judge me by (some of) the
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CASE STUDIES OF WORK CONDUCTED BY SDP&A OVER THE PAST DECADE

Note: South African spelling conventions have been used throughout.

This document is aimed at giving the reader a glimpse at the type and scale of interventions undertaken by Stef du Plessis and Associates over the past decade. You’ll learn who they are, what they do, who they have done it for, and what some of these clients have to say about the experience.

Great care has been taken to ensure that the following is a credible and true reflection of their track record... the only claims made are either direct quotes from credible, contactable sources, or statements of fact.

A Quick Introduction to Stef du Plessis and Associates

Stef du Plessis and Associates is a network of people development specialists who grow people at all levels. Together, they help client-organisations to achieve, and maintain a competitive advantage by facilitating higher levels of personal effectiveness, inspired leadership, and cohesive team-work at all levels. Over the past decade, they have helped organisations large and small to facilitate change; create a culture-by-design through Stef’s partnership with Steve Simpson, the creator of the UGRs® concept; improve safety; increase productivity and raise profitability – making yours “the best place to be” for all stakeholders.

The SdP&A team is made up of a core group of about ten associates, a number of whom are published authors. While minimum qualification on the team is a Masters degree in behavioral sciences, about half the team already hold a PhD’s, in addition to which there are two professors associated with the team.

The team is headed by Stef du Plessis, internationally recognised as a leading resource in understanding and stimulating human potential. Stef has worked with companies in North and South America, the UK, throughout Africa, and in the Middle and Far East, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. He holds a Masters degree in leadership, which he graduated Cum Laude.

One of SA’s most influential motivators.
--- THE COUNCIL ON EDUCATION IN MANAGEMENT (SOUTH AFRICA)


One of the world’s leading practitioners when it comes to teams and team leadership.
--- INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH (DUBAI)

Strategic Alliances

The bulk of their courses and programmes were developed under the auspices of, and are endorsed by, the University of Johannesburg - one of South Africa’s leading academic institutions.

They also have close strategic alliances with a global network of associates: all recognised experts in their chosen specialisation of organisational development practices.

Stef’s closest strategic alliance is his partnership with Australian based Keystone Management Services. Founder and current CEO, Steve Simpson, is an international consultant, speaker and author. He is also the creator of the “Unwritten Ground Rules”, or “UGRs®” concept, which over the past few years has helped many organisations across the world to facilitate significant shifts in organisational culture. A comprehensive range of UGRs® tools and processes have now been developed to improve on - and even manage - organisational culture, based on world-first research by the University of Western Australia and Curtin University of Technology, who joined forces with Keystone Management Services to undertake ground-breaking research to further explore the power of UGRs®, and to demonstrate how they impact in a fundamental way on delivery and outputs of every organisation.

What SdP&A Can Do For You

They make no exaggerated claims: but their track record confirms that their clients consistently earn an excellent return on their investment when contracting the services of Stef and his Associates.

The team is able to offer a seamless, end-to-end solution for people development, leadership evolution, and culture alignment in any organisation. Starting with a needs analysis, diagnostic & assessment phase, through strategy, into implementation and management, to arrive at a quality audit of the outcomes. This leads to enthusiastic teams who invest effort and energy because of the satisfaction, development and fulfillment that they get from the process... and it ensures long-term optimising of learning – thus validating the organisation’s time and fiscal investment. Solutions are customized to the unique needs of client-organisations, and interventions are not driven by a need to promote, justify or sell proprietary “off the shelf” applications. The outcomes have lead to pleasing “rave” reviews.

Stef du Plessis & Associates have worked, and continue to work, with the top teams of blue chip organisations around the globe.

Their range of services include:

  1. Keynote Speaking and Conference Workshops
    • Motivation, inspiration and hope
    • Change
    • Leadership
    • Teamwork
  2. Organisational Culture
  3. Strategic Facilitation
  4. Change initiatives
  5. People mobilisation programmes
  6. Leadership development programmes - supervisory through executive levels; one-day to one-year or longer
  7. Team development programmes - short workshops through to ongoing processes
  8. Culture alignment interventions

Who They Work For

Stef du Plessis and his associates have worked with governments; educational institutions ranging from schools to universities; and with companies from a host of sectors and of all sizes... within the healthcare industry, from pharmaceuticals to hospitals; extensively in mining; and in industry and even agriculture. Also extensively within the franchising environment. As an indication of their diverse client base, listed are just a few past clients (this is by no means an exhaustive client list – click here for a more comprehensive client list:

  • South African Airways - One of the world’s leading airlines
  • Royal Livingston Hotel, Zambia; Sabi-Sabi Game Reserve and Zimbali Lodge, South Africa - All world class resorts
  • Kentucky Fried Chicken – One of the world’s most recognized brand names
  • Avis - Global competitor in car rental
  • SA Defense Force, SA Police Services, and the Office of the Premier, Gauteng Provincial Government - Responsible for Johannesburg, Pretoria, and surrounding areas, the biggest metropolitan area in Africa
  • Bidvest - Conglomerate of diverse group of companies, employing some 60,000 people globally
  • Mital Steel – World’s largest steel producer
  • Barrick, AngloGold and Gold Fields – Three of the world’s leading gold producers

A Few Case Studies

Here is a glimpse at some of the initiatives and interventions undertaken by Stef and his associates in recent years, both attesting to their high level of competence, and giving some indication of their versatility.

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Keynotes and Workshops

  • As a KEYNOTE SPEAKER, and WORKSHOP LEADER, Stef du Plessis has been motivating teams, helping people cope with change, and teaching leadership principles to business leaders around the globe for the past fifteen years.

Stef kept the audience riveted for 5 hours - quite a feat! Sufficient coverage of the topic without clutter and unnecessary detail... extremely well balanced.
--- DEON VAN AS, General Manager, SABMiller - One of the world's leading brewers, with operations in 60 countries on 6 continents, and with a market value of circa £20 billion.

  • He has worked extensively with the UK-based Academy of Chief Executives... and during 2005/6, he was their most booked, and highest rated speaker.

You were ranked our top speaker. Well done!
--- PETER PRITCHETT, Group Chairman, Academy for Chief Executives, UK

  • Stef has spoken at many of the world’s A-list conferences and meetings – too many to mention here. Being invited to speak at the 2004 Million Dollar Round Table – MDRT - in the USA is at the top of the list. The MDRT is the world’s premier association for financial professionals with 28,000 members from 70 nations. This is arguably the world’s most coveted platform for professional speakers... and what makes this more remarkable is the fact that 2004 was his second appearance there - having presented a breakout session at the 1999 meeting. Only a very select handful of speakers in the world can boast an invitation to speak at the MDRT - even fewer ever get invited back. To date, Stef is one of only two South African full-time professional speaker ever to be invited to speak here... the other being Prof. Marius Barnard who was a part of the world’s first heart-transplant team. This clearly distinguishing Stef as being among the most sought after speakers in the world.

Stef du Plessis is one of the best speakers I have ever heard.
--- RICHARD SULLENGER, 2002/2003 PRESIDENT, MDRT

  • Stef has also enjoyed peer group recognition at the highest level globally. In 2007 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award for Speaking Excellence – voted for by his peers from throughout the South African speaking profession. During the same year he was a finalist for the Speaker of the Year Award, and he was the first recipient of the NSASA Award – South Africa’s highest award for professional speaking. He is one of only a handful of speakers in the world to have been invited to address his peers at speaker’s professional bodies globally - at home in South Africa, twice in the USA, in New Zealand, the UK, , Singapore, Dubai, and twice in Australia.

In my view, Stef is one of the top five speakers in the world today.
--- IAN BERRY, 2003/2004 PRESIDENT, National Speakers Association of Australia

Strategic Facilitation

  • As a FACILITATOR, Stef du Plessis has worked with many executive teams from household name brands. Among these is the Ellerine Holdings executive team. Ellerine is a SA Top 100 company... and is Southern Africa’s leading furniture brand, with almost 600 outlets in six countries. The test of a strategic plan lies in the results achieved from its implementation... and one year after this session, Stef received an unsolicited letter from the client. Following is a short extract...

Exactly a year has passed since the strategic session you facilitated for our directors. You were the catalyst who enabled our top echelon to identify the real issues facing our business. Your intervention was highly successful for both the company and us personally, and will continue to influence our strategies in the future. Thank you.
--- PETER SQUIRES, MD, ELLERINE HOLDINGS LIMITED

  • Stef was contracted by Ian Cockerel, then the CEO and President of Gold Fields Limited, to facilitate the 2002 annual strategic planning session for the executive committee. GFL is a global precious metals mining company, listed on the New York Stock Exchange, and is one of the world’s biggest gold producers, with operations throughout Africa, Australia, and South America.

There is no doubt in my mind that the pre-determined objectives of team-building, re-affirmation of our vision, and strategic preparation for the road ahead were substantially achieved. None of this would have been possible without your pragmatic handling of the process.
--- IAN COCKEREL, THEN PRESIDENT, GOLD FIELDS LIMITED

  • Stef works extensively for Barrick, Africa – and he facilitated their 2007 annual strategic planning session over three days. Barrick is the world’s pre-eminent gold producer, with 27 operating mines across five continents, and is actively exploring for gold in more than 15 countries around the world. Barrick has the gold mining industry’s strongest balance sheet, and is listed on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges. The Africa region consists of three operating mines and three projects.

After years of working with you, I didn’t think you could raise your game any higher... but somehow you did... again. This was by far the very best strategic session I have ever attended. You stuck to my brief in every way. The session was focused and to the point – I couldn’t have wished for a better outcome.
--- GARETH TAYLOR, EXECUTIVE GENERAL MANAGER, BARRICK AFRICA

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Organisational Change, Corporate Culture-by-Design Programmes and People Mobilisation Interventions

  • In terms of large scale, long term PEOPLE DEVELOPMENT INTERVENTIONS, Stef and his associates have also been recognised as industry leaders. One of their interventions in South Africa has had such a profound impact on employees at all levels that the behavioral changes transcended the confines of the workplace itself, impacting also on the local community at large - to the extent that it caught the personal attention of President Thabo Mbeki, who was so impressed with the “nation-building” potential of this intervention that he personally spent a day visiting the project!

This programme has nation-building potential.
--- THABO MBEKI, SOUTH AFRICAN PRESIDENT

  • During the early 90’s Stef facilitated a CULTURE-CHANGE INTERVENTION for SANLAM Properties, over a period of about one year. At that time SANLAM Properties was one of the largest property owners in Southern Africa.

My sincere thanks for - and congratulations on - your continuous involvement with our Senior Management team over the last year. At the outset we agreed that this was going to be a very difficult task... but looking back, I have no doubt whatsoever that it's been very successful. Your involvement has laid the foundation for the total culture change which I'm experiencing in the company today.
--- BANUS VAN DER WALT, MANAGING DIRECTOR, SANLAM PROPERTIES

  • In the mid 90’s Stef worked with the Avis sales team over a period of almost a year, focusing on TEAMWORK AND PERSONAL EFFECTIVENESS. Avis is the leading South African Car Rental Company.

Stef's focus on practical ways to enhance efficiency, along with his unique approach to team-building renewed our passion for excellence, and produced results!
--- WAYNE DUVENHAGE, OPERATIONS DIRECTOR, AVIS

  • One of Stef’s most significant successes to date was the ORGANISATIONAL RENEWAL PROCESS which he facilitated for Planet, over a period of three years during the late 90’s. At the time Planet was a joint venture owned by ABSA Bank, First National Bank, NBS Bank, Nedcor Bank & Standard Bank - South Africa’s five biggest banks. Planet has subsequently become Property24. The outcome of the intervention is best summed up by CEO Christo Wiid, who originally contracted Stef, and who continues to be at the helm of this organisation...

Stef made a major contribution in turning Planet around from a multi-million Rand per annum loss, to a profit, in less than three years. His programme kept staff morale high, and has built a motivated, enthusiastic and effective nation-wide team that understands and trusts each other.
--- CHRISTO WIID, CEO, PLANET (AT THE TIME A JOINT VENTURE BY ABSA BANK, FIRST NATIONAL BANK, NBS BANK, NEDCOR BANK AND STANDARD BANK)

  • Stef and his team have worked for Kentucky Fried Chicken in a number of different capacities. KFC is a franchise based operation, and SdP&A have worked for both the holding company, YUM!, at strategic level, as well as Kumnandi Food Company, (the biggest KFC franchise in Southern Africa). In terms of the work done for Kumnandi, Stef and his Associates worked with staff at all levels from ’95 to ’98. They developed and implemented a PEOPLE DEVELOPMENT programme for the workforce, while at supervisor and management level Stef presented a LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT programme consisting of fortnightly workshops over a period of three years. He also facilitated the annual strategic planning session for senior management on two occasions.

Stef has had a strategic alliance with us for the last 3 years. During this time he has helped us to develop the potential of top and middle management. He has also been a key player in the development of our human potential development programme for all employees. He is well accepted by all races of all ages and educational levels. He has the ability to simplify the most difficult concepts so that they are understood and taken to heart by semi-literate people, whilst he is at the same time able to connect intellectually with top management. This programme has laid the foundation for our way forward.
--- GIDEON MALAN, MANAGING DIRECTOR, KUMNANDI FOOD COMPANY (SOUTH AFRICA’S BIGGEST KFC FRANCHISE OPERATION)

  • During the late 90’s, AngloGold, one of the world’s largest gold producers, contracted SdP&A to facilitate a large-scale, long-term ORGANISATIONAL TRANSFORMATION PROCESS at Joel Mine, which then employed some 5,000 people. Stef and his team accepted a performance guarantee clause whereby AngloGold would appoint independent behavioral assessment specialists to monitor the progress of the intervention: and if specified objectives were not achieved, the contract would be terminated prematurely. Prof Riaan van Zyl and Dr Johan Coetzee, leading behavioral assessment specialists (then) from the University of Johannesburg, were contracted to measure a range of behavioral indicators that would measure the success of the programme. Their findings concluded beyond question that the intervention was a significant success, and that the efforts of Stef and his team supported the other initiatives put in place by the mine's management team towards the operational success at Joel Mine - to the extent that the programme was in fact extended. This was the first large-scale intervention undertaken by Stef and his team in the mining industry - in fact, this was one of the very first large-scale people development programmes of its kind in the South African mining industry as a whole. It has since become the benchmark for leadership development within the industry, and many other mines within the AngloGold stable, and even other mining companies, continue to model their leadership development initiatives on this intervention – the credit for which has to go to the then general manager of Joel Mine at that time, Gareth Taylor, whose courage and commitment to excellence made this intervention possible at a time when this type of people development intervention was unheard of. Mr. Taylor is now the Executive GM for Barrick Africa, and continues to contract Stef and his associates.

Stef and his team helped us redirect our leadership focus, thus enabling us to maintain production levels during some of the most trying times in the history of Joel Mine.
--- GARETH TAYLOR, THEN GENERAL MANAGER, JOEL MINE

  • Another PEOPLE MOBILISATION and LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT intervention undertaken by Stef du Plessis and Associates, and one of their most significant successes to date, has been for Gold Fields Limited (A global precious metals mining company, listed on the New York Stock Exchange). One of the world’s biggest gold producers, it has operations throughout Africa, Australia, and South America. SdP&A have worked within the group for more than a decade. One of their interventions was a people development programme at the Beatrix Division, which then employed about 12 000 people (Beatrix is one of the three mining divisions that make up GFL’s South African operations). Starting in 2000, this intervention saw SdP&A as an instrumental part of developing a life skill programme for the total workforce, and secondly in running a leadership development programme aimed at around 800 supervisors and managers. At supervisor level, delegates attended a one-week programme, while managers and executives attended a 15-module programme over a one-year period. The executive programme culminated in a two-week educational visit to Australia, where delegates attended an advanced executive development programme (presented in part by Stef’s business partner, Steve Simpson). This programme came to closure early in 2004, at which time the client purchased the rights to conduct ongoing in-house training under the banner of SdP&A to ensure ongoing maintenance training for the next five years. We believe this to be one of the largest people development initiatives ever undertaken in Africa by any single service provider.

Stef and his team have played an integral role in the development of our people at all levels. Without their help, it is unlikely that we would have managed to sustain our high levels of excellence on all fronts, during a particularly trying time in our industry.
--- DANA ROETS, THEN SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, GFL BEATRIX DIVISION

  • Mittal Steel (then Iscor) has employed Stef du Plessis and his associates in various capacities at their different operations over recent years. Specifically, they worked with the Flat Steel Plant during 2002, which at the time employed around 6 000 people. Stef and his team ran a LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME for their senior management and union leadership at the plant. The objective of the programme was to create a sense of common ground between management and organised labor, and the programme delivered sustained results. In 2004, Stef was again contracted to run a country-wide personal development programme for all management staff.

You have helped us to close much of the gap between management and labor, making us a more effective operation. Thank you.
--- ADRIAAN JANSEN VAN VUUREN, HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER, ISCOR FLAT STEEL

  • Our largest-scale intervention to date is the Gold Fields Limited (GFL) company-wide UGRs® ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE ALIGNMENT programme that started in early 2006. This intervention was the final phase of our decade-long relationship with GFL, following on a number of initiatives and interventions undertaken by SdP&A for this client – of which one was the programme for the Beatrix Division which was outlined above. This intervention saw us working with the management teams of each of the Gold Fields operations worldwide, and was aimed at creating a “culture by design” throughout the company that would transform Gold Fields into a great place to work, and which would secure their success into the future. What makes this project unique is the fact that internationally, it is an in-house owned and lead intervention: meaning that we helped the management team at each site to design their own unique intervention, after which we trained their trainers, and provided accreditation for in-house champions and licensed practitioners... where after they own and run their own intervention – perpetually. We believe this to be one of the biggest organisational culture transformation interventions in the world.

UGRs initiated a corporate ‘Road to Damascus’ experience, creating the foundation for our future sustainable success.
--- IAN COCKEREL, THEN PRESIDENT, GOLD FIELDS LIMITED


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