Loyalty is everything to Maritz, whose journey at Eskom spans 28 years. "I've spent all my life at one company. I've been through all the ranks, which has helped me understand the organisation, the people and their values."
Maritz took on the role of acting CIO, at a time when the organisation was in a bit of a crisis for various reasons, including load-shedding. "This was a big challenge. I needed to find my way around the IT model, build relationships from scratch and go through a stage of understanding, to see how to best move forward."
From June last year, Maritz and his team started turing the company around and, coincidentally, there has been no load-shedding since then, he notes.
"We have created trust with the board and that has made the difference. We now have a seat at a table, and can help steer the organisation."
As for the role of technology in taking te country forward, Maritz has a vision of creating the Silicon Valley for South Africa. "I'd like to open labs and help develop the right skills. The digital way of doing things can change the economy of this country."
Read about the other Visionary CIO finalists
 ASHLEY VEASEY |  BRENDA NIEHAUS |  JAMIE WHITTAKER |  LEN DE VILLIERS |  LIBISI MAPHANGA |
 PETER ALKEMA |  RIDWAAN BARDIEN |  THAGARAN GOVENDER |  TRAVIS DEWING |
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