas in terms of the value propositions of each consulting company and allocates the work according to core competencies,” says Victor. “He trusts MAC and knows he doesn’t need to look over his shoulder. Neil also admires our work ethic, our cost structure and the quality of our work, and I have ensured that the team we have on-site continues to reflect and uphold these qualities.”

The project of transformation is a sizeable one and some of the best MAC consultants were therefore tasked to work in-house with Victor at Office Depot in the Netherlands. These include Michael Gering (Principal Consultant), Keshlan Mudaly (Senior Consultant), Tjaart Coetzee (Associate Director) and

Sherryl Oosthuizen (Principal Consultant), and they have just completed their first, very successful, nine months.

“It’s like any project that MAC is involved with, we go in one step at a time with regular checkpoints in place to evaluate the value-add of the work we have done, and look ahead to see if there is further extension and which people will support it,” adds Victor. “Throughout the project there will be specific proposal requests sent out and, through them, we will continue to develop and grow the team.”

The team working on the Office Depot project has found it to be a rewarding experience with plenty of new challenges. For Victor it’s another opportunity to enjoy the freedom that the MAC environment affords him and to stretch his capabilities.

“MAC allows people a lot more space to craft and develop their own futures than other consultancies and one can do anything within this model if it aligns to MAC’s strategy and you’re motivated enough,” says Victor. “It makes great business sense and forms the core of our growth, business ethos and relationships.”

Keshlan agrees: “Working in the Netherlands has been a challenging, rewarding and eye-opening experience for me. It has been really interesting to observe and be

part of the confluence of different cultures and ways of thinking present on the project. What I enjoy most is that everyone seems to get along really well, especially given the long days and tight deadlines.”

Again the essence of the Europe project boils down to people, as Sherryl points out: “Businesses across the globe have to keep evolving to stay relevant, particularly as technology makes the way we do things very different. Our work ethic, relationship-centred and whole-person consulting model works for MAC globally.”

And how do they cope with the rigorous hours and hectic deadlines? Michael runs 5km every morning at 5am and has already done over 500km since he joined the team – it’s as impressive a distance as the project’s achievements to date.

Europe may be many thousands of kilometres from the South African front doors of MAC Consulting, but the skills, experience and talent that make up the essence of the organisation are carried effortlessly over the distance. As Tjaart points out: “Although this is Europe, they face many of the same pressures and challenges as those faced by South African organisations and many companies are struggling with shrinking margins and low growth. Our skills are relevant and important.”

In providing leading edge solutions to clients, MAC strives to establish holistic and sustainable improvement platforms, while taking care of key business relationships.

This approach will no doubt prove to be a key differentiator in future growth. I enjoy being part of this

journey and am glad to be able to contribute.Jasper Marais, Principal Consultant

MAC DIVERGENCE

Victor BerghDirector

68 MAC DIVERGENCE

Challenges MAC faces as we spread our wings over AfricaBy Steve Burks

in Tanzania is likely to have few members in common with the group we would assign to an open pit gold or copper operation in Mali. Cultural and technical expectations of the management teams at these operations are likely to be quite different, even though at face value the operational and organisational challenges should be similar.

For MAC, it’s going to become more of a challenge to bring our staff back home frequently and to supply Key Account Director support at short notice due to the remote location of many African mining sites. It’s also going to require more effort for us to ensure security, safety, good health and – if necessary – medical evacuation of our people, much of which has been less of a requirement in the past operating within our own country.

Fortunately, successful business models similar to MAC’s have been applied by others and we can call on their experience. Many of the external challenges can be dealt with by carefully selecting the candidates we nominate to jobs in specific countries. The internal

time to service more of the 400+ mines and projects active in other African countries. We are therefore likely to face challenges from the external environment in which we operate, as well as from our own culture and policies.

Externally, our target market is a continent with several diverse regions, each with distinct cultures and different languages in which business is conducted. Each region interacts differently with South Africa and its people, and the health concerns, travel infrastructure, telecommunications, climate, topography, food and accommodation, population density, religious beliefs and other features of each country in each region vary enormously. Any single person can hardly claim to be comfortable in every region and in time MAC may aim to match individuals with specific countries in which they feel most at home.

These general external challenges are compounded for MAC by our specific market sectors. For example, the correct team for an underground diamond mine

In the short time I’ve spent at MAC it’s become apparent to me that our core values and products rely strongly on developing relationships, both with clients and also with MAC team members. Our best work is usually done for sizeable companies with complicated organisational structures and many employees operating at several levels. Our teams usually work from the customer’s corporate offices or operational sites and spend as much time with their staff as possible, focusing on group dynamics and personal skills and capabilities. Within the mining industry this often requires the MAC team to travel substantial distances to and from sites each week.

In the South African context this has not historically been too challenging. However, our target market is changing. Many large South African mines are nearing the end of their lives, head offices have been relocated or downsized, and there are now more mines in all other sub-Saharan countries than there are within our own borders. This suggests that the locus of our operations will move north over

STEVE BURKS

An Associate Director at MAC

since May 2014, and specialist

in optimisation of mining

and mineral processing

operations and projects,

Steve holds a BSc (Eng)

Minerals Processing Option

from Wits and has completed

executive development

programmes with Unisa, Wits

Business School and Oxford

University. Prior to joining

MAC, Steve’s CV shows an

impressive list of managerial

and executive positions,

held at Whittle Consulting

(Africa), Bateman, Rand

Mines, and Impala Platinum,

over his 30-year career.

Steve has a track record

of successfully identifying,

acquiring, marketing and

implementing innovative

technology solutions needed

by industry. He also has a

proven record in managing

international development

projects and businesses with

personnel in several locations.

He is a strategic planner with

knowledge of diverse mineral

commodity sectors and

recovery processes.

About the author

69MAC DIVERGENCE

challenges for MAC may require further development of our support structures and also a shift to a higher percentage of somewhat more technical consulting work that can partially be done remotely on line. I have no doubt that we’ll successfully address these challenges in the next year or two and am looking forward to participating in this process.

“It’s going to become more of a challenge to … supply support at short notice due to the remote location of many African mining sites.”

Social response at MAC

By Susann Ribe

SUSANN RIBE

Hailing from Norway, Susann

decided to embark on an

adventure to South Africa

in 2012. With a Master’s in

Management (CEMS MiM)

from HEC Business School in

Paris, and an MSc Economics

and Business Administration

from NHH, Norwegian School

of Economics, Susann was an

obvious choice for MAC. As

a Senior Consultant Susann

has participated in several

strategy and transformation

projects across different

industries and countries, and

has expertise in facilitating

structured problem-solving

processes, process design,

and business performance

management. Susann has a

particular interest in social

response at MAC. When our

receptionist Thando asked

for help for a needy family

in her community, therefore,

Susann jumped at the chance

to assist.

About the author

As in previous years, in 2014 MAC again significantly overspent any BEE targets in our contribution to the community. It is a way of life at MAC to assist others, and we have many MACers who are passionate about this. In addition to employee-driven initiatives like the one described by Susann for Mandela Day, we continue to support the education of students through partnerships with the Tomorrow Trust, Alexandra Education Committee and Rally to Read.

MAC’s monthly company meetings at the Country Club are a great way of learning about the company, and getting to know colleagues. I remember my first company meeting: having arrived directly from Norway and the slightly reserved and introverted culture the Nordics are known for, I was completely overwhelmed and impressed by the energy in the room. In particular, I enjoyed the informal atmosphere, the comments and jokes, which allow for two-way communication between audience and presenters – whether the content is serious, fun, thought-provoking or enlightening.

70 SOCIAL RESPONSE

Thando with the Mboweni family who received Mandela Day donations.

MACERS DONATE FOR NELSON MANDELA DAY

Since I joined MAC three months ago, I have been made to feel welcome both in the work environment and at social events. MAC is a good family to be a member of.

Mathe Marengwa, Consultant

The July meeting stood out for me this year, as it was allocated to honouring Mandela Day: an international day for inspiring action towards changing the world for the better, and doing something good for a fellow human.

Ahead of the meeting, we approached MACers and asked everyone to bring an item or two for donation to several charities, but in particular for a struggling family of eight children brought to our attention by our colleague and receptionist, Thando. The oldest child is an 18-year-old girl, who has, since her mother died about a year ago, taken care of her seven younger siblings.

The response was overwhelming, and when I left the meeting that night my car was full of warm clothes, brand-new winter jackets and shoes for everyone, backpacks and school stationery, cleaning equipment of all sorts, personal hygiene items, food, blankets, toys and much much more. In addition to all the nice items donated, we also received money and gift cards, both from MAC as a company and from MACers in their individual capacity.

The day after, Thando and I headed out to Vosloorus where the kids live. The children’s reaction to seeing the mountain of items was completely heartbreaking: they were totally overwhelmed and the oldest siblings could not hold back their emotions. They were more grateful than they could express in words.

It was a great experience seeing MACers’ concern for others, their generosity, and how we as a company can come together and make someone’s life a little bit better. As Nelson Mandela once said: “A fundamental concern for others in our individual and community lives would go a long way in making the world the better place we so passionately dreamt of.”

71SOCIAL RESPONSE

On the weekend of 26 – 28

September, a team of eight

MACers and alumni (Tania

Stokes, Siphokazi Ntetha, Gerda

Stoltz, Danielle Oliveira, Sue-

Mari Strydom, Wynand Singels,

Nathi Khoza and Sibusiso

Sibisi) travelled to Malelane in

Mpumalanga on our annual

Rally to Read expedition.

This year we visited two

schools at the borders of South

Africa, Swaziland and Maputo:

Mbuzini Primary and Majembeni

Primary. In rallying corporate

South Africa to help deliver

books and other educational

supplies to rural schools who

otherwise could easily have

been forgotten, the Rally to Read

initiative makes a significant

impact on these communities.

RALLY TO READ“There is a huge need in South

Africa to help children in the

foundational phase of their

education. The Rally to Read

programme is one piece of a

major puzzle. MAC’s involvement

is invaluable and will hopefully

continue for years to come.”

Wynand Singels

“What a privilege to be a MAC

Consulting representative at Rally

to Read. You experience more

emotions than you can count as

you see the poverty and need

around you. But then you notice

the happy, grateful smiles of

the children awaiting a future

enabled by reading.”

Gerda Stoltz

“The appreciation that you get

from them is heartfelt. What

we see as a right they see as a

privilege.”

Tania Stokes

“Rally to Read 2014 was once

again an eye-opening experience,

encouraging me to see what

more I can do for my country.

More importantly, how we can

better position the youth to create

a completely different vision for

South Africa.”

Siphokazi Ntetha

“Seeing the joy and gratitude

on the faces of both children

and teachers is a humbling

experience. Being a part of this

fantastic rally brings home the

fact that even a small contribution

from our side can make the world

of difference in another’s life.”

Danielle Oliveira

An interesting corollary of growing the MAC business has seen her become involved in marketing and media relations to help reinforce MAC Consulting’s image. “For so long we have been associated with mining, but that is not all we are good at. Our PR campaign is aligned with MAC’s growth strategy to expand beyond mining and beyond South Africa.”

The seed for following consulting as a career was planted during her Business Science degree at UCT, where she majored in finance. “Business Science gave me insight into all aspects of business and that’s when I decided consulting would open a very stimulating space for me.”

DANIELLE OLIVEIRA

Danielle Oliveira initially considered Architecture as a career, but instead chose to design a future built around her love of people. Her positive nature and Capricornian sense of duty compel her to genuinely want to make a difference in people’s lives.

This combination serves her well in her role in the Business Development team, helping to gain new business for MAC. Here she gets to help shape proposals, work with different aspects of the business, and think along different lines. “The thrill of winning the work and seeing the team’s efforts come to more than words, is a pretty awesome feeling,” she says.

Positivity plus cappuccino supercharge her day

72 PEOPLE MATTERS

MEET TEN MACersThey’re intriguing, intense and just a little bit intimidating. Over the next few pages you’ll meet some of MAC Consulting’s home-grown talent; consultants who are proud to call Jozi their home and the world their office.

Age: 26

Level: Business Development Consultant

Years with MAC: One

Qualifications: Business Science, Finance (BBus.Sci)

Current focus: Business Development

MAC CV

EDITOR'S NOTE

In this feature we chose 10 of our

consultants to photograph against

10 Johannesburg landmarks. We

wanted to showcase just some of the

talent we have at MAC, at the same

time celebrating this vibrant and

cosmopolitan city that we work from.

Profiles written by Ingrid Clarke, Words’worth

Photography by Alexander Smith

DANIELLE OLIVEIRA

73PEOPLE MATTERS

Upon graduating, though, that space did not hold instant appeal and she took a two-year gap leave to work on yachts and visit “amazing places”, such as Monaco, St Tropez, Capri, Turkey, Greece, Italy and France. Today, she misses the freedom and the view of the ocean, but relishes the immense confidence she gained in the business world.

It was while in between the two seasons of yachting, that she first became exposed to MAC Consulting. “I came back to SA and needed to keep myself occupied. I was asked to do some research on mining activity in Africa and knew instantly this was a very special place; a place where they really do care about their people”.

Upon joining MAC full-time she noticed that this attitude extended to external relationships as well. “The client always comes first and you have to be focused on the deliverables you promised them. To do this, you must be flexible, reliable, disciplined and self-motivated.”

Her positive energy works well in the Business Development team, whom she describes as “a light-hearted, fun bunch who work hard as a team”.

Danielle loves a challenge and, much to her mother’s dismay, her latest one includes cycling. “I love being outside and doing sport, and jumped at the dare to ride the 94.7 Cycle Challenge in November this year. I haven’t been on a bicycle since I was 10 and, being accident-prone, my mother is understandably anxious.”

But Danielle’s sense of adventure and high-octane living is fuelled by her favourite quote from American writer Elbert Hubbard: “Don’t take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive.”

I CAN’T START

THE DAY WITHOUT …

My cappuccino, and MAC

has fantastic coffee!

Johannesburg Stock Exchange

Co-recipient of the Extraordinary

MACer Chairman’s Award in 2014,

Danielle seems poised for success.

Only starting out her career,

Danielle’s Business Science degree

in Finance and her experience in

the Business Development team

at MAC, together with her attitude

and energy, combine to create

the quintessential yuppie. The

Johannesburg Stock Exchange

(JSE) was the appropriate

Johannesburg landmark at which

to photograph a young, up-and-

coming-person, we thought.

Currently ranked the 19th largest

exchange in the world by market

capitalisation, and the largest

in Africa, the JSE in Sandton

represents the commercial

pulse of South Africa.

74 PEOPLE MATTERS

Mandela Bridge

A BCom in Transport

Economics could have meant

a career in the transport

sector for Lerato. On this

moody November afternoon

in Jozi, however, she finds

herself facing the camera as

a management consultant for

MAC. Standing on the Nelson

Mandela Bridge, arguably our

city’s most famous landmark,

named after our most famous

citizen, Lerato has a view on

one side towards the inner

city, and the other towards

Sandton. Connecting the

city to the commercial and

shopping district as it does,

the Mandela Bridge was

officially opened in July 2003,

as a celebration for Madiba’s

85th birthday. It is the

longest cable-stayed bridge

in southern Africa and

measures 294m in length.

quickly taught me to be more forbearing of other people’s personalities and work styles – and we have such a colourful combination of that at MAC. With a million ways to get things done, there is never a wrong solution, just the best fit for a particular client and their unique problem.”

She was appointed as project coordinator where her perfectionist nature relished in managing the details involved in moving a project along. She was promoted to Assistant Consultant in October as she proved herself capable of so much more.

“In consulting one should be attentive and self-aware in order to read situations and deal with the people dynamics perceptively. Being able to think creatively and prepared to remove the boundaries of your personal world view helps one find better solutions.”

Lerato surrounds herself with people who contribute to her intellectual and spiritual growth and likes the fact that people in the MAC family have curious minds and energetic spirits. Thus, for someone who went to boarding school from pre-primary (Grade 0) and learnt to be independent from a very early age, she has made a tough transition and learnt to rely on her colleagues for support and advice. “Time spent with my colleagues doesn’t feel like work – that’s when I really began to understand and appreciate the

concept of being in the right place at the right time and making the most of it,” she laughs.

Her need for momentum made her decide to shift her postgraduate studies from Transport Economics to Supply Chain. “I realised that I am not a theory orientated person and, as interesting as this specialised field is, I am more of a hands-on, pragmatic person who likes getting things done. Many times, people are told they have to finish what they start. I’ve learnt that sometimes you try as many things as you need to and when you find that fit, you sink your teeth into it and keep moving.”

It’s easier said than done, but she has moved from an environment that told her “this is how it has always been done” to one that says “show us how it can be done”. While she’s waiting for that call to redesign the national transport system, Supply Chain Management holds a greater appeal and Lerato intends studying further in that direction.

LERATO HUTAMO

Lerato Hutamo believes in getting out there and making things happen. Her desire to keep things moving may have played some role in her studying a BCom in Transport Economics, which she describes as “studying the movement of people and goods over space and time, and the allocation of resources within the transport sector”.

Productivity is clearly her strong point because as a young entrant into the corporate world, it didn’t take her long to build on her natural strengths. “I find it stimulating to look for the most efficient ways of doing things and when I get it all working just right, I look for other things to fix. As a young graduate, I was often placed in the ‘naughty corner’ when I kept insisting on ways to optimise departmental procedures and processes. I soon realised I needed to work where I would be able to nurture not just my strengths but my interests as well. I had to do something different.”

That difference turned out to be MAC Consulting. “I was told they were looking for someone who was a stickler for detail and enjoyed problem solving and I immediately said ‘I can do that’!” But this didn’t come without compromise.

As a Virgo with a regulated orientation, being flexible was the hardest adjustment to make when she joined the consulting environment. “The MAC team

No stopping her momentum

75PEOPLE MATTERS

Age: 27

Level: Assistant Consultant

Years with MAC: One

Qualifications: BCom Transport Economics

Current focus: Generalist Consultant

MAC CV

ONE THING PEOPLE DO

NOT KNOW ABOUT YOU?

Salads are my absolute

favourite dish to make.

I’m the chef at home even

though my mom is a caterer.

The one thing I thoroughly

enjoyed as a kid was eating,

so when I proved myself by

making the best scrambled

eggs my family had ever

eaten, I earned my right to

experiment with food.

76 PEOPLE MATTERS

Bree Street taxi rank

Streetwise and city-

smart, Mathe is fearless

at the prospect of being

photographed at the Bree

Street taxi rank. “Criminals

don’t catch taxis,” he offers,

“they have cars”. Perhaps to

be expected, then, not once

did he or the photographer

feel unsafe. A busy place, yes,

but scary – no. One of Jozi’s

most famous streets and

indeed taxi ranks, Bree is one

of the few early Johannesburg

thoroughfares that wasn’t

named after a person. Bree

in fact means “broad” in

Dutch and was intended to

denote a major or wide street.

One eccentricity of central

Johannesburg is the way

streets north and south of

Bree don’t meet up correctly,

a kink which is often the

cause of fender-benders.

philosophy that 10 000 hours spent working on your service or product makes you an expert. “Township entrepreneurship is about people looking for gaps and selling multiple products or services. The motto is: fail fast, fail quickly and move on.”

His confidence belies his 25 years and he attributes that to losing his father at the age of six and also to being the only son. “There’s an emotional resilience you develop when your father gets shot and you watch your mother step up to the challenges of keeping the family together despite the odds.“Fortunately, I grew up around men who encouraged me to set out what I wanted to achieve.” He studied for a BCom (PPE) degree and did a postgraduate diploma in Business Administration to enlarge his pool of opportunities and strengthen his innate entrepreneurial flair.

Having moved from the townships to the suburbs and back to the townships again in 2000 because his mother missed the close community aspect of townships, Mathe is also comfortable switching from perfect English to township slang and connecting with both cultures.

After initially wanting to become a chef, he decided to explore consulting as it appeared to have

fewer routine tasks. Boredom was clearly not on his life menu. The tipping point was after his first interview with MAC, the culture interview. “I could see myself fitting into the family culture where people are allowed to be individuals and their differences are appreciated.”

As a person who is anti-structure, Mathe also likes the freedom this culture gives him to do things his own way. “As long as what I am doing is aligned to the project and company goals, how I do it is up to me. There’s no plug-and-play solution and that’s very stimulating.”

He describes MAC as a place where your boundaries can be stretched and you can chart your own career. He does mention that it’s also a place where age does not determine how fast you get promoted. But when asked to describe his recipe for success, he is quick to say “the reward for hard workers is often more hard work”.

MATHE MARENGWA

As a young entrepreneur with township insight, Mathe Marengwa is the perfect consultant to be working on an initiative that sets out to create a bridge to future employment for some 7 000 local people who are being demobilised from a major capital project over the next few years. “The project sets out to provide training and job opportunities in the area for people to become employed or self-sufficient, which really energises me.”

Mathe is particularly excited about the youth development aspect, where one of the programmes he is attempting to implement involves young people participating in a four-month training course that equips them to start a business. Having digested township entrepreneurship alongside his supper when his parents discussed their various businesses in Ga-Rankuwa, he believes this early exposure gives him the edge to spot novel opportunities.

“You can ditch many small business concepts as you enter the township borders. It’s not about theory, but about being street-smart. Township entrepreneurs are survivors, with a lot of resilience, and with innovation antennae set at maximum receptivity.”

Township entrepreneurs don’t follow Malcolm Gladwell’s

Success, eKasi style

77PEOPLE MATTERS

Age: 25

Level: Consultant

Years with MAC: One

Qualifications: BCom PPE (UCT) and PDBA (GIBS)

Area of expertise: Developmental finance with a social

entrepreneurship flavour

MAC CV

ONE THING PEOPLE DO

NOT KNOW ABOUT YOU?

People think I’m emotionally

aloof and while it is true

that I am slow to anger or

show negative emotion, I am

actually a sensitive person in

my personal space.

78 PEOPLE MATTERS

Rand Club

Founded by Cecil John

Rhodes in 1887, at the height

of Johannesburg’s gold rush,

the Rand Club has its roots

firmly in the mining industry.

With an imposing painting

of Queen Elizabeth II looking

down on them, the white

male gentry of the time would

negotiate deals with mining

barons and government,

not allowing black people or

women the same privilege.

Today, the interiors are a

pleasant mix of colonial and

African, Queen Elizabeth has

been replaced by Madiba,

and all genders and races are

welcome. As a young, dynamic

and educated black man in

post-apartheid South Africa,

Kopano faces unprecedented

opportunity. And he is equally

at home here at the Rand Club

as he is purveying his trade as

a management consultant.

While he hasn’t decided to specialise yet, Kopano enjoys sustainability and how it influences business decisions. “At the moment it is viewed as more of a governance tick box and not an essential business strategy that has an impact on share price and reputation.”

Early exposure to watching his father do business ignited Kopano’s interest in consulting. “I have always liked general business challenges: problem solving, business process systems, overall business improvements, leadership development and HR development. In short, I like creating an enabling environment for business where people become more driven and stimulated to change their mind-set.”

For him, MAC provides a safe space to experiment. “You’re constantly learning from your colleagues: they push you when you need that edge but they’ll also hold you back when it’s appropriate for the situation. A guiding hand is always close by.” Through this process he has learned the importance of the three C’s – commitment, cooperation, collaboration – that have become his defining characteristics.

What he most appreciates about MAC, though, is the understanding that employees have a life outside of work and that there are different pillars in their

lives. “The old industrialisation models no longer work as people are searching for a lifestyle where work forms only one pillar.” He readily admits it was something he had to learn to adjust to!

As a self-confessed “borderline workaholic”, Kopano is thoroughly enjoying his current exposure with MAC to one of South Africa’s largest blue-chip mining firms, helping them establish an in-house consultancy that will act as a catalyst for change and sustain continuous improvement.

It’s a role tailormade for him and his need to see change.

The only thing he cannot change is his videogaming habits: he is the proud owner of only one game – FIFA Soccer – which he plays every weekend.

KOPANO SEOPELA

Kopano Seopela does not fit well in a box, or a back room. “What sold me on joining MAC Consulting was that I would get instant exposure to my own client base instead of being stuck in an office for two years before I could interact with clients. That was the dealbreaker,” he admits.

Now, studying a Postgraduate Diploma in Management at Wits Business School, he can see how his experience as a Consultant at MAC has given him the edge in class. “Because I have been immersed in real business challenges, I have the building blocks to accelerate my learning.”

Even in considering a university to study an MBA (on his three-year to-do list) he is not going to be boxed into traditional thinking. “I want to be different and study in Barcelona, or possibly Paris.” His meticulous research has revealed that much of the ivy-league university thinking does not meet African needs.

“The reality is that Africa is giving so much to the world, and the world is taking so much from it. Our unemployment rates are shocking. I want to leave a mark and be a catalyst for change in how to do business in Africa.”

As a generalist consultant, Kopano reckons “you can put me in whatever position and role and I will find a way to fix it.”

Playing the game

79PEOPLE MATTERS

Age: 25

Level in MAC: Consultant

Years with MAC: Two

Qualifications: BCom (Rhodes University); will be

completing his PDM (Wits Business School)

by November 2015

Area of expertise: Operations management analysis and

sustainability thought leadership

MAC CV

ONE THING PEOPLE DO

NOT KNOW ABOUT YOU?

I enjoy collecting art,

especially the likes of Sam

Nhlengethwa (who is a family

friend), Nelson Makamo and

other young local artists.

Nelson is from Limpopo and

paints vibrant pieces that

reflect the culture shock black

people experience coming

out of rural areas.

80 PEOPLE MATTERS

Standard Bank

Sherryl describes herself as a

“pragmatic greenie at heart”.

Her contribution in the energy

sector with MAC is therefore

well within her happy zone.

When working from the

MAC office in Rosebank, and

sitting at her usual spot at

the consultants’ hot desks,

Sherryl overlooks the new

Standard Bank building across

the road. She mentions the

effort Standard Bank went to

in order to create an energy-

efficient design in this

65 000m2, R2bn project, which

has been recognised by the

Green Building Council of

SA in the form of a five-star

rating. Stunning indigenous

gardens, energy-efficient and

intelligent lighting systems,

water harvesting and recycling

systems, as well as recycling

facilities for kitchen and office

waste, are only a few of the

reasons this Standard Bank

building stands out to us as

a landmark in Jozi.

bright and talented people, all willing to share their areas of expertise and experience.”

A particular learning track that her (younger) colleagues are steering her towards is technology. “I’ve had to ditch my trusted Filofax in favour of electronic tools.” When most people at this stage of their careers are considering winding down, Sherryl intends to “remain relevant, especially regarding technology, and continue adding real value to real solutions”.

Sherryl considers one of the greatest skills a consultant should demonstrate is a problem-solving mind-set. “You must be something of an anthropologist,” she recalls an early mentor saying. “You have to drill down into the detail to understand the specific problem and then parachute up to get a bird’s-eye view of the business.”

She especially relishes that “window of opportunity” consultants enjoy in the early stage of a project when “we see things as people in the business don’t see them”.

But, she cautions, consulting is not for everyone. “If you want a lifetime of learning, very often stretching yourself to levels you did not think possible, you will love it. If you are more comfortable with a lot of structure and certainty in your

life, don’t become a consultant,” she advises.

Being challenged and thinking on her feet is part of the attraction for her. Finding a solution is its greatest reward. “I was born to mess in other people’s businesses,” she admits.

Sherryl has taken her quest for continuous learning into her personal space, building a new home that is almost off-grid. “The hardest part about creating an energy-efficient home was finding the contractors who understood the concept and knew what to do. Almost always I found myself workshopping with them to find the solution and I am probably one of the few people who has read SANS 204 (Energy Efficiency in Buildings) cover-to-cover.”

She is just the kind of person you would want on your team in challenging times.

SHERRYL OOSTHUIZEN

“You don’t get recruited at MAC Consulting, you get adopted,” jokes Sherryl Oosthuizen, whose interview process took a full nine months to deliver the rewarding relationship she enjoys today. In the process she gained immense self-knowledge, thus uncovering a new discovery channel within.

Sherryl’s journey to consulting took the scenic route as she worked her way around the corporate world and the public sector. “When I decided I was ready for a change in career, I did an internet search and liked what I saw on the MAC website,” she says. “I appreciated that they focus on long-term relationships with their clients and that they had experienced people intent on building these relationships.”

Having been on the client side, where she regularly interacted with consultants, she valued enduring alliances and experienced people.

As a Principal Consultant working primarily with Exxaro and City Power in South Africa, and Office Depot in Europe, Sherryl particularly enjoys the interaction with diverse industries and clients who each have their specific challenges. “I am continuously learning and growing, not only by meeting interesting people but in the knowledge-sharing that happens when I am back in the office. MAC has very

Cultivating a green and tech-savvy mind-set

81PEOPLE MATTERS

Age: 62

Level: Principal Consultant

Years with MAC: Six

Qualifications: BCom, PDM

Area of expertise: Change management, project management,

management coaching, organisation design

and transformation

MAC CV

ONE THING PEOPLE DO

NOT KNOW ABOUT YOU?

I make a mean margharita.

The secret’s in the limes.

a complete business works, and not just a segment within the business. “That makes me a good generalist, which is valuable within the consulting environment.”

When the family business could no longer contain him, Carel started a technology company where the school of entrepreneurship imparted information that no classroom could teach him.

“Entrepreneurship is a sought-after requirement in consulting,” says Carel, “as its hands-on, multi-faceted exposure gives you a very different picture of what you want to improve in a business … and why.”

Carel absolutely enjoys consulting. “Consulting energises me. I love the lateral thinking that is required and the need to think on my feet.”

His life outside of work follows a similar pace, with adventure racing providing the combination of mental agility and physical endurance that fuels his energy-loaded personality.

“Adventure racing challenges you at a different level,” he says. A race, such as Expedition Africa, which he recently completed, can see the team travel 150 hours with as little as 17 hours sleep in total. “Despite the fatigue, it’s important to still think strategically about route choices and ensure your team stays focused and healthy.” It’s a role he

obviously performed well as the novice team ended up 21st out of 42 teams, many of whom were professional.

“I chose MAC Consulting because of the culture and the value it places on lifestyle. This is important to me. Most of the people here have sport or outdoor interests and value work-life balance.” Understandably, work-life balance can only be achieved when people are self-disciplined and work efficiently, which tickles his efficiency barometer.

For Carel the equation is simple (and efficient): “Do things that stimulate your brain and you will have boundless energy”.

“I believe that life consists of three concepts: spiritual, physical and emotional relationships – they are all interconnected, like a spiderweb. The more I understand how inter-

CAREL VAN HEERDEN

There’s a bet on at the MAC offices: if you could capture Carel van Heerden’s energy, how many lightbulbs would he flare up? The trouble is he won’t sit still long enough for that energy to be harnessed.

As a Senior Consultant who is charged with helping Sasol increase the productivity of its artisans, there are few better than Carel to drive efficiencies.

“I’m a process-driven person,” he informs. “So, helping to redesign a business that is fit for purpose is geared to the way my mind works. As a firm believer in the LEAN methodology, where lean thinking transforms businesses into efficient operations, he sees no excuses for inefficiencies, “especially when they make life so difficult for people”.

And Carel has spent the past 36 years applying his considerable energy in the most efficient manner. He was exposed to business management from a young age in his family’s businesses, completing a BCom (Law) while doing nightshift at the family mine, and attaining his MSc in Mineral Resource Management (“basically an MBA in mining” he informs) just because he could.

Exposure to his family businesses at such an early age gave him a very good understanding of how

A luminary example of passion in motion

82 PEOPLE MATTERS

Age: 36

Level: Senior Consultant

Time with MAC: One

Qualifications: MSc Mineral Resource Management,

BCom Law, Certified Professional Business

and Life Coach

Area of expertise: Mining and petro-chemical industries,

operational excellence, process design,

efficiency, LEAN, supply chain, project

management

MAC CV

BESIDES YOUR ENERGY,

WHAT DO PEOPLE MOST

REMEMBER ABOUT YOU?

I have a good EQ (emotional

quotient). I’ve had a client tell

me ‘you have such a nice way

of highlighting a mistake that

I almost feel good about it’!

related they are and how they nourish one another, the more energised I feel.”

“All of this together – giving energy, drawing energy, strategy, competition, testing limits – is why consulting makes sense to me.”

83PEOPLE MATTERS

Emmarentia Botanical Gardens

An adrenalin junkie, Carel

trains extensively in order

to be able to compete in

the most gruelling of races.

One of his favourite haunts

is the Emmarentia Botanical

Gardens, where one might

find him running, cycling or

rowing on any given weekend.

Six kilometres from the city

centre is not an immediately

obvious place to find 30 000

trees covering 81ha of parkland,

yet this is where evergreen

acacia and podocarpus forests

envelop sports enthusiasts,

picnicking families and dog-

walking animal lovers in their

weekend pursuits.

84 PEOPLE MATTERS

Johannesburg Skyline

Johannesburg is, perhaps,

not an obvious place to find a

farmer. Equally at home in both

roles, Chris seamlessly switches

from farmer in the Free State

on weekends, to management

consultant for MAC during the

week. Posing for his photo on

the roof of our office building at

sunset, Chris surveys the beauty

of the Jozi skyline. Arguably

one of the most famous land-

marks in the city, the 269m tall

Hillbrow Tower, now referred to

as the Telkom Tower, punctuates

the horizon and anchors the

flame-tinged and jacaranda

lined suburbs that we at

MAC call home.

believes economics is pure thinking. “It helps you make sense of things.”

At MAC ideas are freely shared as the company believes that knowledge builds. “That is why I like sharing my farming ideas with clients because it shows how I am living what I am preaching and builds trust and credibility.”

He loves that consulting allows him to go in and evaluate a difficult situation, make a difference and then move on. “I am a learner by heart so I am always looking forward to the next challenge.”

Having come from a corporate environment, Chris has learnt how he would have done things differently when working with consultants. “I would have employed consultants in specialist roles to expand our thinking and challenge the status quo that kept us stuck. I would also have enabled them to reach a decision faster so that we could achieve a result faster.

“Looking back, I can see how consultants are in the position to break invisible moulds and bring confidence to a situation where it might be lacking.”

Chris chose MAC Consulting because it is a nimble space, offering the freedom to pursue one’s own ideas. “This entrepreneurial element appeals

to me. If I wanted to explore a discipline or a client space that is not currently serviced by MAC, no one would stop me. I just need to deliver.”

Despite having a Master’s in Business Leadership, Chris regards consulting as “the real-life MBA” where one needs to keep up with cutting-edge solutions, and theories are tested all the time.

He particularly enjoys the license to probe, naming the elephant in the room that people do not wish to acknowledge. “Creating the vision, helping clients get ‘unstuck’ and then creating the how-to, is a very exciting process.”

He believes his personal strengths lie in bringing out the best in every person and to gather the right skills into teams capable of delivering outstanding results. “It’s about maximising results by working with what people are good at to create an incredible end-product.”And that’s above all what he likes about working at MAC. “The company employs people based

on their strengths and builds on that. It doesn’t try to put people in positions where their natural strengths will not be used. If you build a person’s self-worth you can leverage off that to far greater result.”

It’s a business model that extends beyond sustainability into high-performance.

CHRIS VAN DER MERWE

As a Senior Manager who is part of MAC Consulting’s community of expertise in sustainability, Chris van der Merwe practices what he preaches.

Chris applies the Six Capital model of Sustainability on his family farm in the Free State to demonstrate to his clients, especially in the mining environment, how the legislation and policies around development can add value for all concerned.

“The Six Capital model provides a basis for understanding sustainability in terms of wealth creation,” he explains. “It is in a company’s best interest to enhance all its capital assets rather than deplete or degrade them.”

On the farm he helps his workers understand sustainable farming concepts such as veld management, grazing rotation and controlled stud breeding. These all have an impact on robust beef production and enhanced cattle genetics. “Once my workers could see how their cattle flourished and felt the benefit of having excess stock to sell, it was actual proof of a production system that works and brings in revenue for them personally. This revenue could immediately be applied to improving their own lives, such as expanding their homes. That’s when the market mechanism becomes real and real transformation begins.”

As an economics major, Chris

Always farming for new ideas

85PEOPLE MATTERS

Age: 45

Level in MAC: Senior Manager

Years with MAC: Eight

Qualifications: BEcon (Hons); MBL

Area of expertise: Supply chain, sustainability

MAC CV

ONE THING PEOPLE DO

NOT KNOW ABOUT YOU?

I have a fascination with

history as it explains the

‘why’. I have driven most

of the historic Thomas Bain

passes to witness these

engineering and artistic

marvels created before the

time of the automobile. I

believe future generations

will be asking ‘why?’ more

often, which is healthy,

and history will help them

understand and hopefully

to learn from it.

86 PEOPLE MATTERS

Circa Gallery

With a creative and

sometimes dramatic flair, Val

left school intent on studying

architecture. It was not to be,

however, and she ended up

studying art before taking an

altogether different career

path in psychology and then

consulting. She still enjoys

drawing and painting in her

free time, though, and says

that it relaxes her. Like Val,

whose soul runs deeper than

you see on the outside, Circa

Gallery in Jellicoe Road is

much more than simply the

art that it houses. The building

itself was created to be a

masterpiece, with its anodized

aluminium fin façade intended

to generate interest among

passers-by and invite them in.

In the creators’ own words,

“its sculptural architecture is a

celebration of art, architecture

and living in Johannesburg”.

with your client’s business problem and finding a solution. You have to learn very quickly about their environment and their challenges so that you may intervene with the most appropriate solutions in the shortest timeframe allowed.”This learning environment is a leitmotiv that threads through every conversation with MAC employees. “The lovely thing about MAC is that we all have different strengths and no one holds onto their knowledge – they spread it freely.” As example, she mentions working on a cost reduction exercise with a qualified architect. “With my psychology background I saw the same situation from a different perspective and we ended up learning enormously from one another. That’s the power of the MAC team.”

Val is known for her dry humour and her clients have come to appreciate that she approaches challenges with laughter and lightness. “While I do have fun, I work hard to be a consummate professional in everything I do.” She admits to being “a bit of a perfectionist”, particularly in her presentations where she exercises her creativity.

It comes as no surprise, therefore, to learn that she studied Fine Art. “Even though I was very good at art in school, I hated it at university.” (Her first choice of study was Architecture but her father belonged to the school that thought girls did

not build). In her second year she was exposed to psychology as a subject and loved it. Honours and Master’s degrees followed.

“MAC is an incredibly special organisation where everyone is treated like an adult”, a fact she attributes to the company’s rigorous recruitment process. “There is already a sense of trust and respect when you walk in through that door for the first time as an employee.”

The level of trust and support never waivers. “You are encouraged to excel as an individual, and the business plays to people’s strengths,” she says. “It’s a conscious business decision as a revenue-generating tactic. If the consultant is happy, the client is happy, which makes for a happy business. There’s nothing altruistic about it at all!” she jokes.

VAL HAMMOND

“I didn’t choose consulting; consulting chose me and I have never been happier in my career.” Val Hammond, a Principal Consultant at MAC, thought she wanted the position of HR Manager at MAC Consulting but was offered the role of consultant instead. “I’m so glad I was flexible, because I absolutely loved everything about consulting from day one.”

Today, her initial interest is satisfied by helping Gem Diamonds set up a centralised HR function. Yesterday she was helping a copper company through a cost reduction exercise. Who knows where tomorrow will take her.

“You’re always problem-solving and I was at first worried that I wouldn’t be able to keep up.” She soon realised, though, that she could “poke the dragon”, the monster that needs to be identified and unleashed to expose the real dangers to a business in crisis.

Val feels privileged every day to work at MAC and has a childlike sense of wonder about what she does. Like her colleagues, she loves challenges and the environment ensures there is never a shortage of learning opportunities.

“Knowledge brings humility – you realise how much you can still learn from other people, and you also recognise the massive responsibility that comes with being entrusted

The art of business

87PEOPLE MATTERS

Age: 43

Level in MAC: Principal Consultant

Years with MAC: Four

Qualifications: Master’s (Industrial Psychology);

Postgraduate Diploma in Management (HR)

(Wits Business School).

Area of expertise: Organisation design and development,

remuneration, human resources and

leadership development

MAC CV

ONE THING PEOPLE DO

NOT KNOW ABOUT YOU?

I achieve a sense of peace

and flow when I play the

piano.

88 PEOPLE MATTERS

Rosebank craft market

Originally a farm called Rosemill

Orchards, plots of land in the

Rosebank area started being

divided and sold from 1896.

By 1919, the area had become

a community and the council

started naming streets after

British admirals of WW1. Today,

Rosebank is a bustling and

trendy suburb, with a vibrant

and outdoor atmosphere. With

locals and foreign visitors alike

milling around and dining at

the upmarket restaurants, its

multicultural vibe is perhaps

best represented by the well-

known African Craft Market at

the Rosebank Mall. The MAC

offices being a few metres up

the road from this market, it’s a

popular lunch-time excursion,

where exquisite handcrafted

African artefacts and antiques

are on offer. “I love learning

about new cultures, languages

and ways of life,” says Sarisha.

Travelling to Lesotho frequently

for work has been the perfect

opportunity for her to indulge

this aspect of her personality.

Movies are a recurring theme in Sarisha’s life. Her favourite “old-time” movie is the Rocky Horror Picture Show, while she seeks out the multiple versions of Pride and Prejudice. “I love the book (I read it every Christmas); I suppose it’s because I am still looking for Mr Darcy!” she feigns shock as the reality dawns upon her. She lives up to her “hopelessly romantic” star sign of Pisces in this regard.

It was her intention after completing her Master’s to take a gap year, but MAC Consulting’s visit to her university was so compelling that she could not resist applying for an internship. “I fell in love with the company at its presentation, but it was when I attended my interview at the MAC offices that I was sold. Everything was so homely and the people so friendly.

“I didn’t choose consulting per se, I chose MAC Consulting,” she insists.

Her advice to young people entering the market is to carefully consider their personal brand and impression management. “Shortlist your skills and present them in a strategic and deliberate way. Don’t be afraid to show initiative and put up your hand to become involved. MAC is one of those companies where you can determine your success– you should not sit back and wait for things to come to you.”

Her rapid promotion is evidence that Sarisha did not sit on her

hands, but she gives all credit to her director, Paul Whysall, and the team that supports her. “My MAC team has been so very patient with me and knew what they had to do to bring out the best in me.”

She is conflicted about her long-term life goals, which are steered by the psychologist and entrepreneur in her: “I certainly want to be successful so that I can provide a good life for myself and for my parents, and I know that takes hard work. Ultimately, though, I would like to be free to travel the world and help people in distressed situations, such as war, conflict and trauma.”

With a European trip planned for 2015, and an MBA on her list, Sarisha appears to be managing this conflict towards a happy ending.

SARISHA PADAYACHEE

Sarisha Padayachee has been influenced by movies all her life and has thus far managed to script her life story with considerable success. She completed her Industrial Psychology internship with MAC Consulting in March 2014 and by October 2014 was promoted to Consultant.

It was while watching The Departed that she considered switching degrees after her first year of doing a BCom at Wits University. “When I saw how the psychiatrist in the film was helping other people cope with trauma and stress, I knew this was what I wanted to do.”

The merging of psychology and business principles attracted her to choosing Industrial Psychology as a major. “It represented the marriage between my initial goal of entrepreneurship and my pull towards philanthropy.”

With Letseng Diamonds in Lesotho as her main client, Sarisha is involved in everything from strategy and succession management to remuneration and psychometric assessments. Flexibility is an essential trait for any consultant, she feels. “Sometimes you need to be your client’s coach, at other times you have to do the hard work like printing and binding. And then there are times when you have to step up to management level and steer a meeting. No matter what level you are at, you have to learn very quickly and be open to new challenges.”

Author of her own destiny

89PEOPLE MATTERS

Age: 25

Level in MAC: Consultant

Years with MAC: Two

Qualifications: Master’s in Industrial Psychology

Current focus: Leadership development and

culture optimisation

MAC CV

ONE THING PEOPLE DO

NOT KNOW ABOUT YOU?

I love attending social events

on-site at Letseng, including

prayer groups (even though

I’m not Christian), birthday

parties, cultural events,

dinners, etc. I love learning

about new cultures and am

currently working on my

Sesotho.

KESHLAN MUDALY

Jet, set, go!

90 PEOPLE MATTERS

this interest. The switch from engineering to the corporate world was facilitated by an opportunity to be project manager and business analyst at one of South Africa’s largest IT firms. “Although the learning curve was steep, it was a hugely valuable intermediate step on my journey towards becoming a consultant,” he informs.

“I eventually made the decision to move into management consulting; a field I felt would provide the perfect opportunity for me to combine my technical and analytical abilities with the holistic problem-solving skill set picked up during my postgraduate studies and work experience.”

He could also apply what he feels is the requisite recipe for a good consultant:l The ability to see the bigger

picture and provide an objective external perspective;

l Perseverance to deliver value-adding work consistently; and

l Humility, and the ability to integrate all stakeholders’ opinions to develop an effective solution.

It’s a recipe he has applied successfully in his projects, that has seen him working across South Africa and now Europe.

And it’s a recipe that MAC Consulting is intent on improving. “The focus that MAC places on personal development and mastery is one of the reasons I chose to work for them. That, and the calibre and authenticity of my peers and the management team I met during the interview process.”

The consulting world stimulates this ongoing development, he feels. “What I enjoy most about my day-to-day work is seeing how different perspectives and opinions combine to form a final solution to tackle business challenges. Added to this is the dynamic of working with people from different cultural and geographic backgrounds, which gives me a fresh perspective on life.”

In wanting to reach one of his five-year goals of entering the private equity or investment banking environment, Keshlan has started the application process to the London Business School and Insead (France) to study his MBA full-time starting January 2016.

It’s this opportunity and mind-set he wishes to inculcate when he returns from his studies abroad. “I want to ensure that everyone in our country has access to quality educational structures. It may sound clichéd, but education is the solution to the vast majority of the world’s problems. Nowhere is this truer than in our own country where I believe the vast economic

Keshlan Mudaly has always reached for the stars, assured that even if he did not become the rocket scientist he had dreamed of, he would still be reaching untold heights.

“From an early age I have always been interested in technology, gadgetry and, of course, every boy’s dream, planes and cars. In my matric year Wits University came to our school in Durban and gave a presentation on Aeronautical Engineering. They were the only university in the country offering a BSc qualification in the field and I thought, ‘Wow, I could be a rocket scientist!’.

So, he packed his bags and moved up to Johannesburg to pursue the degree that would bind his passion for technology and boyhood dream of one day owning his own private jet. “However, I soon realised that the job market in South Africa was not the most lucrative for an aspiring aeronautical engineer and I decided to switch to Mechanical Engineering, which was more of a generalist degree. This turned out to be one of the most important decisions of my working life and has steered me down a path where I have met the most amazing and inspiring people.”

While his heart might have been intent on finding a career in the clouds, Keshlan always found business thinking and the dynamics that define a successful company, fascinating. After completing his Master’s degree in Engineering, which focused mainly on Industrial Engineering subjects, he finally had the grounding to pursue

Age: 27

Length of time at MAC: Two

Qualifications: BSc Eng – Mechanical;

MEng – Industrial.

Area of expertise: Process analysis and design; benefits

tracking/business case measurement;

implementation of strategic and

operations management systems

MAC CV

IF YOU COULD ADD ONE EXTRA

HOUR TO YOUR DAY, WHAT

WOULD YOU DO WITH IT?

Learn to play the guitar!

disparity is primarily driven by the gap in the quality of education offered by various institutions.“My parents saved up all they could to ensure I had a good education and the fact that I could progress from Umhlatuzana to Amsterdam – and beyond – honours their sacrifice.

He has already established his profile as a young, dynamic professional who is willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done – “to me perseverance and dedication to the task at hand are key attributes of gaining a client’s trust”. He therefore leaves you with no doubt that his goals will be reached… and even exceeded.

91PEOPLE MATTERS

Maboneng Precinct

One of the most progressive

and exciting urban regeneration

projects in South Africa, the

Maboneng Precinct is an

inner-city zone that houses

Arts on Main, a unique blend

of retail, residential, studio

and commercial spaces. Kesh,

who studied at nearby Wits, is

perfectly familiar with the vibe

in this hub of design, art and

creativity. Now that he has a

demanding schedule travelling

all over the world for MAC,

there is less time for creative

pursuits these days, but he still

enjoys sampling “awesome

craft beer” at the well-known

Neighbourgoods Market

when he can.

92

Nivan Moodley has come full circle in the past decade. After leaving MAC Consulting in 2004, he is back in 2014, this time as Director in Business Development.

Before rejoining MAC, Nivan worked at Deloitte Consulting in South East Asia (SEA), before becoming a Senior Consultant for Africa. One of the most enduring outcomes he delivered during this time was a Fuel Supply Strategy for South Africa to ensure optimum and continuous fuel distribution. He also designed a robust change management plan to integrate two business units for Malaysia’s state-owned petroleum company. Nivan has presented at several conferences in South Africa and SEA and also co-authored and/or contributed to leading papers on the energy and resources sector in Africa and Asia.

The past few years have prepared him well to drive business growth within MAC. His management consulting experience – providing strategic, transformation and operational improvement advice to energy, oil and gas, as well as mining, clients across Africa and in SEA – has seen him build a rich network, form enduring relationships and successfully deliver on many large scale projects.

And that suits the culture of MAC. “I have always been impressed with the company’s value system where relationships are deemed paramount in building a business. In the 10 years I have been away from MAC, I have come back to see many of the same clients I dealt with still on our books.”

So, where is MAC’s growth compass pointing towards? “Anywhere in the world,” says Nivan confidently. “Short-term growth lies in South Africa and those parts of Africa where MAC has already made an impact, including Botswana, Congo and Zimbabwe. From there it’s up north into East Africa (Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia), Central Africa and then beyond Africa to other opportunities.”

The first steps, though, will be internal. “I want to internally align our vision and ensure we have created one single roadmap off which we can leverage and then collaboratively or individually create that growth highway.”

Nivan’s analytical science learnings (BSc in Chemistry and Physics) make him cautiously optimistic about the opportunities in Africa. “There is undoubtedly a huge boom under way, particularly in the areas of mining as well as oil and gas exploration. However, for any resource-rich country there will always be infrastructural, social and political challenges and these will create levels of uncertainty and demand innovative ways of working, but at the same time, create opportunities for consulting firms.

“We will approach all opportunities with an open mind, but should our values be compromised, we will walk away. Even if the business case is compelling, the business must not challenge my integrity. At MAC I am confident this will not be a concern.”

MAC’s exposure to the mining, oil and gas sectors in South Africa has prepared the team well for doing

Director profile

NIVAN MOODLEY

Business Development welcomes two new team members

After 20 years of building its reputation and client base in southern Africa, MAC Consulting is ready to stride into different regions and new industries. The Business Development team is paving the way …

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

93

business in Africa. “Our experience has taught us that you must create personal and community ownership before you start operating. In addition, investment in critical areas (that the community has helped identify) creates trust that resources are being maximised to the benefit of everyone.”

Nivan would like to see African resource companies and countries focus on community engagement before exploration and production. “That engagement should continue throughout the life cycle to ensure a sustainable life for the community after operations cease,” is his opinion.

“The soft side of business plays a huge role in how I choose to work,” he admits. His unusual red/green personality profile reveals that while he is a rational driver, he focuses strongly on relationships. This bodes well for the Business Development team as Nivan favours a collaborative approach and good communication, so that colleagues leverage each other’s skills.

Relationships feature high on Nivan’s personal agenda too. His travel-intensive schedule means his time to connect with family and friends over weekends is non-negotiable. “I am fortunate to have a solid support structure provided by an understanding wife during the week. On weekends I take a break from the laptop and escape with my family into nature.”

It helps that his wife loves MAC as much as he does. “I’ve always had a firm respect and a soft spot for MAC, which is why I kept in touch throughout my years away from MAC and South Africa. It’s always been about the relationship we’ve built and now I am ready to help build the business.”

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

94

Associate Director profile Trevor originally joined MAC in 2004 as a Project Coordinator on a Shared Services project at Kumba Resources. During the 24 months of the project’s lifecycle, Trevor was promoted first to Assistant Consultant where he focussed on the finance stream of the project in the analysis and design phase, before moving on to the implementation phase where he headed up the change management and communications stream, while also project managing the refurbishment of the Shared Services Centre itself. At the conclusion of the project Trevor was promoted to Consultant.

During Trevor’s tenure he worked on assignments such as Sasol Secunda Shared Services, where he ultimately became the stream lead for the finance area within the project. Following the success of the project, he was promoted to Senior Consultant before being seconded onto the Impala Platinum team where he developed housing/accommodation strategies for the employees of the business. Successful results led to additional housing work for Anglo Platinum, Xstrata and limited support for Sasol. In addition, he led a team that piloted a concept to one of South Africa’s leading mines where Radio Frequency Identification could track the movement and location of in-bound and out-bound logistics, as well as people, on the mines. Trevor’s final assignment with MAC was an opportunity to partner with Sasol Oil in launching their new low-sulphur diesel to the retail market. This included lab and on-road testing, logistics management, and finally the marketing campaign to launch the product in the market. Following his initial tenure at MAC, Trevor spent five years at Mindcor – traditionally an executive head-hunting company – establishing

TREVOR JAMIESON

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

the Mindcor Consulting offering. Here he was actively involved in developing solutions that would have sustainable and substantive impact on the businesses he partnered with. With the team’s experience in leadership/talent development and executive coaching, and Trevor’s experience in business strategy and business consulting, they developed an organisational effectiveness offering. The offering looked at the development and implementation of strategy, the alignment of leadership, and ensuring the correct skill and capability in the business to deliver on the plan.

During his time at Mindcor Consulting, Trevor was promoted to General Manager, leading a team of 11 consultants and 15 independent consultants, and the range of clients included companies across the financial services, media, restaurant, IT, heavy engineering, oil and gas, aeronautical and pharmaceutical industries. Geographies and cultures included, among others, North America, Africa, Europe, Asia and Australia.

Trevor rejoined MAC this year, this time as an Associate Director in the Business Development team, helping to drive MAC’s agenda of diversifying beyond mining and beyond the South African market.

Trevor has completed a BCom Finance and Accounting, as well as a postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration from GIBS. He is currently completing his MSc in Strategic Planning through Edinburgh Business School. He has a keen interest in martial arts and holds a 5th Dan in Jujitsu, representing SA at both provincial and national levels. Trevor also enjoys endurance sports and has participated in Ironman 70.3, the Two Oceans Ultra Marathon, and the Comrades Marathon.

95

Expanding MAC’s presence at the Mining IndabaBy Danielle Oliveira

ourselves in the market, targeting both clients and employees. Our stand gave us a great opportunity to do this, and certainly increased our exposure at the conference.

Representing the “world’s largest mining investment conference”, the Mining Indaba is just one piece of our branding puzzle, along with other activities such as public relations, advertising and networking events. Taking place in Cape Town, this four-day event welcomed more than

As with MAC, the Mining Indaba celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2014 which, coincidentally, also represented a milestone for MAC’s attendance at this annual event. Although we have been attending the Mining Indaba for several years, we decided that this would be the year in which MAC increased its presence by becoming a sponsor, and having an exhibition stand. The motivation behind this increased exposure was aligned to our drive to increase awareness of MAC’s brand, which is all about how we position

7 500 global professionals, creating an opportunity for the world to connect with African Mining. During these four days, conference speakers, who included commodity analysts, mining house CEOs, macro-economic experts, policy leaders and investment firms, provided a holistic view on the mining investment climate on the continent. While these presentations are always interesting, and serve as a good understanding of the mining environment, the networking

opportunities that this event offers hold great value for us. During our 2014 visit we connected with many current, past and potential clients, past and potential employees, as well potential joint venture partners. As a team, we found our investment in the Mining Indaba worthwhile, with solid leads and new business as a direct result. We’re looking forward to further participation in the years to come.

Danielle, Matt, Nigel, Richard and Les manned the MAC Consulting stand at the 2014 Mining Indaba in Cape Town.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Editor’s Note:

See Danielle's profile on page 72.

96 BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Population, energy and the end of fossil fuels?By Dave Collins

organisations; and … ExxonMobil, Shell, BP, Peabody Energy and all the big fossil fuel producers!

In spite of the noise in the media, which might indicate otherwise, these organisations accept the conclusions of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) about the links between greenhouse gas emissions and global warming, and the need to reduce emissions from fossil fuels.

The Energy Trilemma

Supplying energy requires a balance between three issues:Energy Security – keeping the lights on and the engines turning, having a reliable energy infrastructure, just what South Africa has with liquid fuels at present but doesn’t have

that the world will need about 35% more energy in 2035 than today. So far so good, buy shares in energy companies. But which ones? The same forecasts show fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas) maintaining their market share, which means 35% more will be burnt – and there will be more emissions.

Emissions

Wait. Aren’t we being told that in order to avoid catastrophic climate change we must reduce our emissions? It’s no longer cool to deny global warming, it’s real. This is the view of the International Energy Agency, the World Energy Council, the US Department of Defence, the Royal Society, the World Bank, the US Academy of Sciences, the World Coal Association and many other

The consensus over the past 20 years or so was that the world population, which is currently around seven billion, would go up to nine billion, and then level off around 2050.

Nope. The latest work based on UN demographic data by the University of Washington shows we will probably get to around 11 billion by 2100: most of the four extra billion will be in Africa, which has one billion people today.

Energy needs

All these people will want energy. As people and nations become richer, they use more. In one of the poorest countries today, Niger, one person uses the equivalent of about 150 watts of energy 365/24/7 (enough to power a TV or computer screen). South Africans use about 3 000 watts, Europeans around 5 000 watts, and Americans 10 000 watts – about the same as running four kettles, 10 single-bar electric heaters or 50 desktop computers all at once, all the time.

Forecasts and scenarios from all the major global energy companies and organisations, on average, show

DAVE COLLINS

In addition to his role of

Associate Director at MAC,

Dave is Vice-President of

the Fossil Fuel Foundation

of Southern Africa and was

a member of the South

African Coal Roadmap

Steering Committee. He

advises on energy and

climate change response

strategies to a number of

JSE Top 100 companies

and a parastatal, the SA

coal industry, and various

industry organisations. His

focus is on the interaction

between the three problems

of anthropogenic climate

change, the end of cheap

fossil fuels, and the demands

by a burgeoning world

population for energy. Dave

has a Master’s degree in

Chemical Engineering from

Cambridge obtained, in his

words, “a long time ago”. He

is a thought leader and regular

speaker at conferences (see

the press page on our website

for publications featuring

Dave in 2013 and 2014).

About the author

97BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

with electricity. Energy Equity – ensuring that everyone has access: 20% of the world doesn’t have electricity at present. Environmental Sustainability – having low emissions and other impacts, producing energy in a way that doesn’t wreck the future.

The oil, gas and coal companies and organisations, while acknowledging the climate change and environmental issues, have generally taken the position that Energy Security and Energy Equity must come first. They say that secure, affordable and sustainable sources of energy (coal, oil and gas) are key to reducing poverty in developing economies, as a necessary first step to reducing greenhouse gases. Without this first step, developing economies will never have the capacity to focus their attention on reducing their emissions. Peabody Energy, one of the world’s largest coal producers, goes so far as to say that energy poverty is a human tragedy and that 21st century coal is essential to the solution.

Yet the projections of fossil fuel use and the attendant increase in emissions are putting the world on a pathway to 4°C of warming by the end of the century (or earlier), with the interior of southern Africa upwards of 6 to 7°C. All this while there is general agreement internationally that a rise in the average global temperature from anthropogenic warming should not exceed 2°C above pre-industrial times, if the risk of runaway climate change is to be avoided.

So what next?

Now that many organisations have moved on from denying the problem, a clear picture is emerging. We can distinguish two camps (see graphic). The Red camp looks first to Energy Security and Energy Equity, arguing that Environmental Sustainability can be tackled later. The Green camp warns that by then it will be too late.

The point of divergence is on whether or not we should endeavour to keep global warming below 2°C, starting now.

On Tuesday 25 February 2014, the MAC Business Development

Team hosted a breakfast at our Rosebank office, on the topic of

Climate and Energy and the incompatibility between global energy

supply forecasts and the need to combat climate change. The

speakers were Dave Collins, Malango Mughogho from the WWF

(who focuses on sustainable finance and climate change) and Ian

Hall, chairman of the South African Coal Road Map initiative. It was

a fantastic opportunity to network with clients, colleagues

and thought leaders on this important topic.

Business Breakfast

New coal mines urgently

needed, South African Coal

Roadmap chair reiterates

Written by Martin Creamer,

published in Mining

Weekly, 7 March 2014

Full copy at:

www.macgroup.co.za

Our business breakfast featured in the press

Even within the Red camp there is dissent. Oil and gas companies such as Statoil have hit upon the tactic of saying that coal is the big problem, while oil and gas are necessary for the future (Statoil is an oil and gas producer).

Over the past 12 months there has been a marked rise in fossil fuel divestment campaigns, with star names like the Rockefeller Foundation and Stanford University pulling out.

In September there were 2 500 rallies around the world, demanding action on climate change. There was a UN Climate Summit – an event intended to build momentum leading up to next year’s COP21 negotiations in Paris. And there is more evidence of a Chinese economy slowdown, and talk of Peak Coal in China, as early as this decade (China uses almost 50% of global coal output).

So watch this very interesting space. The outcome will affect you profoundly.

98 SOCIAL MATTERS

MAC Family DayBy Liezl Lock

The annual MAC Family Day, usually in April at the Johannesburg Country Club, is always a highlight on our calendar. It is a fun-filled day during which our little family can interact and connect with other MAC families. When I refer to other MAC families, I don’t necessarily mean only people with kids. The day is a celebration with whomever makes up your nuclear family – whether a partner, a spouse, your kids or just you! Not only do we celebrate and thank our nucleus

families for their support and love in this way, but also our broader MAC family. This year the special themed “carnival” included arts and crafts tables for the little ones, live music, and delicious food and drinks for the adults. Kids couldn’t get enough of the popcorn, slush puppie and candyfloss machines. And the fabulous photo booth with dress-up props for young and old was a huge hit. We sincerely hope to see you at the next one!

“Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family:

whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one.”

Jane Howard

Liezl Lock with her husband Warren and daughters Emily (8) and Olivia (3).

99SOCIAL MATTERS

“Families are like fudge… mostly sweet, with lots

of nuts!”Anonymous

Tayden Pillay (3), son of Diane Govender, made full use of the wide open

spaces of the Johannesburg Country Club at the MAC Family Day.

Leigh Anne Albert having fun with her husband Allan, daughter Pia (9),

and son Alexander (7).

Lori Chait's husband and daughter, Ilan and Rafaella (4).

Country Club Johannesburg (Auckland Park).

Matthew (3), son of Joel Kadish, clung tentatively to his

dad's leg at first, but could be lured out eventually with a

bright red balloon.

100

MAC year-end function

We’ve come full circleBy Kate Greeff

were accommodated overnight at Irene Country Lodge, then Kievits Kroon. This year we are back to Mount Grace again.

I still remember the first visit to Mount Grace, having driven through an extremely bad storm, with lightning, thunder and hail lashing our car as we wound our way through the narrow roads up to the calm of this beautiful hotel among the trees in the Magaliesburg. It was also my youngest son’s birthday (6 December). How the times have changed – no longer having to get the boys to their early dinner and entertainment, nor having to worry about a “babysitter”. However, what has not changed

I have been associated with MAC for many years, having started with MAD in 2001, and consulting with MAC since 2010. As a family we have, therefore, attended many year-end functions at the various venues. Delving through some old photos the other day, I came across a number of “official’” ones that had been taken over the years and they brought back many memories. The function originally used to be held at Mount Grace, after which the format was changed for a while: a lunch at Casalinga one year and an evening at Summer Place another. However, it wasn’t long before the original format was once again adopted – a formal event where the whole company and their families

is the feeling at each and every year-end function – of a year well done; of the camaraderie of the MACers; of the chance to catch up with colleagues I haven’t seen for a while, and a time to “let one’s hair down”. On that subject, Nigel’s bar-diving is legendary – but tends to happen later in the evening. That doesn’t seem to change!

When my eldest son heard we were back at Mount Grace this year, he was genuinely excited. For us it heralds the start of the Christmas holidays. It is a time to celebrate MAC’s triumphs and growth over the year. A time to reflect and a time to ponder the year ahead.

KATE GREEFF

With a MA degree in Industrial

Psychology from Wits, Kate

has over 20 years of Human

Resources experience across

most of the HR value chain.

This includes recruitment

and selection, training and

development interventions,

performance management,

job evaluations, role profiles,

as well as retention and

talent management. Her

industry experience spans

financial services, mining

and resources, and the

public sector. She is a Senior

Consultant with MAC.

About the author

SOCIAL MATTERS

101

The 2013 MAC year-end function was an overnight stay for

MACers and their families at the luxurious Kievits Kroon.

The year’s achievements are recognised in the form of

Chairman’s Awards, which are presented annually at this

much anticipated event.

SOCIAL MATTERS

102 SOCIAL MATTERS

The 2014 Danie Botha Open

A fair way to spend a good dayBy Hercu Venter, Director

very good golfer from reasonably humble beginnings.

The day drew a field of 20 golfers competing in a Ryder Cup format. This format relies on both individual skill and teamwork in the high-pressure alternate shot environment, where a team of two golfers play alternate shots to complete the hole. I actually found my hands shaking with pressure over a three-foot putt and my partner Grant Bruce (former HR Manager at MAC)’s high expectations!

The day was won by Brent Ridgway, AJ Jeronimo (a friend of Brent’s),

The annual Danie Botha Open, our official Golf Day, was held late in October at the Parkview Golf Club.

The objectives of the MAC Golf Day include fun in beautiful surrounds, in order to get to know each other and build team spirit - with golf as the central theme. As such, golfers – and we are using the term very broadly here – are encouraged to join in the fun. This year was no exception and the skill level ranged from Braden Stephenson’s three handicap to Siseko Zibi’s infinity handicap! Braden first played as a 14-year-old, around four years ago, and has since blossomed into a

Ryan Harding (aspiring to be Les Wood’s son-in-law) and Siseko Zibi (he of infinity handicap). Well done to this team who are the official Danie Botha Open champions for 2014. However, the day was about having fun together and the photos attest to the fact that everyone enjoyed themselves.

Thank you to Mark and my fellow directors for their continued sponsorship, to ensure the continuity of what has become a MAC tradition. A special thank you also to Lerato Hutamo, Gerda Stoltz and Tania Stokes, for their help in all the arrangements.

HERCU VENTER

See Hercu’s profile on our

website www.macgroup.co.za

The 2014 Danie Botha Open Champions: Siseko Zibi, AJ Jeronimo, Brent Ridgway and Ryan Harding.

103SOCIAL MATTERS

From left: Hercu Venter, Nick Jay, David Smith and Grant Bruce

From left: Braden and Cameron Stephenson, Les Wood and Carel van Heerden

104 SOCIAL MATTERS

McLadies paint the town redBy Susann Ribe

Someone once told me that if something is done twice it is a tradition, and when it’s done three times, it is an oooold tradition. Based on this, the McLadies’ night is a very, very old MAC tradition, with the third one having taken place on Friday 1 August.

McLadies’ night was spontaneously organised by some of us last year, and we have decided that it is now a bi-annual event, to which all women who work for MAC are invited. It is a great occasion for catching up with colleagues,

getting to know each other better, and discussing topics relevant to women in the professional services industry.

For the August get-together, the Rocket Restaurant and Cocktail Bar in Parkhurst was the lucky establishment to earn our presence. It was an evening of good conversations, great food and wine, and a lot of fun.

Thanks McLadies – I am already looking forward to the next one!

105SOCIAL MATTERS

Company meetings are a laugh a minuteWith our consulting teams based at client locations all over South Africa, Africa and often internationally, the MAC head office in Rosebank acts as a support base only. This is where the HR, Finance and IT departments operate from, and where consultants are able to plug their laptops in at shared “hot desks”. As a result, our offices are too small to accommodate all MACers at one time and we therefore hold monthly networking meetings, or Company Meetings as we call them, at the Country Club Johannesburg in Auckland Park. These meetings offer the opportunity to share project updates, announce internal company news, and socialise with colleagues.

106 SOCIAL MATTERS

Love matters

Lauren and Duane wedding

Lauren and Duane tied the knot in the magnificent Madikwe Game Reserve on 13 September. They enjoyed the day with their closest family and friends under an ancient bushveld tree, with tables and chandeliers set in an exquisite colonial fashion.

Johann-Albert and Esté wedding

Esté and Johann-Albert said their vows on 3 May at Villa Esperansza – a stunning sandstone venue in Rosendal, Free State. Their day was an authentic reflection of their relationship and the things they love – simplicity, sentiment, good company, good food and spectacular scenery. Most of the décor and preparations were done by friends and family, which made it extra-special.

Grant and Anna engagement

Grant surprised Anna with a romantic picnic at the top of the Valley of Desolation in Graaff Reinet, where he asked for her hand in marriage. The happy couple plan to make it official on 21 March 2015 at the lovely Shepstone Gardens, and look forward to creating a lifetime of memories together.

107SOCIAL MATTERS

New arrivals

Andrea Luke

Born on 27 March (7 weeks premature), weighing 2.15kg

Jax Wilson

Born on 12 August, weighing 4.2kg

Asher Saul Chait

Born on 17 October, weighing 3.71kg

Genevieve Martin

Born on 6 January, weighing 3.2kg.

108 RECOGNITION

SASOL DECENTRALISED OPERATING MODEL TEAM

Shaun Schmidt – Key Account DirectorJoel KadishAngela BuriniDunja KartteJohann van JaarsveldEdward BurkeLeigh Anne AlbertMarisi RidgwayKate GreeffKoos van HeerdenLiz HillmanJannie du Toit

The Sasol Decentralised Operating Model

team proved that MAC is a company that

delivers on its promises. They demonstrated

the ability to compete with any global

consulting firm in the course of this project.

The relationships established with key

stakeholders will result in Sasol being a long-

term client, with countless opportunities for

mutual value.

PROJECT TEAM

We have always said that our people are our brand. Every person at MAC is carefully selected and all are phenomenal individuals who do outstanding work for our clients. At the end of each year, though, we take the opportunity to recognise those who shone just a little more brightly that year, in the form of our Chairman’s Awards. All at MAC are given the opportunity to nominate and motivate who the recipients will be, and the results are a closely guarded secret until the night of the year-end function, when they are announced and gifts (the likes of Mont Blanc and Carrol Boyes) are presented.

CHAIRMAN’S AWARDS 2014

109RECOGNITION

INNOVATION/CREATIVITY

Annie Snyman

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Saar Ben-Attar and Rhian Capostagno

EXTRAORDINARY MACER

Johann van Jaarsveld

PERSEVERANCE

Lukas Dreyer

Klaus Wohlfarth

Danielle Oliveira

Annie has made a significant contribution this year by moving MAC into new areas of expertise, which have significant commercial potential. Her understanding of the funding landscape for socio-economic projects has given MAC a competitive edge – and this is proving to be an area for MAC to develop specialist skills that will differentiate us in the market.

Passionate about and dedicated to what they do, Saar and Rhian have built strong relationships for MAC in the telecoms space this year. This is especially true of the Econet account, which has grown rapidly and is realising the MAC strategy of expanding beyond mining and into Africa.

Described by colleagues as exemplary, professional and nurturing, Johann is one of those people who is always willing to help, no matter how big or small the request. He shares his knowledge and expertise without reserve, and puts equal dedication into developing colleagues as he does into his client engagements.

Tirelessly working for extended periods from the crack of dawn and into the night, “well beyond the call of duty” as his colleagues will tell you, Lukas is completely committed to making a difference in the Lephalale community. He never gives up in the face of challenges, remains pleasant, and makes a plan. To date his endeavours have ensured well over 750 families, from the traditional areas of Lephalale, will have food on the table this Christmas.

Klaus has worked away from home for extended periods of time, never complaining and his commitment never wavering. The work he has done, with minimal support, has been innovative and of an exceptional standard, and he has managed to build fantastic relationships in a consultant un-friendly environment.

Danielle epitomises what we expect from MACers. She is energetic, diligent and takes initiative. Not only can she be depended on to deliver work of the highest quality, but she is also just a great person to be around, and a pleasure to work with.

On joining MAC this year, I discovered a consultancy that values each and every staff member. Further, the level of transparency in the organisation is unrivalled in many respects, which contributes to MAC

being a great employer. Peter Adams, Senior Consultant

KNOWLEDGE SHARING

Peter Adams

Liz Hillman

Peter was nominated for this award by his colleagues, who have found his willingness to share his high-profile contacts and deep knowledge in the field of education extraordinary. Peter has opened up the SETA, skills development and related government space for MAC, and actively develops his colleagues both within and beyond the team. Based on his tireless efforts, the MLI project has been awarded Presidential Flagship status. This is already opening doors that will make a massive difference to the opportunities for higher education in the Waterberg District, which is one of the most deprived areas in South Africa.

Despite working full-time on her own project, several colleagues have indicated that they rely on Liz for Subject Matter Expert guidance on their projects. She is a valuable sounding board and is described as “incredibly forthcoming” with ideas and knowledge, even if it means responding to their questions after-hours.

GROWTH

Siphokazi Ntetha

Sarisha Padayachee

Sue-Mari Strydom

Karina Jardim

Himesh Deva

RAINMAKERS

Shaun Schmidt and Harry Steadman

Diane Govender

OFFICE SUPPORT

Caitlin Jay

Starting off as an intern with MAC straight out of university, Siphokazi has developed incredible depth and expertise as a consultant, building strong relationships with team members and clients alike. She presents to the most senior forums with ease and epitomises the MAC brand in her professionalism and accomplishments.

Also starting off as an intern with MAC straight out of university, Sarisha has worked independently in Lesotho and has grown into a well-rounded consultant. Showing true commitment to her client, she is now a pillar of strength not only for HR, but also for the CEO. She has grown the account through hard work, building excellent relationships, despite a remote and challenging environment.

Sue-Mari is an example of someone living the MAC values for, inter alia, readily assisting consultants with tasks well outside her job description. She does so quietly and efficiently, without expecting recognition for her efforts.

Despite her workload and responsibilities as HR Manager, Karina always makes time to assist when asked for information, help or advice. Her positive attitude and friendly demeanour means that she is well-liked and approachable, and a great support to colleagues and consultants alike.

Himesh has been nominated by several consultants, who report that he goes out of his way to assist them with laptop and IT challenges. He does so quickly, happily and efficiently - whether remotely or on-site, including after-hours.

These two Key Account Directors have consistently contributed significantly to MAC’s increasing turnover over the last few years. Both recipients of this award in 2013, their continued commitment, work ethic and client relationships ensure that they get the award most crucial to the continued success of our business again this year. We are grateful for the contribution and leadership that they bring to their accounts, and to MAC.

Diane achieved the extraordinary this year in reducing debtors’ days to nil in one of MAC’s key accounts, which has never happened before. She brings a sense of spirit and sassiness to the office, while remaining professional, proactive, positive and efficient.

Caitlin has made a real difference since she joined MAC and the finance department is performing exceptionally well under her guidance. On top of this, she is always available, positive, and a great support to consultants.

110

I find MAC a welcoming, inspiring and supportive environment, which provides me with the scope and the space to express myself.

At MAC each person determines their own personal and professional aspirations and limits.

Etienne Joubert, Principal Consultant

RECOGNITION

111

ASSISTANT CONSULTANT

Lerato Hutamo

CONSULTANT

Sarisha Padayachee

SENIOR CONSULTANT

Carel van Heerden

PRINCIPAL CONSULTANT

Lisa BotesMarisi RidgwayVal HammondLauren de WittNico PrinslooPaolo ScalcoSean Bissett

SENIOR MANAGER

Ben NathansonJacques Snyman

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

Dave Collins

PROMOTIONS

5 YEARS

Saar Ben-AttarOtto Pepler

20 YEARS

Mark Cotterrell15 YEARS

Harry SteadmanLes WoodKobus Nel

10 YEARS

Ian Sandilands

LONG SERVICE

My first year at MAC met all my expectations: the work has been dynamic and challenging, and the team environment supportive and collaborative.

Leigh Anne Albert, Senior Manager

RECOGNITION

Dates to DiariseCOMPANY OPENS5 January – 15 December 2015

COMPANY MEETINGS16 January

20 February

20 March

17 April

22 May

19 June

17 July

21 August

18 September

16 October

20 November

EVENTSMarch:

Social Golf Day & JP Morgan Night Race

April:

Family Day

September:

Starlight Classics

October:

Danie Botha Golf Day

November:

94.7 Cycle Challenge

December:

Year-End Function

112 DIARY

1 PAGE STRAP

MAC IS AN

EMPOWERED COMPANY

CONTACT US ON:

Tel +27 (0) 11 537 1800

Fax +27 (0) 11 327 7388

Email

enquiries@macgroup.co.za

Website

www.macgroup.co.za

Physical address

8th Floor The Mall Offices,

11 Cradock Avenue,

Rosebank 2196, South Africa

Postal address

PO Box 2031, Houghton 2041

M A C M A T T E R S

MA

C MATTERS | 2014 | JO

ZI AN

D B

EYON

D