Kganya Technology Solutions Executive Chairman, Maroale Jacob Rachidi (Tanto), has been selected as the new president of the Information Technology Association (ITA) with immediate effect.
Rachidi, the 28th president of the organisation, and the first black person to head this body, was elected to represent the interests of the ITA following the association`s annual general meeting held recently in Randburg. The body also selected a new management committee and executive committee to oversee and manage a number of plans to set the ITA on a new course.
The elections formed a crucial part of Teryl Schroenn`s last mandate as outgoing president - to organise a group of dedicated, passionate members that will lead the organised employer body in a definite direction.
Rachidi said he was thrilled about the new opportunity and "would not rest on any laurels because of the amount of work that must be done". He said he was thrilled to be leading a team of able management committee members in the two vice-presidents (Yvette King of SAP Africa and Mthunzi Mdwaba of Torque IT) as well as the honorary treasurer (Quentin Mildren of ACCSYS).
"We are faced with a great challenge. We have a highly fragmented IT community with a dozen or so entities represented. One of my core focuses, at this stage, will be the unification of the industry. I would like to start with an emphasis on aligning the ITA with the BIT4M. I believe we have to tighten up the industry and I will be working in close conjunction with the newly elected executive committee."
Rachidi also aims to raise the association`s profile in the local IT community. This will mean attention to its role as an industry and government representative body, and one that offers its membership significant value.
"We would like to actively participate and add value to all initiatives which our national government`s management team is involved in; NEPAD and ICT Summit to name but a few. We would like to identify the member companies` requirements from the association. We would like to concentrate on the recommendations from the SAITIS project, largely spearheaded by the Department of Trade and Industry. Eventually, we would like the ITA to be the catalyst for the establishment, growth and development of a unified, centralised national IT body. It is a system favoured in several countries outside the boundaries of our country and that is the direction that I feel we should be heading in. We would like to bring together as many of SA`s IT representatives together under the guidance and leadership of the ITA."
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