Systems integrator Dimension Data is forging ahead with business following the recent departures of key executives from the company.
So said Nompumelelo Mokou, managing director of Dimension Data Southern Africa, in an interview with ITWeb.
In June, the industry was shocked when Dimension Data announced that founder and executive chairman Jeremy Ord was leaving the company he started 38 years ago.
Other executives who also left the company are Saki Missaikos, chief strategy officer, and Steve Nathan, chief corporate finance officer.
The resignations come a few months after long-serving Dimension Data CEO Grant Bodley also stepped down from his role after serving 20 years at the firm.
However, Mokou says the company is moving on and has shown some resilience after these departures.
“It’s always sad to see someone leave the business but I think what has been quite exciting for me has been the evolution at the company. Although people leave, there has been that continuation. Even if they made their choices to leave the company, their support and motivation always propel us. When they left, there was that initial shock but right now we are managing it and moving forward.”
MEA collaboration
Mokou was appointed as managing director of Dimension Data’s Southern Africa business in April.
She reports to CEO Werner Kapp, who was recently appointed to the position following Bodley’s resignation.
The leadership changes came after Dimension Data brought its four brands of Dimension Data, Internet Solutions, Britehouse and ContinuitySA together into a single operating entity, trading under the Dimension Data name.
Earlier this year, Dimension Data’s parent company NTT said it is increasing its commitment to the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region.
The Japanese tech conglomerate said as part of its global OneNTT strategy, it will drive greater collaboration and integration in its subsidiary business.
Dimension Data (MEA), with headquarters in SA, employs nearly 12 000 people and was acquired by NTT in 2010. The company operates directly and through partnerships in more than 80% of the countries in the MEA region.
Mokou joined Dimension Data in 2016 as senior finance manager for the managed services business, before heading up Dimension Data’s Intelligent Customer Experience business for the Middle East and Africa, enabling it to achieve significant market share, revenue and profitable growth, says the company.
According to Mokou, as a business, “we do see ourselves as quite strong in the network, cloud and data centre space. We have just made an under R1 billion investment in the data centre space. That space is quite critical to us in regards to having the right assets.
“We are in the most fast-paced and evolving industry. In 1983, when we started, we were a hardware shop. By 1994, we started doing more interesting technology stuff. Fast-track to 2010, we sold our shares to NTT, our biggest shareholder. From 2012 to 2015, with the whole cloud conversation, we became involved in that space. Cloud computing became a big part of our lives. The fourth industrial revolution also came into play; digitalisation became a big thing.
“Now, if we look at ourselves as a Southern African-born company, we have been aligned with key tech trends across the world.”
Journey into the new
According to Mokou, Dimension Data is also targeting growth in the business applications space, focusing on enterprise resource planning, among others.
“So for me, if I look at our journey, we continue to be driven by understanding the new trends in technology. We continue to want to partner with the big enterprise clients, the public sector space as well as SMMEs.
“I am continuing with the legacy of being a key global company and amplifying it now that we have NTT support.”
Describing her journey with Dimension Data, she says: “I remember I was doing my MBA and one of my syndicate members was sharing something about Tour de France. At the time, I was an audit director at another company and I sat there thinking that technology is a key part of our lives. It changes lives; it’s actually phenomenal what you can do with technology.
“I said to myself there and then that, yes, I am an auditor and chartered accountant by profession, but I also use technology and I also have interest in how technology augments and enhances lives. That was my propelling reason in terms of changing my career and changing companies.
“What I found in Dimension Data was this dynamic of energy of people geared to make a difference. That’s what inspired me – the people that we have in the business and their drive.”
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