Testimonials

Creative Brands

1. Please give a brief overview of your business and what it does.
Creative Brands is an e-commerce corporate gifts supplier.

2. How did you hear about the FD Centre?
From our appointed accounting and auditing company.

3. When did you take on the services of the FD Centre?
In October 2016.

4. In what areas did your company need the most help?
We needed stability and consistency in the finance department as we had experienced difficulty in finding a permanent FD that was a good fit.

5. How was the part-time FD able to help?
Dean has helped by streamlining systems and establishing a project plan. The finance team is now operating well and smoothly independently of regular leadership.

6. How much time does the part-time FD spend at your premises?
Originally three days a week; currently four hours one morning a week.

7. How has the intervention from the FD Centre changed your day-to-day operations personally?
I have many people reporting to me and all the dynamics of the manager-employee relationship to consider, but with Dean the dynamic is more independent, objectives are clear and I don’t have to constantly oversee this resource.

8. What is the greatest value the part-time FD has added to your business?
Better management of long-term cash flow.

9. Why is a part-time FD a good solution for your business, as opposed to a full-time FD?
For the current maturity of our business, it makes more sense financially to pay a part-time resource than a full-time FD. We’ve also found that the FD Centre provides versatility as placements have had experience in a variety of companies, and they are able to focus on different things as and when needed.

10. In the future, what role do you see the part-time FD playing in your business? Are you looking at a long-term engagement?
We are considering increasing the FD Centre commitment as we look more at strategic planning for the future of our business.

Nicholas Markovitz - Managing Director

Alexander Forbes Group Services

Alexander Forbes is a JSE-listed financial services group with its head office in Sandton, and business interests in Africa and Europe. Alexander Forbes offers integrated retirement, investment, life and insurance solutions to create, grow and protect wealth and assets.

My division is responsible for the financial reporting of the Alexander Forbes group. Earlier this year, as we were heading into our year end, one of my key people was promoted to another division. Facing a resource gap, it was perfect timing that Hylton Surat from the FD Centre contacted our CFO to see if our company could make use of the FD Centre’s services. They placed Lynn Preece with us on a full-time basis for three months.

Lynn’s experience was exactly what we needed for the preparation of our 2016 annual financial statements. She got on top of our processes very quickly and produced quality financial reports with great attention to detail. Lynn’s personality and leadership skills made for a pleasant working relationship, as she related well to the staff and also played a mentoring role.

With Lynn so capably filling the gap, I was able to oversee the year-end process more effectively without having to focus on every detail. It eased the pressure for me in what is typically an extremely pressurised period.
I would definitely consider using the services of the FD Centre again should we need another short-term placement in the future.

Bruce Bydawell: Financial Director, Alexander Forbes Group Services

Prime Product Manufacturing

Mike Rigby
CEO

1. Give a brief introduction of yourself and your business.

I am the CEO of Prime Product Manufacturing; a company which focuses on manufacturing cosmetics, toiletries and models. As third-party manufacturers, we sell our products to retailers or multi-level marketing companies: our job is to take a brief for a new product, fill that brief and sell the resulting product to clients so that they can sell it on to their customers. Our business is an integrated model that involves several aspects, from customer service to research and development, production and costing. We have been running for several years and employ 250 people.

2. Describe your business before The FD Centre got involved and some of the issues that have been addressed since the Principal’s involvement in your business (describe your experience with The FD Centre).

I first heard about The FD Centre when I received a cold call, asking if I would like to hear about their services. A company our size doesn’t necessarily require a full-time financial director, but we still need someone to oversee our daily challenges. The FD Centre’s services fitted our needs exactly.

3. What value do you feel that The FD Centre / Principal has brought to your business during their time working with you?

Our Principal’s contribution is invaluable. Because he operates in various capacities across several different industries, he has accumulated a wealth of insight and experience.

4. Talk about the relationship you have with the Principal you are working with/have worked with.

Our relationship with Burgert Blom stretches back several years. We’re impressed by how well he has come to know our company. This knowledge has been cultivated through his practise of attending our quarterly meetings.

5. What impact has the Principal / The FD Centre made on your business?

One of the areas where his contribution has been most valuable is supplementing the skills that are lacking in our own company, because of its size. Burgert has obviously developed a sound understanding of business processes thanks to his vast exposure, and he has applied this to our own company so that we have a better understanding of our own operations and areas for improvement.

6. How has the Principal supported and developed your Finance Team during their time with you?

Burgert is currently training and mentoring one of our staff members who is being groomed for a financial position. Although she has all the required competencies and qualifications and is already involved in the financial management of the company, his input is a great help in ensuring she has the relevant skills and knowledge. We have found his role in this skills transfer especially helpful.

7. In closing, would you recommend the The FD Centre and the Part-time Finance Director offering?

Yes, especially if yours is an organisation where certain skills are missing (for example, if your Financial Director post is suddenly vacant and you need to fill the gap before you find a replacement). The FD Centre’s team is able to slot in quickly.

Imperial Health Sciences

Tjaart van der Walt
Financial Director

Imperial Health Sciences is a leading pharmaceutical warehouse, distributing in South Africa and Africa on behalf of multinationals and other pharmaceutical manufacturers. The company started in 2000 and was part of the RTT group before being bought by Imperial Group at the beginning of 2013.

As the financial director of Imperial Health Sciences, I look after the commercial side of the entire business. In 2010 we took on the services of the FD Centre. Our Africa division, also known as the Imperial Health International division, was growing rapidly with extensive expansion into Africa. We needed somebody in a senior position to manage the division’s finances.

Bruce Milne from the FD Centre came on board, initially for three days a week, and provided all the financial oversight and detail that the division needed in terms of accounting, controls, reporting and strategy. He did such a good job that we ended up employing him on a full-time basis. We could have gone the route of hiring somebody at a lower level but then they would have needed a lot of coaching. It was enormously valuable for us to be presented with a person of the right calibre – Bruce had all the necessary experience and insight to take charge from day one.

I would definitely recommend the FD Centre to other companies. Bruce plays a vital role in the running of our Africa division and it gives me great peace of mind to have him as part of our team.

On The Dot

Paul Oosthuizen
CFO

What does your company do?
On The Dot is a logistics business which focuses exclusively on the media market segment, serving mostly group companies. As CFO I oversee the business performance management to ensure that we reach our financial goals and manage risk across the landscape.

What prompted you to take on an FD Centre FD?
When we took on the services of the FD Centre in 2012, the business was mature, and had to start a process of reinvention. I had joined the company after an ERP implementation didn’t go according to plan, and I was tasked with improving governance and controls. The finance team was stuck in the paradigm of ‘scorekeeper’ and so we had to regenerate and rebuild it into a ‘business partner’ function.

How has having an FD Centre FD specifically benefited your business?
We had three newly appointed finance managers (FMs) who were technically sound but lacked the experience necessary to manage and direct a team of finance specialists. Cliff Warren, the part-time FD from FD Centre sat alongside me to mentor the new FMs. He has created depth in the finance team, created perspective for the team and myself by acting as a sounding board, and added another dimension to our journey to excellence.

Without the FD Centre’s involvement it would have taken longer to rebuild the finance department. My own experience is supplemented and complemented by the FD Centre, and their role in our business is invaluable.

Sheraton Textiles

Saleem Mowzer
CEO

1. Please give a brief overview of your business and what it does.
Sheraton Textiles was established in 1919 and is a manufacturer of quality household linen and accessories. We supply many upper-end retailers in South Africa as well as major hotel and hospitality groups, and also cater for small independent businesses, boutique hotels and guesthouses.

2. How did you hear about the FD Centre?
I was referred to the FD Centre by a colleague who had used their services.

3. When did you take on the services of the FD Centre?
January 2018, until the end of July 2018.

4. In what areas did your company need the most help?
Our financial manager had resigned and was unable to work out his notice period, so we urgently needed someone to help on a short-term basis until we could make a permanent placement.

5. How was the FD Centre able to help?
They placed Kim Harrison with us who took on overall responsibility for the finance team. A qualified CA, she fitted in perfectly from day one. We were just commencing our annual audit, and she jumped into that straight away.

6. How much time did the part-time FD spend at your premises?
Kim was with us for four days a week.

7. How did the intervention from the FD Centre change your day-to-day operations?
I met with Kim regularly, often daily, and because of her calibre and competence, I was freed up significantly to meet my other objectives as CEO.

8. What was the greatest value the part-time FD has added to your business?
Kim is an outstanding individual. In her short time here she stabilised the finance function and earned tremendous respect from her colleagues. Her character, resilience, leadership, qualifications and experience made her an invaluable member of our team.

9. Why was the FD Centre placement a good solution for your type of business?
It meant engaging with a company that was reputable, and having the right person placed to fill the gap with immediate impact.

10. In the future, what role do you see the part-time FD playing in your business? Are you looking at a long-term engagement?
We would have loved to have employed Kim as our permanent financial manager, but her future is with the FD Centre. We have a new incumbent taking the role and Kim has arranged an exceptional handover, facilitating a seamless transition. Should we ever find ourselves needing a part-time resource again, we would definitely approach the FD Centre.