Leading South African management consulting firm, OIM Consulting has announced that it is extending its footprint beyond South African shores, as a new operation in Oceania opens its doors.
Former managing director of OIM Consulting’s South African operations, Arjen de Bruin, has been appointed group CEO as he relocates to Brisbane, Australia to head up the new offering, while former principal consultant and director Ben Nel – who has been with the company for almost 15 years – moves into the role of managing director at OIM Consulting South Africa.
De Bruin will continue to oversee South African sales and marketing while championing the company’s expansion into new mining markets beyond South African borders, with the company’s first port of call being Australia. Australia is considered one of the world’s top ten mining industries, with a mineral production volume of almost $28 billion.
De Bruin says that the learnings from OIM’s intellectual property and methodologies, which have been proudly researched and developed in South Africa, will be engaged to solve challenges in other markets.
“Each market is different and nuanced. There is no one-size-fits-all approach, and so we are adapting our proven methodologies to meet the unique needs and challenges of the Australian mining sector. Australia has a robust and well-developed local industry and makes use of advanced mining technologies, yet it still faces challenges on the people side of things – which is where we come in!”
This expansion coincides with the company’s recent unveiling of its new strategic positioning and pay-off line, ‘Refining Lives. Releasing Value’.
“This new positioning truly embodies who we are and what we do. While we are a people-centric consultancy, this doesn’t mean we are ‘soft’ or not results-driven – to the contrary! It means that we chase the hard numbers and productivity targets by focusing on the people – the mine’s supervisors and front-line leaders – who need to meet these targets, daily, on the ground. We capacitate operational leaders for success, equipping the individual with tools, sharpening skills, and positively influencing mindsets as part of our Supervisory Development Programme (SDP). This unlocks potential and increases performance, thus releasing value and enabling growth for our clients.
“We’re proud to have played a role in significantly shaping the South African mining industry over the past few years. We’ve not only helped our clients meet or surpass their targets by boosting operational efficiency, but we’ve also played a pivotal role in improving their organisational cultures and upskilling their people, unlocking value for all stakeholders.
“We are now excited to take this approach into new territories, enabling other markets to benefit from our proven, results-driven programmes. We believe that regardless of market or industry, real change will always start with your people,” concludes De Bruin.
