Hans Horn, MD of Lexmark International SA, will leave Lexmark, but will not join the brain-drain. Horn, a Dutch national, decided to leave Lexmark after 12 years, but after spending the last five years in South Africa, Horn is staying put.
"My family and I have come to love South Africa," says Horn, "and I have had a very fulfilling five years here with Lexmark, but I see so much more opportunity and so much more to be done that I'm not going anywhere else!"
Horn arrived in August 2002 with an initial 2.5-year contract. His mission: to re-engineer the newly acquired Venture Computer distribution operation into a fully-fledged Lexmark subsidiary.
Six months into his tenure in early 2003 he announced Lexmark's BEE programme, "Siyaphambili". Horn always has his eye firmly fixed on the future. He says: "The problems of the past are distractions - you have to look forward, to the opportunities coming down the line, and it was clear that an honest and transparent BBE strategy had to be our top priority."
With Lexmark's BEE strategy firmly entrenched by the end of 2004 and the company turnaround and streamlining completed, it was mission accomplished for Horn, but he was determined to build on what had been achieved.
After extensive discussion with Lexmark corporate management, who wanted him to return to run the Benelux subsidiary, Horn made his case for staying on, to accelerate the business and broaden its focus to include the whole of sub-Saharan Africa.
The next two years saw Horn's vision vindicated as Lexmark SA achieved huge growth in its overall business, and established Lexmark as a brand in market segments where it had never been represented before, such as government and parastatals.
The end of 2006 was decision-time again for Horn. "My family and I all wanted to stay in South Africa - we love living here, we've made many great friends, and professionally there is no place I would rather be. I want to be part of South Africa's future, and I believe I have something to offer my new home."
Horn says he has a several options he is evaluating in the corporate world, as well as in new business ventures, explaining there have been dramatic changes in the South African market in the last five years, changes that have created exciting opportunities for growth and new ventures.
He concludes: "Never mind the negatives and legacies of the past - there is a vibrancy in the economy, an energy that is going to fuel still more growth. This is a perfect time for new initiatives."
For further information, please contact Louisa Craig at telephone (011) 244 2650; fax (011) 244 2629; e-mail louisa.craig@lexmark.co.za.
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Lexmark International (NYSE: LXK) provides businesses and consumers in more than 150 countries with a broad range of printing and imaging products, solutions and services, helping them to be more productive.
In 2005, Lexmark reported $5.2 billion in revenue and employed more than 13 000 people globally. Learn how Lexmark can help you get more done at www.lexmark.com.
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