K
im is one of the newest staff members at First
Distribution, but she’s already making a big
impact. As regional sales manager for the most
economically active region in South Africa, she
shoulders no small amount of responsibility in
maintaining and increasing the sales across
the province.
“I am absolutely loving the challenge in my new role at
First Distribution” she states enthusiastically. “I am used to
being in control, however I find that in distribution we have
no control – once the quote is sent to the business partner (BP), we have to rely on them to close the deal. I am
encouraging ‘direct touch’ to the BP’s customers to have
better control, which is really about adding value by assisting to close the deal. Trust between distribution and BPs is
a priority, which results in complete transparency. We are
already realising positive results.”
27 years in the IT industry has not dimmed Kim’s passion
for customers and service, and more recently in her management roles, growing and developing people. Although
this is technically her first role working for a distributor, her
many years of reseller experience bring valuable insights
to First Distribution in her ability to understand the requirements and challenges of working with business partners.
As a woman in IT, Kim claims not to have experienced any
inherent disadvantage, claiming that “it is all about delivery no one can argue with delivery”. In her view, women should
not see themselves as being ‘a woman’. Rather, they
should take the view that they are business people doing
a job who just happen to be female, and not male. When
quizzed as to whether she has ever come up against sexist
attitudes in business, and felt discriminated against, Kim
affirms that she has not, mentioning that one merely needs
to remain professional at all times and not compromise on
personal values and ethics.
Kim also looks up to figures in the business world such as
Richard Branson and Steve Jobs, and quotes the advice of
two CEOs (both global companies) who were her
customers, namely:
1. In business you have no friends. When making difficult
decisions, stay out of the grey space, stay in the black &
white, stick to the facts and take the emotion out of
the decision.
2. If the people won’t change, then change the people.
3. I am nothing without my team. Together we succeed and
always give credit where credit is due.
4. Attitude is everything - with the right attitude, you will
always succeed.
Kim’s motto that she lives by is that she will not compromise
her integrity or her values, and maintains that it’s important
that one’s value system should be aligned to the company
that you work for.
When asked what advice she’d give to other women looking
to enter the IT/distribution industry, Kim’s response is
simple. “Go for it!” she says with a smile. According to her,
women are better equipped to deal with the complexities
of the industry and it’s not about the technology but rather
about the people and listening to them. “The secret to success is 80 % listening and 20 % talking” she says.
There is only
one way, and that’s
the right way, even
if it means walking
away from a deal
Being voted AWG Business Woman of the Year 2013 was
an unexpected honour for her as well, mentioning that “I do
what I do not for the recognition, but because I am passionate about people!”
As a wife and mother of three, Kim admits that juggling a
successful career with family life can be hectic at times but
states that her husband is very supportive, and that without
his support and understanding, coping would very difficult. She makes notes / reminders of everything and even
though her career is very important to her, she states that
her family will always take priority.
Kim’s ambition at First Distribution is to grow and develop
her team, which will result in increased revenue and profits
within all the brands that First Distribution take to market.
“I want First Distribution to be the best value added distributor by being our BPs’ trusted advisor” she says. “We have
the capacity, the people, the attitude, and we will succeed
together as a team. We are a distributor and will never
cross the line and sell directly to the end user, but rather
enable the BP by working together in line with their strategy
and goals.”
“My personal goal is to have all my team members reach
their full potential by not being afraid to challenge me or any
situation in a professional manner. By making mistakes but
learning from them, not being afraid to engage at any level
and understanding personal weakness and strengths, I
believe this can be achieved.”
19 | www.firstdistribution.co.za