07 March 2024
Jeremy Potgieter, regional director Africa, Eseye
Who was your hero when you were growing up?
I was a huge fan of Namibian sprinter, Frankie Fredericks. He was a trail blazer who combined considerable athletic ability with an unmatched work ethic, leading him to have an impressive career.
Going from winning the silver in 1992, to placing third 12 years later in Athens is a remarkable achievement, especially considering he set a world-record for 200m along the way. Fredericks demonstrated that anyone who works hard can belong, regardless of your background.
What was your big career break?
It would have to be my first opportunity to work in the technology sector as a support desk agent.
This entry level experience gave me not only a good understanding of the technology concepts, but also a first-hand contact with customers to address their real world problems directly.
You learn the importance of empathy, get hands on experience on pain points and issues with user experience, and learn about the product in a way that theory alone does not give you. This in turn provided me with a true appreciation for good customer service, which has stayed with me throughout my career.
“I wanted to be a fighter pilot. Anyone who has seen Top Gun or read about The Battle of Britain will know the outsized role these people can play, and there is a lot to be learned from military strategy.”
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
I wanted to be a fighter pilot. Anyone who has seen Top Gun or read about The Battle of Britain will know the outsized role these people can play, and there is a lot to be learned from military strategy. Colonel John Boyd, one of the best fighter pilots in history, famously invented the OODA loop (observe-orient-decide-act), a model that is transferrable to technology business.
If you could dine with any famous person, past or present, who would you choose?
It would have to be Cat Stevens for me, I find his life story fascinating. He grew up in an immigrant family on London’s West End, listening to musicals from around the corner on Denmark Street. Then he went on to nearly die of tuberculosis, have a spiritual reawakening, become a major star who sold over 100 million records, convert to Islam and step back from the music he was famous for. There is definitely too much there to get through over dinner, but I would like to give it a shot.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
Listen to understand, not to respond.
All of the best leaders are careful listeners in my experience, even those with larger than life personalities. We can learn something from everyone we meet regardless of our age or experience, and that requires listening actively.
Too many people cue up their response while others are talking, rather than giving them their full attention.
“I would love to start a field hockey academy. Since an early age, I’ve been captivated by the spirit of field hockey. The exhilaration of the game, the camaraderie with teammates, and the thrill of competition have not only shaped my character but also given me the determination to excel both on and off the field.”
If you had to work in a different industry, which would you choose?
I would have to choose sports management. Sport has been a passion of mine from a young age and I’m fortunate enough to be able to pursue it alongside my professional life.
There are a lot of transferable leadership lessons, including around how to build, manage and contribute in a team environment. Camaraderie is particularly important in sport and in business, and I have transferred a lot of sporting lessons to my career.
It would be interesting to see whether I could do the same in reverse if I went into sport full time.
The Rolling Stones or the Beatles?
The Stones all day. They’re technically superior musicians. The Stones draw from Blues while The Beatles are closer to Pop music.
What would you do with £1 million?
I would love to start a field hockey academy. Since an early age, I’ve been captivated by the spirit of field hockey. The exhilaration of the game, the camaraderie with teammates, and the thrill of competition have not only shaped my character but also given me the determination to excel both on and off the field. Just as Frankie Fredericks has given back to the sport he loves as an administrator, I would like to do the same for my favourite sport.
What’s the greatest technological advancement in your lifetime?
The switch from dialup to dedicated data bearing access types like 2G, 3G and so on. For over a century we were only able to send data equivalent to the human voice across long distances. In a few short decades we have gone to 5G, where it’s possible to download the entire library of congress on a mobile connection in less than a day. We are still seeing the technological possibilities that result from this emerging, which makes the sector an extremely interesting one in which to work.
