She may only be T-Systems` acting CEO, for now, but her plan to turn it into a R1 billion company over the next few years is for real MARDIA van der Walt" rel=tag>van der Walt-Korsten is not your typical ICT-company CEO. She`s just taken over the helm at T-Systems as acting CEO, with some 600 employees in her charge and a R650 million turnover to build on. Yet, she`s a trained clinical psychologist with a specialisation in change management.

"I`m not a blue-blooded ICT person, but the value I bring to the organisation is my ability to integrate, to get people to work together across business silos towards a common goal," she explains.

This goal includes driving T-Systems towards R1 billion in turnover in the next few years.

Four-pronged strategy

Just how does she intend doing this? Her strategy is fourfold: firstly, by focusing on bringing in a steady stream of "big deals" from new clients; secondly, by retaining current customers; thirdly, by delivering innovative solutions, and, lastly, by employing top-quality people.

Van der Walt-Korsten, an eight-year-old T-systems veteran who replaces retired Wolfgang Jakob, initiated her focus on "big deals" when she assumed the role of deputy CEO and its accompanying sales directorship function in February.

"To achieve the kind of growth we`re targeting, one or two really big deals, that is R150 million-plus, per year across all delivery units, is critical," she indicates.

Realigning its go-to-market sales strategy earlier this year already, Van der Walt-Korsten ensured that T-Systems marketed its ability to deliver an end-to-end value proposition across its ICT services spectrum, which includes the computing services, systems integration and telecoms delivery units.

Van der Walt-Korsten notes that without high-quality staff and innovative solutions, T-Systems won`t be able to achieve its goals of winning big new business and retaining existing clients.

"We`re a multinational company, investing in research to get to know our target markets, but ultimately this knowledge rests with our staff, and when we target an account, we have the right person focused on getting that business," she observes.

Although winning new business is difficult, retaining existing business is even more so, she adds.

An essential component in this focus is differentiating T-Systems from its competitors with quality staff. "In the end, we all offer similar solutions and services, but the ultimate differentiator from your competition is people; people who have the necessary experience and knowledge, and who grasp the business and its goals and its culture."

The big deals

In SA, its target markets are the financial services sector, which includes banking and insurance; the manufacturing sector, particularly the automotive industry; and the public sector.

"Our biggest opportunities rest in this final sector," she observes, referring to the handful of multimillion-rand tenders T-Systems is competing for at national department level and at parastatals.

Moreover, she points out that T-Systems leverages its international expertise as a global company. A good example of its international record is its involvement in the 2006 Soccer World Cup hosted in Germany. "We have a tremendous amount of knowledge to tap into in the development of IT and telecoms solutions and services for the 2010 Soccer World Cup in SA."

The head of T-Systems says the company is also keen to fill its project pipeline with more African deals.

The ace up its sleeve

T-Systems is most active in the outsourcing and telecoms space, and Van Der Walt-Korsten says that the recent R100 million investment from T-Systems International in SA to establish its Global Network is a case in point. "Now South African businesses can access the Deutsche Telekom Global Network with points of presence in over 125 international locations, a multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) backbone with 26 petabytes of IP traffic per month, over 2 000 access points in more than 50 countries and services delivered to over 300 licensed carriers, providing guaranteed connectivity to anywhere in the world, and linking corporate SA to the global market at a very competitive price."

"From a global point of view, we have a unique offering which enables us to compete with the big boys. We will grow tremendously in the telecommunications sphere in the next 12 to 18 months. We`ve already been awarded some nice size deals in this space," she reveals, referring to, among others, the R20 million second phase of a University of Cape Town networking deal.

"We started off in SA with an outsourcing offering, but it is only with deregulation of the telecoms industry that we`ve been able to truly leverage Deutsche Telecom as our parent company, and we`ve significantly strengthened our telecoms offering.

"Until now we`ve been the industry`s best-kept secret," quips Van der Walt-Korsten. "However, this status is set to change as T-Systems becomes an even more familiar name in the boardrooms and among the decision-makers of SA and beyond its borders."