In line with its strategy to become a truly empowered company, Software Futures has appointed Jessie Naicker as its black economic empowerment (BEE) executive.
Software Futures MD Derek Hughes says: "We felt it was important to have an executive owner for this position, rather than have this as a part-time duty: I had managed this until now."
Hughes says the appointment strengthens the Software Futures executive team and demonstrates that the company is developing leadership from within. "It also underlines our commitment to BEE by having a dedicated portfolio at exco level. Our black staff now have an executive-level champion focused on promoting equity in the organisation."
This move assists Software Futures in meeting its BEE objectives and thereby satisfying its clients' BEE procurement requirements, says Hughes.
Naicker, previously a strategic account manager for central government at Software Futures, says the post was created to ensure absolute focus on making sure there is transformation within the company, the movement of people internally, the mobility and fair representation of blacks in the organisation, and ensuring the black people among the 400-strong employees are groomed for management positions.
He says it encompasses transformation both internally and externally, covering all aspects of change - from equity through demographics to top-level management.
"Externally, in terms of the equity transformation, we have had no difficulty in enticing suitors keen to take a significant portion of our company," says Naicker of the challenges that face him in this position. Internal transformation, however, is more difficult. "There is not a great availability of quality resources, specifically with reference to black people in the Java development space with the basket of competencies that we require. Those who are around are priced at a significant premium to market value, and they are highly mobile."
Naicker says in order to become a software developer of standing and of high calibre is a long process. "To acquire the full basket of competencies required would take a number of years and relative stability working on a significant number of large projects."
To address this problem, Software Futures has resurrected its graduate recruitment programme, which it first initiated a few years ago and which saw 40 black developers moving through the organisation.
These graduates, fresh out of university, are placed in areas where they aspire to be and to which they display a leaning - such as project manager, business analyst and developer - and are assigned a mentor to lead them through the process. There is also a strong concentration on soft skills around the roles. These include business etiquette, presentation skills and conflict resolution.
Naicker has a colourful past. He was banned by the apartheid government from entering educational institutions for a five-year period in the late 1970s. Then, while studying to be a teacher, he was appointed Student Representative Council president at the Transvaal College of Education in Johannesburg for 1976 and 1977. He was detained just before his final-year exams, without being able to write a single paper. He was never given permission to resit his exams.
The requirements for his appointment included experience at a senior management/director level; a good knowledge of the BEE landscape; and strong personal relationships in government, the State Information Technology Association and other such groups.
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