New GM takes the helm at Sappi
His childhood lessons were reinforced over the two decades of his Sappi journey.
NGODWANA – Following the well-deserved retirement of Sappi Ngodwana’s former general manager, SW Engelbrecht, Naresh Naidoo introduced himself as the new GM to various stakeholders last week.
The meet-and-greet included a tour of the mill, as Sappi understands its integral part in the community and sharing its business with them.
“For a mill like Ngodwana to flourish, it needs not only a thriving workforce and a healthy, prosperous community, but also a country in which all stakeholders have a shared vision and work towards a common goal,” Naidoo said during the meeting.
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He has been the mill’s general manager for only two months now, but already has a definite blueprint for expanding its footprint. It is little wonder he hit the ground running. Naidoo cut his teeth on hard work. Growing up in Durban, he spent his formative years alongside his dad, an entrepreneur with a strong work ethic.
“I come from a family with deep roots in business. My father spent his life growing his business and encouraged me to join him on weekends and during holidays. The time spent at his side allowed me to develop a sound business ethic.
“You need to put in the effort and time if you want to succeed in life.
“It is there that I learned the importance of knowing your customer and delivering value-added service as opposed to simply focusing on sales,” said Naidoo.
His childhood lessons were reinforced over the two decades of his Sappi journey. “I have observed some great leadership in Sappi from people who have shown again and again that success only comes through hard work and consistency.”
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The Ngodwana corporate family can expect a leader who thinks before he speaks. “How you communicate is often more important than what you communicate,” he said, of another leadership lesson he has taken to heart.
As a chemistry-loving youngster, he was drawn to the oil and energy sector. “If Sappi had not plucked him up after he had completed his BSc in chemical engineering, Naresh could have followed a very different career path,” said Sappi’s communication manager, Elsabé Coetzee.
Serendipity may have had a hand in choosing his field of work, but there is little doubt that Naidoo has found his niche. “Tremendous opportunities exist within Sappi, especially for chemical engineers.
I have been able to grow – first as an engineer, then as a manager and finally as a leader,” he said.
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A lover of the outdoors, Naresh feels blessed to have the Kruger Park on his doorstep and intends spending wonderful family time there.
“I look forward to continuing the Sappi tradition of community development. As a responsible corporate citizen, our focus remains on the needs of the communities surrounding our operations.”
