Getting high with a motivated team
Isla Galloway-Gaul is the chief ‘empowerment’ (not the traditional ‘executive’) officer of Ditulo Office Engineers. She tells MARGARET HARRIS that she stopped working so she could to spend more time with her family, but found that she missed the 9-to-5 bu
You retired and then returned to work at office-furniture company Ditulo. Why?
After 16 years of building, growing and running a business, and with my long-awaited only child, Bella, being just six years old, I felt it was time to stop, spend time with my family and get a different perspective. In retrospect, “retirement” should probably have read “sabbatical”. I love working and thrive on the challenges of growing and running a successful business. I was just not ready to give up the 9-to-5 buzz.
What work did you do before you retired?
In 1994, I started working as the sales manager for a company called Dauphin HumanDesign in South Africa, which makes and distributes German ergonomic office seating. I became the director, and later the MD, growing the company from a R2-million turnover in 1994 to almost R80million by 2010.
What about the offer from Ditulo made you decide to return to work?
Bidvest was the majority shareholder of Dauphin, and the chairman of the office furniture division approached me, because he felt I was the correct person for re-engineering the brand. Having had a three-year break, I thought it would be an interesting challenge to join Ditulo and turn the company around.
There is little in life as satisfying as watching a business grow and succeed under your guidance.
Describe a typical workday.
We are a small team of eight people, and start each day with a brief meeting to understand what is to be achieved.
I am very hands-on, calling on customers, liaising with my team, and co-ordinating with our manufacturers and suppliers. I love sales. Of course, my responsibilities as CEO also require me to manage the business, work towards targets and mould our strategy.
Would you advise other people to return to work after retirement?
Keeping yourself involved in work is fantastic for anyone and certainly keeps me young.
What are some of the trends in office furniture?
Collaborative space is one of the biggest. There is a need for slick communication between different groups, and being able to step away from your desk and into a space where you can discuss and strategise is vital.
Co-operation is the buzz word — we know and achieve more as a team. Complex tasks and interdisciplinary projects require teamwork, and nothing encourages this more than collaborative spaces.
What and where did you study, and how do your qualifications help you?
I have a simple business economics diploma from a private academy in Durban. I have been fortunate to have worked with, and learnt from, incredible business people, and have developed an interest in the mechanics of a sound business model.
What did you want to be when you were a child?
A professional ice-skater! I just loved their grace. Just a note — as an adult I cannot skate, at all!
What do you love most about your job?
The spirit of a positive and motivated team; the interaction with designers and architects and customers, but most of all I love the achievement of delivering on the promise that we made: an outstanding installation of office furniture.
What would people find most surprising about your work?
From an initial inquiry or tender document to installation can take months.