Darryl Thwaits, former CIO of Tiger Brands and one of the most respected IT executives in SA, has passed away, a year after retiring.
He had been at Tiger Brands for 20 years, and served as group CIO for five of those. This included supporting about 4 000 users at more than 120 sites across SA and parts of Kenya, Cameroon, Nigeria and Ethiopia.
He was named a top five finalist in the 2014 Visionary CIO Award - the annual accolade for corporate IT leaders, presented by IITPSA and ITWeb.
In his final years at Tiger, Thwaits bedded down the FMCG group's IT systems and established a committed team, ITWeb wrote in his finalist profile. "He leaves the organisation in excellent running order, capable of scaling to the demands of a growing business. This didn't come easy," wrote ITWeb Brainstorm's Georgina Guedes, who interviewed Thwaits at the time.
Thwaits joined Tiger Brands in 1994 and held a number of executive roles. A chartered accountant by qualification, he served as the group's chief financial officer, but his passion had always been IT.
Before taking on the CIO mantle, he modernised the supply systems in Tiger's diverse businesses. He told Brainstorm he loved being on the factory floor, understanding the business and solving problems.
Prior to joining Tiger Brands, Thwaits spent 12 years as MD of the St Thomas Group, Natal, the largest executive placement agency in Durban, and was financial director for Tongaat Foods for the six years preceding this.
Thwaits obtained his MBA from the Heriot-Watt University in Scotland. He chaired the KwaZulu- Natal Society of Chartered Accountants, the Institute of Directors in Durban, and the Association of Personnel Selection Organisations, also in Durban.
He believed IT readiness must be two years ahead of business strategy, so that when the business asks for something, it can be delivered without delay. Thwaits described this as a difficult endeavour because the business generally viewed IT as a grudge purchase. In a group that often expanded its business through acquisition, he said he had grown adept at performing 'bolt-on' IT.
Thwaits was a sought-after speaker and contributor to CIO round tables, was active on many boards, and served as a mentor to a number of young people establishing or growing their own business. When he retired, he was proud to say he had not had a resignation in 10 years.
There is a memorial service tomorrow at 9am, at Fourways Memorial Park.
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