Company Announcement - Recently appointed Executive: Business Development of Materials Handling Company CMCO, Lebo Sephoti, has her work cut out for her in a male-dominated world. The company, which supplies various lifting equipment from hoists, pallet jacks, railway maintenance lifting equipment, and beam trollies to chain slings and winches, is active in heavy industry, mining, rail transport, and manufacturing.  Tasked with driving new growth strategies in South Africa as well as the rest of Africa for the CMCO Group – which includes CMCO Material Handling, Yale Lifting Solutions Mining, Yale Lifting Solutions Industrial and Yale Engineering Products - she is not daunted.

“I saw this is a good opportunity to continue on the business side of things, expanding my participation at a higher level and allowing me to be involved in the areas of business that I’m really passionate about – Strategy and Growth,” she says. 
She started her career with an ND Engineering Metallurgy (Physical) and a B-Tech Degree: Business Administration. After deciding it was time develop business skills and knowledge to complement her engineering expertise, she embarked on an MBA.
Prior to her appointment at CMCO South Africa, Lebo worked as a Plant Technician, as a Sales Engineer, Projects Manager, Executive Manager: Projects Sales and as a Senior Manager: Business Development. This cumulative experience made her the ideal person for CMCO. For managing director, Pieter Nortje explains, she adds a whole new dimension to the business.
“We needed that attention to detail that Lebo brings with her. She has a different perspective that adds value to the company and rounds it out. She improves the dynamics of our management team and that allows us to ensure we cover all of our customer’s needs,” he says.

Even though she’s working in a highly competitive engineering environment, Lebo describes herself as a people person first and foremost.   Her management style is participative and she prefers to act as a mentor to those working with her. She says she grasped the chance to work for a multinational because the company bridges the gap between first world expertise and the excitement and challenge of the developing world.

“There’s so much development on the continent. As a company, we want to embrace that, further expanding our offering into the African market. I love the fact that we are a global participant whilst still being local,” she explains. She also sees herself as helping CMCO to respond to critical changes in its economic make up. At present, the shift towards beneficiation of raw materials and industrialisation in the wake of dropping commodity prices, is opening up a myriad of opportunities. “We’re a growing country. In terms of infrastructure development and the resources we have, we are a rich country with a whole lot left still to tap into. I see great potential in that, and I want to be a part of our growth,” she explains.