GET TO KNOW...
On the lighter side of things, we ask the
industry experts what makes them tick. . . .
Brandon Bekker,
Managing Director, Mimecast MEA
What would you describe as your
most memorable achievement? opportunity I had to move into this industry
and I’ve never looked back.
There are a few, but in my professional life
I would have to say being appointed as
Managing Director of Mimecast Middle East
and Africa in March 2013. What style of management
philosophy do you employ with
your current position?
At that stage I had been with the company for
nearly six years as the sales director and had
watched the organisation grow from a tiny
start-up to being a well-known, global brand.
When I took over I was presented with the
exciting challenge of growing our footprint
in this region. We are now an established
brand in South Africa and our expansion
into the UAE has been a huge part of my
journey as MD.
In my personal life it would be being
picked for the Western Province rugby
team in South Africa in 1998. I love sport
and especially rugby, so this was a huge
achievement for me and I have such fond
memories of this period in my life.
What first made you think of a
career in technology?
My late father was in tech so I naturally had
an interest in it from a young age. While I
didn’t get a degree in anything ICT-related,
I guess I always knew that I would land
up in this space as I always recognised the
enormous opportunities presented by this
extremely exciting sector. I grabbed the first
www.intelligentcio.com
I am present, walk the floors and try to get
to know everyone in the organisation. I
am hands-on and immersed in all areas of
the business. I set clear goals and priorities
“
that everyone can understand and execute
against. I encourage effective teamwork
but, more importantly, I acknowledge that
all team members need to feel empowered,
no matter what level they’re at. It’s for this
reason that I have an open-door policy as I
want my colleagues to feel they can come to
me for advice or to discuss various matters.
This hopefully helps them learn and grow. I
also expect all leaders to develop their teams
. . . BEING
PICKED FOR
THE WESTERN
PROVINCE RUGBY
TEAM IN SOUTH
AFRICA IN 1998.
I LOVE SPORT
AND ESPECIALLY
RUGBY, SO THIS
WAS A HUGE
ACHIEVEMENT
FOR ME.
INTELLIGENTCIO
99