Page 16 - 100 years of Anglo American

Nompumelelo ‘Mpumi’ Zikalala Deshnee Naidoo Leon Coetzer
lighter stop blocks without compromising on My career was a totalling R35 billion, that still make up a
their effectiveness. large chunk of Anglo American’s scorecard.
There are many other examples that exist series of tailor- Then came Carroll. A meeting with
around how other De Beers businesses have ‘‘ made solutions. I Carroll’s then executive assistant led to an
been reviewing their processes to drive offer for another new career: being the
inclusivity. am who I am CEO’s right-hand person.
“We have great people. Our gender equity “Picture this scene. I said yes on the
and inclusion journey is led by our group because of this Wednesday. My youngest was 18 months old.
CEO, Bruce Cleaver, who keeps emphasising journey and, in I went back the next day and said: ‘No, I
that inclusion is a business imperative. can’t take it because it would mean
Deshnee Naidoo, another Anglo American many ways, I am relocating to London,’” says Naidoo.
bursar, is now CEO of Vedanta Zinc paying this “Carroll, being a mother as well, loved my
International – a unit of Indian resources explanation and asked to see me.”
giant Vedanta with operations in South forward in my Naidoo became the South African
Africa, Namibia and Ireland. She is also the current role executive assistant to the CEO, liaising with
CEO of copper mines in Tasmania and the CEOs of subsidiaries and crafting the
Australia. DESHNEE NAIDOO big boss’ notes for results briefings.
“Interestingly, the zinc operations were “What Cynthia did for me was just
acquired by Vedanta from Anglo American incredible; you got a bird’s eye view of
in 2010,” she says. Anglo American. What was important was
“I think the role Anglo American has to maintain relationships, to be a problem
played to shape the industrialists we have solver, and to ensure that, while you
seen is often forgotten.” zigzagging career. represented the CEO, you did not assume
In 1994, Naidoo, who is from Phoenix in Feeling that the pace of the refinery the mantle of authority.
KwaZulu-Natal, got a bursary from the old project was too slow, Naidoo asked for “In many ways, the role requires that you
JCI, which was soon to be unbundled to something with “more regular results”, and are invisible.
create Anglo American Platinum. was teamed up with another “born and bred “When I left, I took up the chief financial
A reputation for hierarchy and tradition bursar”, Leon Coetzer, who is now CEO of officer position at Anglo American Coal SA.”
did nothing to inhibit Naidoo’s very Jubilee Platinum. From there, Vedanta hired Naidoo.
“atypical” career trajectory within the group. They created a company-wide process “To the outside world, Anglo American
She arrived at her first job after graduation control engineering unit, where Naidoo says looked like a very traditional company, so
as a process engineer at Anglo American they trained neural networks to optimise people can’t believe I did all this inside it.
Platinum’s Precious Metals Refinery in milling long before artificial intelligence “I never had an uncomfortable meeting
Rustenburg – she was 22 and newly married. became popular. where men were shouting. It was a
“Very soon into that first year, the “The company transcended every gentleman’s environment,” Naidoo says.
distance was not working out. The first boundary. I took it upon myself to meet the “This was not formal, it was not policy,
thing they tried was to bring my husband to chief financial officer of Anglo American but the respect and care was there so your
Rustenburg, which he did not want to do,” Platinum at the time, and asked for a role line manager had the power to provide
she says. in the corporate finance team.” tailor-made solutions. My career was a
Instead, Naidoo’s manager found her a job Again, Anglo American provided her with series of tailor-made solutions. I am who I
at head office in Johannesburg, where she a job doing something completely different. am because of this journey and, in many
would plan the expansion of the same In finance, Naidoo worked in a team that ways, I am paying this forward in my
refinery. This was to be the first move in a oversaw landmark BEE transactions, current role.”
16 ANGLO AMERICAN 100 YEARS