EDGE Evolve Yearbook 2013 | Page 13

Martin Ackermann Strategy and Business Development (Teacher) Curriculum: Various kind of bids – Africa tenders, project proposals, Requests for Tenders, Managed Services, Outsourcing, Assignments and Requests for Information Classmates: Vusa Nyathi, Molemo Mathabathe, Frances Jordaan, Herman Badenhorst, Charles Leeming and last, but not the least, Dave Sayer. Exercise: Procurement departments are becoming a strategic enabler to the implementation of BEE programs and targets. The result is that all business is coming out on tenders for procurement to control the spending to suppliers. This year we have completed various bids, commercial proposals and provided Edge with a way to approach the commercialisation of innovative ideas. Marks: All classmates successfully passed the Dave Sayer Business Unit Manager Edge Consulting (Teacher) final exam and graduated with honours. EDGE Consulting had a roaring start to the year, landing two popular portfolios in Vodacom and MTN. The class achieved this feat while not allowing their marks to slip in other subjects; well done, guys! We lost one of our mates, Sean Collins, to the Sales Game, but the reshuffle that saw Corne Lodewyckx, Johan Johst and Valerie Vaaltyn heading our groups in the Vodacom portfolio has put us in a strong position going forward. The latest addition to our curriculum, Wesbank, is growing in popularity and our invigilators are doing a sterling job overseeing it. The Managed Services portfolio is poised for explosive growth and we are eagerly looking forward to expanding aggressively in the New Year.