Exodus at Dimension Data
Several senior executives at Dimension Data will be leaving the company at the end of the month including co-founder Jeremy Ord and Bruce Watson, who joined the company the year after it was founded.
Head of Communication Pearl Mngomezulu confirmed the departures, together with the departures of long-serving executives Saki Missaikos, John van der Vyver, and Steve Nathan.
After 38 years at the company, Ord is looking forward to the next phase of his life after his contract ends on 30 June 2021, Mngomezulu told MyBroadband.
TechCentral reported that the departure of executives is linked to a failed management buyout.
In 2019 Bloomberg reported that senior managers at Dimension Data were planning a buyout of some of the South African IT services company’s operations from its owner, NTT.
Japanese telecom giant NTT acquired Dimension Data for 2.1 billion British pounds in 2010.
The executives are approaching lenders and investors to raise cash for a possible deal for Dimension’s Africa and Middle East operations.
The transaction would have resulted in re-listing Dimension Data on the JSE. Dimension Data’s management would also take control of Internet Solutions.
Last year Internet Solutions, along with Systems Integration, Britehouse, and ContinuitySA, were absorbed into its brand.
The executives leaving Dimension Data, as confirmed by the company are:
- Jeremy Ord — co-founder and executive chairman
- Bruce Watson — joined in 1984, was serving as a group executive
- Saki Missaikos — chief corporate finance officer, former MD of Internet Solutions
- John van der Vyfer — group commercial director
- Steve Nathan — director for the Middle East and Africa
- Ed Gassner — executive for intelligent business applications, former managing executive of Britehouse
According to TechCentral, sources indicated that Gassner departed the company before the other executives.
Mngomezulu could not immediately confirm whether other staff had also resigned from Dimension Data.
Dimension Data statement on executive departures
The leaders have made great contributions to our business over the years; they have been instrumental in many ways to the success of the company to date. We wish them the best in their next endeavours.
In May, NTT Ltd, our parent company, increased its commitment to the MEA region. The decision to remain invested in Dimension Data was driven by the company’s belief that the MEA region is of strategic importance to the company’s vision and also represents a substantial growth opportunity.
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