{"id":232187,"date":"2017-10-11T15:31:29","date_gmt":"2017-10-11T13:31:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/?p=232187"},"modified":"2017-10-11T15:32:51","modified_gmt":"2017-10-11T13:32:51","slug":"one-man-can-make-a-difference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/business\/232187-one-man-can-make-a-difference.html","title":{"rendered":"One man can make a difference"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Mark Barnes announced<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0he would take over as CEO of the SA Post Office, many questioned whether he had lost his marbles.<\/p>\n

Barnes is a respected businessman, having served as deputy MD of Standard Merchant Bank, CEO of Brait SA Limited, and executive chairman of the Purple Group.<\/p>\n

As a major shareholder in the JSE-listed Purple Group, Barnes did not take a job at the Post Office because he needed the money.<\/p>\n

This raises the question: Why did he decide to lead the Post Office, considering it was fraught with financial mismanagement?<\/p>\n

In fact, before Barnes took over, the situation was so bad the government put the enterprise under administration.<\/p>\n

The reason is that Barnes wanted to make a difference and was willing to use his expertise to turn the organisation around.<\/p>\n

Instead of sending in a CV for the job, Barnes submitted a business plan which showed how the government, business, and labour could work together to fix the Post Office.<\/p>\n

He did not view the Post Office as another failed state-owned enterprise with unsurmountable problems, but rather as a great asset which could become a profitable company.<\/p>\n

Growth<\/h3>\n

The first step for Barnes was to ensure the company grew, which gives its employees a reason to come to work and do a good job.<\/p>\n

He believes the Post Office can compete effectively against private companies and is working to make this happen.<\/p>\n

Over the past 21 months, Barnes has achieved a great deal to turn the institution around – as illustrated through the gains in its last financial year.<\/p>\n