AGGREKO OVERCOMES CHALLENGES OF WORKING DURING COVID-19

Rose Karanja, Head of HR, Aggreko Sub-Sahara Africa and Jean Paul Manga, Head of Finance, Aggreko, West & Central Africa, tell Tadiwa Mandivenga how they have overcome the challenges posed by the pandemic

Much like any other organisation, Aggreko faced its fair share of challenges as a result of the pandemic. In the following discussion, we get insights from Rose Karanja, Head of HR, Aggreko Sub-Sahara Africa and Jean Paul Manga, Head of Finance, Aggreko, West & Central Africa, on how they managed to effectively manage and lead their teams remotely and end the year on a strong note.

We also hear about what the future of leadership and a career in the energy industry looks like.

How have operations been adjusted to accommodate the challenges presented by the pandemic?

Rose: There was also a lot of communication from management; line managers and senior managers doing regular checkins which increased employee engagement and resilience. In Aggreko, we are always very open, and our success has been driven by ensuring transparency, clear communication and having strong relationships with our customers and our employees which proved to be very helpful.

Jean Paul: We had to rethink the way we operate. From a finance standpoint, my whole team worked from home from end of March – mid-July where we slowly started going back to the office, for a day or two.

Can you shed light on the kind of support employees have needed during the outbreak?

Rose: We had a very down-to-earth approach because we knew that people were afraid and anxious. Our Managing Director would have phone calls with our teams just speak to them, listen to them, encourage them, and show them appreciation. There are also support programmes for employees and their families which allow them see counsellors near them or speak to one over the phone confidentially.

Jean Paul: In the finance team we ensured that all our staff had everything they needed in order to be able to work from home to the best extent possible. Once the measures were relaxed, we provided transport for those who needed to work from the office and, of course, also adhered to health regulations.

Can you share some of the benefits of remote working?

Rose: We were able to promote a work/life balance which was made possible by remote working as staff could be with their families and have more autonomy over their working hours.

Jean Paul: Some people on my team were really able to stand out and shine because we had to trust them to carry out projects with little supervision. So many people were able to showcase their capabilities and take initiative.

How has Aggreko adapted its business model to reduce costs in the short and medium term?

Rose: We have started an Africa Excellence programme which was started to drive cost reduction in all of our work streams. This was led by the senior leadership team and each stream. This started in January 2020 and ends in December after which we will be able to track our total reduction in costs for the year. So far, it has been effective so we are likely to do this again next year.

Jean Paul: It is all about understanding how we spend our money and where we spend it which allows us to rationalise our spending and assess whether there are better ways to do what we do. We have several initiatives which look at different ways for us to operate more cost effectively. This also allows us to remain competitive in the industry.

How do you think leadership and management will change after the pandemic?

Rose: It has just shown that no matter how

experienced we are, we need to remain open to change and open to learn.

Jean Paul: The pandemic has taught us that we can do a lot of our work remotely, so we no longer really need to travel anymore. We have gotten used to and figured out how to effectively manage and lead our teams from a distance, so this is likely to continue to some extent in the future.

What skills gaps have you identified in your staff that you think African professionals will require going forward?

Rose: There weren’t many skill gaps as such because at Aggreko, a lot of us worked remotely before the pandemic, but just not to the same extent as we do now. I would just say that it is important to be organised, open to change and eager to learn. We are very proud to say that our team demonstrated such resilience, which is one of our key pillars, especially when we are looking for talent.

Jean Paul: With the change in working environment, we have needed to adopt technological systems in order to better carry out our operations. So, our staff needed to be educated and upskilled in this area for them to be able to adjust and perform well. Being comfortable with technology and having a keen interest to continuously self-improve would be important.

What does the future of working in the energy industry look like in Africa?

Rose: The future is very positive. The market was appreciative of the fact that Aggreko was able to meet their demands even during a pandemic; our service levels did not decrease, and we remained agile. This shows that the energy industry is still very strong and relevant in terms of future careers as energy will be a necessity for a very long period of time.

Jean Paul: For us, most of our business in Africa has been utility driven, but now we are seeing oil, gas, and especially mining boom.

We would need to understand the needs of the mining industry and be able to provide innovative solutions for them. That is where I think the opportunities would be. ■