I started my career as an Electrical Engineer in South Africa and got involved in mining projects, which led me to Larox South Africa as a Project Manager in late 2007. I managed several Filter project deliveries and start-ups in Sub-Saharan Africa region. This was a great platform for me to gain international exposure and to work with various colleagues around the world.
Wanting to take on more responsibilities and challenging roles, I got the opportunity when Outotec acquired Larox, to head and establish the Outotec office in Zambia, as a General Manager and Head of Services for Central Africa in 2011. I relocated to Kitwe, Zambia and this was a steep learning curve. Out of my comfort zone, in a new country and to establish an office with no prior experience seemed very daunting. However, I was very fortunate to have supportive mentors and instead of risks, I began to see opportunities to setup a unique regional center and to empower our local resources.
I was offered a short-term assignment to provide leadership role in setting up Outotec Middle-East Service business as a Director of Services based in Abu-Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Capital Business in Middle-East was booming, which prompted attention to establish service business. After spending 8 months in the Middle East, I was given a huge opportunity to work in Shanghai, China, as a Director of Services for Market Area China & North Asia in 2013.
It was different from all my previous roles and indeed a huge learning curve for me. It is one of my biggest challenges till date as language barrier poses some hindrances in communicating effectively. The custom of doing business is also very different as Chinese customers practice “Guanxi” where relationships form a crucial part of doing business in China. Being a foreigner and building “guanxi” is extremely difficult. I like to say that I’ve learned patience from China, to stay humble and ability to actively listen.
After nearly 4 years in China, in 2017, I was offered a global role based in Finland, firstly as the Director of Global Technology & Onsite Support, then as Vice President for the Global Technology Support and currently as the Vice President for Metso Outotec Training Academy.
During my career, I have learned that I cannot put 100% focus on all the tasks at the same time, and that execution of tasks is best achieved with a combination of technology and the people in your team. Empowering my team and ensuring everyone is aligned towards the same purpose is my main role as a leader. It is also best to have diverse individuals in your team with dissenting views and new perspectives to gain the best outcomes. I have learned to identify the learning opportunities with challenging circumstances.
The best things about working at Metso Outotec is the people and their unique capabilities. There is a transparent workplace environment based upon trust and open feedback, where employee voices are heard, and employee growth is supported.
In my spare-time, I take a walk, play badminton, cook, play chess with my son and pretend games with my 3-year-old daughter. Having children changes your days when you are continuously learning new things or trying to find several approaches when you have just no other option. There are days when my kids don’t see eye to eye and in such instance, creative conflict management comes to play. On weekends, I like to take road trips and explore new places.
My motto is to create an environment for continuous learning and development. I believe in mentorship, being a talent advocate and inspiring others. This mindset has helped me connect with employees and motivate them to achieve their true potential.
My message would be to stay passionate about what you do. Travel and gain different experiences and perspectives. Build a great network professionally and have a support system to get you through the tough times. Get out of your comfort zone and grab that opportunity.
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