Sabine Dall’Omo: Breaks boundaries in male-dominated profession

High flier Sabine Dall’Omo thrives on challenges.

Regarded as one of Africa’s most influential woman in engineering, the Siemens chief executive officer (CEO) for southern and eastern Africa has consistently put her best foot forward and broken boundaries in a male-dominated sphere.

Not only does Dall’Omo oversee more than 100 businesses, she is also the president of the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry and serves as board chair of Siemens Nigeria and Siemens South Africa’s employee share ownership programme.

In additional to this, the ever-busy Dall’Omo also holds board positions at the German-Africa Association and the Impilo Consortium.

When she is not sitting at strategic board meetings, she still finds time to fly her own aircraft to enjoy an aerial view of Soweto and other areas around Joburg.

To get a moment in Dall’Omo’s busy diary for an interview, it has to be strictly timed and set up in advance, because she could be preparing to board the next flight out of the country.

“I am responsible for 24 countries on the African continent, constantly travelling, and have set up a flexible time management regime,” says Dall’Omo.

With over 25 years of experience, she has worked tirelessly to push the continent forward in terms of encouraging the advancement of science and technology by ensuring that “innovative ideas are harnessed into tangible solutions for society”.

Her role model is Siemens president and CEO Joe Kaeser, who was part of a group of heavyweight captains of industry who were in South Africa recently on a visit with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

“I have worked under very inspiring women bosses who were very motivational to me. But Siemens president and CEO Joe Kaeser, whom I had a pleasure to welcome to South Africa during the visit of the German chancellor, played a huge role in shaping and sharpening my strategic focus as a business leader,” Dall’Omo says.

Dall’Omo also has a passion for aviation.

“It is always gratifying when I hop into my single-engine Piper aircraft to see the beautiful views of Africa, which include Soweto,” she says.

To learn about the continent’s different fabrics and textiles, she frequents craft markets when travelling extensively on business.

On her travels, she is also on a crusade to promote the Proudly South African brand, something she strongly believes corporates should encompass in their daily operations.

Siemens has been present in South Africa for many years, contributing to the economy. “As an international company, we have been investing in South Africa’s economy by introducing our latest technologies into the industries we operate in, purchasing goods locally and investing in local manufacturing facilities,” says Dall’Omo.

Among Dall’Omo’s achievements in South Africa, she is proud that Siemens has achieved a BBBEE scorecard in its ownership structure, “with a responsible company supplier development plan, an employee share ownership programme and learnerships for the youth”.

Coming through the ranks of Siemens, she has worked hard and distinguished herself to rise up to the top of her illustrious career. Before climbing up the corporate ladder, she attained her higher commercial certificate from Heinrich-Thoene College in 1985 and did vocational training at Siemens Germany between 1986 and 1989.

She took on the responsibility of commercial officer: accounting services and shortly thereafter commercial officer: sales, until 1995.

Her path at Siemens led her to California in the US, where she was a financial analyst for Siemens Rolm Communications, after which she returned to Siemens Germany as a senior financial officer: corporate planning and controlling.

In 1998, she became commercial manager for a Siemens’ Automation and Drives business in Germany, a position she held for over three years.

Later, she progressed to commercial manager for the Siemens Automation and Drives Office in Shanghai, China, until 2004.

Dall’Omo joined Siemens SA in 2004 as head of risk and controlling, mergers and acquisitions. She remained in this role until 2008 when she took over the commercial responsibilities for Siemens Healthcare.

In 2012, she was appointed chief financial officer of the Siemens Cluster Africa and two years later became CEO of Siemens southern and eastern Africa.

She spends her leisure time listening to classical music, with artist Dean Martin among her favourites.

– brians@citizen.co.za

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