New Inter-Active Executive Director raring to go

15 February 2010

Little excites Patricia Kometsi more than a company with massive potential, and her recent appointment as Executive Director: Marketing and Business Development and to the Board by contact centre specialist Inter-Active Technologies has got her raring to go.

"I joined Inter-Active Technologies late last year as Executive Director, responsible for marketing and business development. I feel it can be dangerous to walk in and make big changes, so I have been meeting with my colleagues to hear their plans and ideas and find synergy. So far, everybody appears to be aligned in their vision for the company."

Key to ongoing growth for the company is a marketing strategy that Kometsi says will reflect the feedback she has received from management and staff. "Any new strategy must embrace the company's vision," she explains, "and ours includes looking at opportunities in Africa and beyond." The company is aiming to be able to influence issues of corporate governance and business trust, especially in markets that it hasn't been involved in before. With senior strategic management and operational experience in South African corporates, as well as multinationals Sabena Airline, MTN Group, African Life Assurance, Sanlam Group, Mittal Steel Group and Daimler Group, Kometsi is well-positioned to drive the growth of Inter-Active Technologies in these areas. "Different cultures present different issues. South Africa is seen as 'first world' in a 'third world' continent, where both infrastructure and language barriers create challenges. In going into other countries, it's vital that we do so with an open mind and with a genuine desire to impart skills and knowledge as an integral part of working with foreign partners."

Having cut her teeth in the aviation industry during boom times, Kometsi was charged with positioning Africa as a best destination. "That exposed me to a number of different cultures, where you have to learn to respect differences."

From there, she moved into telecoms. "My department grew from three people to 48, with a budget of R80-million, in just six and a half years. It was thrilling to see how the brand grew." Kometsi likens Inter-Active Technologies to the then-budding MTN, and has the same high hopes for it that she had for the telecoms company.

"Working in corporate affairs and marketing has taught me how to operate on smaller budgets while growing the company, and my foray into financial services was completely different with regard to communication mediums, both here and in other African countries," she adds. "African Life was bought out by Sanlam, which brought massive transformational issues. Again, a difficult environment but one I think I thrived in."

An opportunity then arose at Mercedes Benz for Kometsi to start up a Stakeholder Engagement department at a time when the red flags had already started appearing, warning of the impending recession. "We had to look at different opportunities and open doors with government. Again, both enthralling and challenging."

When the opportunity arose for Kometsi to join Inter-Active Technologies, she embarked on some research on both the business and its market. "I realised that this company reminded me of when I first started with MTN. It shows masses of potential. Having worked across all the areas I'm likely to need to forge growth in Inter-Active, I felt that I would bring something to the table by accepting the company’s offer."

A graduate of the University of South Africa with a National Diploma in Local Government & Admin Development, Kometsi also holds a Management Advanced Programme (MAP) diploma from Wits Business School. She completed the Executive Programme (NMP) from UCT Business School and has a National Diploma in PR from Public Relations Institute of Southern Africa (PRISA).

"My previous experience has been so varied, and looking at where Inter-Active Technologies is now fills me with excitement about future possibilities. For me, it's all about company growth and seeing everyone's efforts realised."

Kometsi says that as a specialist call centre and customer service delivery channel, Inter-Active Technologies' long term partnerships with many Blue Chip organisations in South Africa and Africa are testament to the company's approach to quality customer service.

"In repositioning the company for further growth and as a strong brand, we'll start with some house-cleaning and corporate governance. Once that is done, it's all systems go. We're not afraid to step out there and make the changes we need to for continued success," Kometsi concludes.

About Inter-Active Technologies

Initially established in 1999 to provide specialised call centre services to the industry, Inter-Active Technologies expanded to provide best-of-breed technology with excellence in implementation and support to the South African market.

The company has evolved to establish overflow call centres for blue chip partners, today Inter-Active Technologies is an acknowledged leader in the delivery of Customer Contact Centre Innovation and Customer Service.