Flexmanager - General Management

General Management

Work Experience

CAREER HISTORY (Last first, including skills and achievements where relevant)

Oct 2001 to Current – Independent Business (IIB)
Managing Advisor
As the managing advisor of an IIB regional group, I evaluate the needs of SMEs, identified by the IIB and or its Associates, and agree a “Business Support Scheme” profile, that will improve the performance and legal compliance of the enterprise. Either personally, or through specialist IIB Associates, address the critical key issues, and then develop a workable business plan with quantifiable key objectives and the strategies to achieve them. Then monitor the business plans regularly throughout the project.

Nov 1999 to Feb 2002 - Real Solid Investments & The Auricle Group
Partner
Promote JV and investment programs for U.K. and South African (S.A.) companies, with UK, SA, & EU funding. Evaluate S.A. companies for capital and technology based funding. Seek U.K. partners for S.A. companies operating in engineering, manufacturing, and the project management sector.

Jan to Oct 2001 In line with my plans to return to UK, I undertook a temporary assignment, managing a closure and a spin off project in South Africa for an ex Rolls Royce subsidiary.

Nov 1995 to Current - British Chamber of Business in South Africa
Executive and Council Member
I had special responsibility for UK/SA JV development investment initiatives involving UK companies. Interest grew considerably following the “Asian currency crisis” as UK companies were often left with only technology transfer and royalties to combat erosion of their markets in Africa. I was often associated with projects to encourage entrepreneurship in the informal sector, especially as we were able to motivate EU funding for the upliftment of the previously disadvantaged communities.

The establishment of close working relationships with Government, SA representatives of UK and European Commercial Consulates, DFID, and the Euro Chamber of Southern Africa was essential in achieving our goals.

May 1999 to May 2000 - Federal Signal Corp. (FSC)
Consultant
Handed over operational responsibility to the new GM of Victor and reviewed the business plans. Thereafter, sought opportunities in major energy and environmental projects, JV’s and acquisitions, and in turn prepared motivations for the required funding.

Feb 1981 to May 2000 - Victor Industrial Equipment (Pty.) Ltd. (S.A.)
General Manager
Victor Products Plc. was involved in the manufacture of electrical and hydraulic production and safety equipment in hostile environments of mining, oil and gas.

My key objectives were, to establish the new subsidiary in SA, regain customer confidence in the group’s products and increase sales and service.

In the first years of operation we quickly grew through acquisition and increased local manufacture. Cost reduction programs, MRP, and QA systems soon followed to improve overall effectiveness.

Managing Director
After 3 years as GM I was appointed Managing Director, reporting to the UK Board of Directors. This led to my participation in the strategic and policy decisions of the group.

In 1988 Victor became a subsidiary of NEI Plc., which was later acquired by Rolls Royce Plc. From here we developed alliances with group companies in SA, UK and USA, which led to expansion into the electronics, monitoring, communications, and systems business

The company was renamed Victor Industries Ltd in 1993 when, along with outside investors we achieved a “Management Buy Out” from Rolls Royce. This resulted in my appointment to the UK executive board, which included representatives from the assisting venture capitalists.

In 1996 Federal Signal Corporation (FSC) acquired Victor Industries Ltd as part of a strategic move via UK into Europe and Commonwealth. During this period we consolidated FSCs position in Southern Africa, and acquired strategic businesses, essential to our local growth plans.

Summarised Functions and Skills:
· Enterprise resource management, business planning and development.
· QA, Production and materiel management.
· Motivational leadership, employee relations, & stakeholder management.
· Budgets, internal control, treasury, and financial risk management.
· Identifying and developing markets for new and existing products.
· Sales, marketing, CRM, and distributor management.
· Computer literate MS Office 2000, and ACT, Impact Encore (ERP software).

Key Role:
To develop and implement the group business plans, monitoring the progress of departmental objectives to optimise the overall performance of company.

Seek opportunities to grow the products and services of the Group through new markets, product development, and acquisitions in the health and safety industry.
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Report to the group on, the overall performance including KPIs, cash, profitability, business plan changes, major prospects and any major action plans required to increase growth and ROI.

Some Achievements:
Building a financially sound platform, reporting structure and a strong social commitment by the companies, the work force and their dependants.

Implementing ISO 9000 with a full commitment from all levels. Victor was the first company in its industry sector in the region to be internationally recognised to those standards.

Making the company the most profitable and innovative in the group.

Establishing the company as a leading, supplier of products and services to the mining, chemical, construction and energy sectors. We were often in the top 20 ratings of all suppliers, to many majors groups in SA

We built and maintained, a dedicated team, in a period of difficult cultural and political redevelopment in SA. We were one of the first companies in SA to establish truly democratic representation on the shop floor. Because of this we were able to defy many calls for “wild cat” strikes, and so avoid consequent losses in productivity.

My major contributions to the “management buy in” including acquisition projects, profitability and cash generation.

Reason for leaving: Planned to return to UK, which required a fair degree of planning.

June1974 to Feb 81 - The Express Lift Co. Ltd (Subsidiary of GEC, UK)
Assistant Export Manager (Northampton U.K.)
I was responsible for vetting tender documents, preparing commercial and technical proposals and contracts for export customers.

I was promoted to Business Development Manager and later transferred to GEC Express Lift Co. South Africa reporting to the General Manager. I was tasked with securing major elevator and escalator contracts. I built up the sales team, engineering, and branch infrastructure. As member of an international product development team we pioneered new technology in hydraulic lifts for medium-rise buildings, which in turn proved to be a key factor in our growth strategy.
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After three years, appointed Assistant General Manager responsible for sales, marketing, branch offices, and contract management.

Reason for leaving: At the end of my contract with GEC SA, and prior to returning to Express in UK I was offered the opportunity to establish a subsidiary in South Africa of a U.K. company (Victor Products Plc.)

1971 to 74 - United Lift Co. Ltd (Scotland)
Area Sales Manager
I was responsible for expanding sales of elevators and escalators, maintenance contracts and the renovation of existing installations. I was promoted to Regional Manager in Eastern Scotland responsible for sales, administration, installation, renovation, and service contracts.

Reason for leaving: With recession in the UK construction industry in the mid 70's, I felt the best opportunities to develop my career lay in the export market and joined the Express Lift Co. Ltd., which had exposure to export opportunities through their parent company, GEC.

1966 to 71 Otis Elevator Company Ltd
Engineering Trainee (Edinburgh & London)
Principal activities included site work, design and contracts engineering, production, contract planning, costing and value engineering. After several years of training I was promoted to Regional Surveyor Scotland, and 2 years later appointed Service Sales Engineer.

Latter as Assistant Service Manager, Scottish Region, I was responsible for managing service and renovation contracts, productivity of service teams, and the CRM for the region

Reason for leaving: I was keen to progress to New Sales, and was approached by a new consortium of elevator companies to help develop growth in the North.

Education

EDUCATION: 1957 - 60 King Richard School, Dhekelia, Cyprus

1960 - 62 Prince Albert Boys School, Darlington, Durham

1962 - 65 Delamare Boys School, Nairobi, Kenya

RECREATION: Cycling, fishing, sailing, photography, natural history, (including bird watching, and environmental conservation).

QUALIFICATIONS: H.N.C. Electrical Engineering

Skills

General management, production management, SBU Resturcturing, MBO/I, Worked with grant aid projects and JV resourcing

Languages

Little French, Italian, Africaans, Zulu.

Other

Confident in Overseas assignments