For everything there is a season, a time to say 'hello' and a time to say 'until we meet again'! At the end of March we bid farewell to our Financial Director, Mark Gounder, who has been part of the family and fabric for an impressive 25 years starting as a clerk in Noodsberg. Mark is one of the Icons here at ISSA and I’m personally very grateful for the guidance he provided and knowledge he generously shared with me & our fellow Exco members; and the support provided to every site team in the business. He is one always enthusiastic, glass half full, passionate and very committed individual. His contribution to Illovo has been tremendous having been on the forefront of a number of progressive initiatives in the Group and ISSA over the last 10 years. Moving on to be a Chief Financial Officer of a Listed Business, is a massive achievement and a culmination of one of Mark’s career dreams! We are sad to see him go and at the same time so very proud of his milestone achievements. We wish him the very best of success. I know he will only be a phone call away and we will certainly keep those lines open. Inkosi ikubusise Mark (be Blessed!).
On the subject of our ISSA family, I think it’s important to reflect on what the term ‘family’ and even ‘ubuntu’ means in our working environment. A family is a unit of people that are connected by common purpose, values and aspirations. They aim to support each other and sometimes are each others’ toughest critics, yet unwavering in wanting the best for one another.
As a family at ISSA, we are bound by our purpose of ensuring we operate a business that can deliver consistently on its profit and improve on goals by investing in building people capability, equipment reliability, as well as new concepts across the entire scope of the business.
To achieve this and do it well, we need to constantly ask ourselves a couple of things – such as:
- How can I (we) better support my colleagues on an ongoing basis? Izandla ziyagezana!
- How do my actions impact other people and their teams? Accountability.
- When last was something that was considered best practice shared by me or others? They say ‘sharing is caring’!
- When last did we celebrate the successes big and small? Let’s celebrate more.
Every family on earth goes through its cycles, time of bountiful success and periods of difficult times. For everything there is a season, a season to plant and a season to harvest! Rachel Adams recently shared a story about the phenomenon of Live Oak Trees of New Orleans, USA, that survived hurricanes based on the way their root system is structured underground. Oak trees’ roots intertwine with neighbouring trees roots so that when a hurricane hits, it is not just one tree being hit – but a whole community of trees. That support, along with other clever natural innovations of this remarkable tree and the way it’s trunk, branches and leaves are designed to adapt to extreme conditions, is what helped over 700 trees survive Hurricane Katrina when it hit.
What ISSA has gone through with Sugar Tax, flooding of sugar imports and now the Noodsberg situation amongst other challenges over the last few years, has tested our resolve – there’s no doubt about that. COVID-19 has also added to these challenges. In all of this there is an opportunity for us to reinforce our relationships, reinforce our commitment to the goal of business success, reinforce our capabilities, processes and culture to remain standing & thrive well into the future - just like the Live Oak Trees! To rise again is a choice. Nature has so many valuable lessons to teach us and maybe this is another one that we should consider adopting as we continue to recover and rebuild: TOGETHER WE ARE MUCH MUCH STRONGER! Umuntu ngumuntu ngaBantu!
As the Easter weekend approaches and many of you enjoy a well-deserved break, please make sure to continue doing your part by wearing a mask, washing and sanitising your hands regularly and practicing social distancing to ensure that we as a collective can avoid the fate of a devastating third wave.
Wishing you all a safe and happy Easter break and remember...
If it’s going to be, it’s up to me. If it’s going to be, it’s up to you. If it’s going to be, it’s up to us.