CA Africa appoints new country manager

Computer Associates (Africa) has appointed Gary Lawrence (43) as its country manager. In this role he will be responsible for CA`s business operations throughout Africa.

UK-born Lawrence has spent more than 20 years in the software industry in SA and brings with him significant experience in this field.

He has a specific charter to grow market share for CA products and services via direct sales and well as through partnerships with local distributors, resellers and systems integrators.

In leading CA, one of the largest, most successful multinational software organisations in SA, Lawrence says he will draw on knowledge of the local market to assist him.

"The local ICT industry, and the software sector in particular, have evolved significantly over the past 10 years," he says. "We are faced with many new challenges - including the issue of black empowerment - which have to be positively and decisively addressed if we are to retain a successful business within the global context."

Lawrence says that as CA moves forward in the local market, he will be looking for partners with a "passionate and enthusiastic attitude, integrity, and a will to win".

"Together we will be able to meet the growing requirements of our customers for a better return on investment, tighter security and more manageability of their systems and environments," he says.

Lawrence established his early career in logistics and IT consultancy and gained his initial experience with Philips TDS and QMCS, a local distributor of Baan ERP applications. In 1996 he joined Baan`s newly established South African subsidiary as sales manager, and within a year was appointed managing director.

In this role he was responsible for growing Baan`s local business to the point where it was recognised as Baan`s most successful subsidiary worldwide.

In 1999 Lawrence engineered a buy-out from Baan SAQ to create a new company - Enterprise Softworx - focused on the delivery of a wide range of business applications, customised to meet the needs of local users. The company also offered a strong consultancy capability.

Lawrence subsequently sold Softworx to Enterprise Outsource Holdings, remaining as a consultant until early 2001.

Most recently, Lawrence has led Business Objects` South African subsidiary as country manager. Under his direction Business Objects` market share grew from 4% to 14% and annual revenue tripled.

In future he will be based at CA`s headquarters in Johannesburg and will report to Hayley Tabor, general manager of Computer Associates (EMEA).