Former rugby hero Bob Skinstad has recently joined a new team by signing up with Itec Connect.
Traditionally an office automation and telecoms company, and recently moving into the convergence space, Itec has recruited the former Springbok captain as its brand ambassador, with a long-term plan for him to become a stakeholder in the Connect group.
MD Gavin Meyer says Itec Connect Group and Skinstad are a good fit because they are both entrepreneurial with similar work ethics and ambitions.
“We were looking to align ourselves with achievers with a similar DNA and culture as ours. We weren't looking for a face to put with a cellphone, but for someone who could be a brand ambassador, and in the long-term, get closer to the group and have a career here,” Meyer says.
“We are going to be training him in how the business works and taking it to a higher level, with him taking an equity stake within the group in time to come.”
Some of Skinstad's first engagements for Itec Connect will be at the Rugby World Cup, in New Zealand, where the company will entertain a group of its most valuable customers.
Skinstad says he's taken his time in selecting a suitable partner. “Your reputation can go out of the window in two seconds, so I've done a lot of research into Itec Connect's business and its markets and who its rivals are.”
Instead of being a figurehead simply paid to turn up and speak at client events, Skinstad says he is becoming a learner employee, who will interact with clients and help to generate potential leads, some of which he is working on already.
“In time I'll take a much more meaningful role and be part of the decision-making, with a structured investment into their business. But we're taking it slowly, because I like to under-promise and over-deliver.”
Involved in community projects through sport, he has always been available to do charitable work, and he also launched the Bobs For Good Foundation to provide shoes for South Africa's estimated 7 million school children that do not have shoes.
“I have always made it my business to get out there meeting people and businessmen,” he says. “I have small stakes in some small businesses, and with some national profile I still feel I can contribute more, so I have been looking for something business-oriented in a forward-looking industry. Itec is a Proudly South African company with serious scope for growth. Everybody needs office automation, whether they are moving towards cloud computing for data storage or they just need to get their bills processed.”
Skinstad already has a good grasp of the underlying mechanics and technologies of Itec Connect's business, but despite global glory on the pitch, he's modest enough to know he has more to learn.
“I'll be keeping my ears open and my mouth shut for a while first,” he says. “I'm very willing to learn and get involved.”
That lack of arrogance appealed to Itec, Meyer says, because the goal of raising its profile demands more than just a famous face. “Everything Bob has been involved in post-rugby has been incredibly successful, and he's being very selective in who he partners with. He's similar to us in having a young, winning culture with similar views in what we want out of life and what we are trying to achieve.”
Big Bob Skinstad does have one fear, however: Itec Connect's enthusiasm for supporting cycling events. “I'm absolutely terrified of cycling,” he admits. “When they ask me to get involved, I'll be running in the opposite direction. But I can see that I'm going to get hauled up on a bike and sent careering down a hill. It's inevitable.”
Itec Connect has grown to become Itec South Africa's largest partner. It offers office automation, telecommunications, security, power, videoconferencing and managed voice and data solutions to companies of all sizes, including the public sector. Strong technical expertise and top-notch service underpin its offerings. One popular service is a voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) telephony management system that can typically save customers around 30% a month on their phone bills.
Itec Connect is one of the fastest growing office automation dealerships in the country, with annual revenue growth of more than 20% for the past few years. Last year it was named Itec's Dealer of the Year, beating off 45 other dealers from around the country to claim the title.
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