NEW BPESA WESTERN CAPE MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE AND MANAGEMENT CHANGES
- October 4, 2017
The Board of Directors at BPESA Western Cape has initiated structural changes in response to changes in market conditions and needs.
These structural changes are currently being implemented and are planned to take effect by the end of the year.
As a conclusion to the implemented changes, the Board of Directors has now decided on BPESA Western Cape’s future structure.
Gareth Pritchard will step down as CEO. Gareth’s role in investor promotion will be taken up primarily by resources which will be made available by the new National BPESA organisation – a separate document will follow this communique outlining BPESA National’s restructuring. In summary, a transition committee has been established to review BPESA National’s vision and value proposition and to implement a new structure suited to the current and future requirements of the various stakeholder groups. The Western Cape Board has been promoting the repositioning of BPESA National and is well represented in all of the working groups associated with this initiative. In particular, the Western Cape Board supports developing a Supply (“Skills”) and Demand Side (“Marketing”) value proposition and notes the shift in focus in recent years from marketing to skills.
With effect from 1 August 2018 Melissa Wippenaar, previously responsible for local marketing, has taken on a position outside BPESA. The Western Cape Board is currently working with Wesgro and the City of Cape Town to find a solution which would enable BPESA to tap into existing investment promotion and marketing resources at Wesgro and the City of Cape Town. BPESA is a strong brand and will continue to be prominent in marketing engagement.
A new manager will be recruited to take responsibility for the increasing number of skills initiatives in the region. This person will have the right combination of competences and experience to deal with an ever-changing skills environment and, alongside the investor promotion counterpart, will ensure that there is alignment with the BPESA National strategy. In this context the team at BPESA Western Cape will continue to give support to the National organisation and, where required, to other regions.
To achieve more efficiency at Board level, additional structural changes have been agreed: the size of the current Board is to be reduced; the role and influence of the EXCO committee is to be strengthened; a new “Offshore Advisory Group” is to be established where it is hoped that all offshore investors will participate.
Updated outlook
Given the above, the Board of Directors expects BPESA Western Cape to continue its job creation growth (approximately 12% year on year increase) and to develop a more focussed strategy around skills so that a sustainable talent pipeline is guaranteed.
I would like to take the opportunity to thank Gareth Pritchard for his contribution to job creation in the Western Cape. The BPO sector has flourished under Gareth’s leadership. During his tenure more than 15,000 jobs were created. Gareth was also pivotal in renewing support from the Provincial Government of the Western Cape as well as the City of Cape Town. We wish him well in the next phase of his journey and thank him for his tireless commitment as CEO of BPESA Western Cape