October is a significant month at Proconics. It is when we commemorate the founding of our company. This year we celebrate 28 years of brilliance, creativity and excellence.

 

A birthday is a special time. It is much more than just an excuse to celebrate an anniversary of the passing of time. When we celebrate the birthday of a loved one, it’s a time of happiness and creating memories. We get a chance to connect. This is doubly true for us as an organisation. Proconics is a collection of brilliant people, pulling together to improve the world around us. Some – like Gert and Louis – joined this movement on day one. Some have come, contributed and then moved on to new challenges. Some joined us recently, and are still finding their feet. And some, like me, joined somewhere in the middle. I have found the energy and purpose infectious, and I firmly believe the next chapter will be even better.

 

As we take time to celebrate and reflect on this tremendous milestone – I am reminded of three quotes from Gibs’ founding dean and strategy professor - Nick Binedell. Firstly about strategy and leadership - “To lead you need a map and a mirror.” This mirror Nick speaks of emphasises how important it is to know and remember where you come from. Proconics was born right inside a department of Sasol. This history – along with 28 years of trials, failures and successes have positioned us uniquely for the South African energy transition.

 

The world today looks very different than it did two years ago, never mind 28 years ago. Nick’s second quote - “What you forget is as important as what you learn”- alerts us to the dangers of clinging on to the past, and not adapting to the realities of the world around us. If you read this and are thinking that the way we are doing things around here just doesn’t make sense, I urge you to speak up. Our systems are built around a commitment to continuous adaptation and improvement. This starts with you making us aware of room for improvement, or practices that are no longer serving us well.

 

We have a legacy that is deeply rooted in the traditional carbon energy landscape. We have honed our skills in improving and extending the life of complex industrial facilities. Today, the world is at a crossroads. We are transitioning from a traditional concentrated carbon economy – to one that will harness and use energy in a very different way. This transition will require a wide range of skills, many of which we’ve built up over the last 28 years. There is cause for tremendous excitement for the next decade – and I can’t imagine us being better positioned to play a meaningful role. This brings us to Nick's final quote – “the opportunity of a lifetime must be grabbed in the lifetime of the opportunity.”

 

Happy 28th birthday Proconics.

 

Sincerely,

Melvin Jones,

Proconics Group CEO.

 

 

#Proconics                                            #Proconics-International                          #ProGO                              #ProGOWear