BSG, a technology consulting firm, announced yesterday that prominent businessman Mteto Nyathi has been appointed as its new executive chairperson as it seeks to scale up both locally and abroad.
Nyathi now owns 40% of the company.
In a statement, BSG said Nyathi would take over the role of chairperson from founder Greg Reis, and would work closely with its executive team to scale the consulting firm’s impact and grow market share.
BSG, an unlisted firm, describes itself as having built a solid foundation in the local market and in the UK. It helps leading brands in financial services and healthcare sectors solve business problems and drive lasting change. Some of its clients have been with the business since 1997, it said.
In an interview with Business Report yesterday, Nyathi, a former CEO of Altron, MTN South Africa, who sits on many boards, including recently Eskom, said he decided to join BSG because of the culture of the company.
“When I announced that I was leaving Altron, I was very clear that I was going to do something different from the normal – the overall set-up I’ve done in the past. I wanted to be part of an organisation that is very much around people, instead of companies that sell products or software. It needed to be a people-based business,” he said.
Nyathi said his role in the company as the chairperson would be to work closely with the company’s CEO, Jurie Schoeman, on the company’s strategy.
“My role here is going to support the team when it comes to growth strategy. That would help BSG to move beyond the sectors that they are already operating in. There are also opportunities to grow internationally, and as someone who has led international organisations, this is something that I’m going to be creating here.
“As we grow the business, we also need to have processes that support that growth to make sure that we do not depend on individual systems that are the protecting organisation,” he said.
Nyathi said BSG had a strong balance sheet and it would be leveraging on it.
Outgoing BSG chairperson Reis said, while the firm had been in business for 25 years and had grown steadily year-on-year, now was the time to take BSG to the next level.
“Mteto has come on board at the right time to guide us strategically as we scale locally and internationally to increase our presence,” he said.
On taking a stake in BSG, Nyati said that he was at a stage in his life where he wanted to leave a legacy.
“I wanted to invest in a business that is concerned with more than just profits, a business that cares, a business that is making a difference, and a business that is bringing about positive change in society.
“BSG ticks all of these boxes,” he said.
BUSINESS REPORT