First black Microsoft MD quits

By Candice Jones for Microsoft
Johannesburg, 30 Jun 2008

Microsoft South Africa MD Pfungwa Serima has resigned. He will leave at the end of July, two years after his appointment.

Serima took over as MD of Microsoft SA in August 2006, after two years as director of the company's Services Group. With more than 17 years' experience across public and private sector organisations, Serima was Microsoft SA's first black chief.

"I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Microsoft. It has been a very exciting period for the business and I am proud to have contributed to the company's many achievements over the past four years," says Serima.

He has been looking at options outside of Microsoft for some time, he notes. "Now that we have come to the end of our fiscal year and moved to the next level, I believe it is the right time to seek pastures new and embark upon fresh challenges."

Fernando de Sousa will take over as acting MD. The company says it has already begun the process of identifying a long-term successor for Serima from SA's "pool of home-grown talent".

Serima replaced Gordon Frazer, who had been Microsoft SA's head since 2002 and was promoted to take on the role of Microsoft UK's MD. Frazer replaced Mark Hill, who held the position for almost four years before taking a position at Microsoft US.

Before joining Microsoft, Serima was CEO of both Accenture Technology Solutions and Accenture Technology Infrastructure Services. He was involved with the identification and development of IT skills, particularly among the previously disadvantaged.

Technology evangelist

In September last year, Serima was a top-five finalist for the IT Personality of the Year Award. In his nomination document, Microsoft said he had boosted revenue growth for the company by 20% in a year.

Sources close to the company say the region excelled under his leadership. Ali Faramawy, MEA area VP for Microsoft International, says: "Pfungwa has played a major role in the growth of Microsoft's South African business. We are grateful to him for his crucial role in this transformation."

Since his appointment, he has directed Microsoft with a strong local skills focus, says the company. "Our mission in SA is to make a tangible contribution to our local software economy that is empowering, inclusive and highly skilled. We seek to do this through increasing levels of innovation and developing a pool of highly skilled resources," he said at the time of his appointment as MD.

Microsoft has said that thanks to his initiatives, more than 1 000 graduates were trained and employed in 2007.

In earlier interviews, Serima said his aim for Microsoft was to invest in the lives of at least 775 000 people over three years, through its digital inclusion and education programmes, and through its Partners in Learning Programmes.

Executive exodus

Microsoft SA lost six senior executives last year, including Hennie Loubser, enterprise and partner group director; Belinda Godfrey, small and mid-market solutions and partner group director; Danny Naidoo, developer and platform group director; Jonathan Hatchuel, Windows group manager; Goona Sagaren Udayan, original equipment manufacturer (OEM) manager; and Bradley Hopkinson, regional director of OEM for the Middle East and Africa region.

The company filled the vacancies with David Ives as DPE director, Reggie Nxumalo as OEM director, Colin Erasmus as Windows Client executive, and Henry Ferreira as head of Microsoft's Enterprise and Partners Group.

"Under our current MD, we have an inspired and committed management team who feel they are on the right path, and right now we'll take just about anything in our stride," said COO Heather Third, at the time of the series of resignations.