New regional executive takes on PE challenge

SAFMARINE’S NEWLYappointed regional executive for Port Elizabeth and Lesotho and one of only five senior women managers in the Safmarine organisation, the bubbly Janine Nainkin, believes her legal background will stand her in good stead for the task at hand. “In the legal profession, one is faced with problems that either have or could go wrong, but being on the commercial side one can actually prevent things from going wrong, so my training does give me an insight into certain things that could happen.” As to what women are able to contribute to the freight industry, she comments: “Women have sometimes relied on their sixth sense of success and that could be a great strength as one of women’s great strengths lies in getting the job done.” She adds, though, this in no way demeans the role of men and their ability to move with alacrity. “Customers want intimacy, they want to know who they are dealing with and that is where Safmarine comes from; people that make the difference. “We want to make sure we have the right people within the company to continue building our brand.” In her early thirties, Nainkin was Safmarine’s legal manager for four years before her promotion to Port Elizabeth. She sees “the need to retain talent and ensure we build up the next generation of leaders” as a key challenge. After matriculating at Riversdale High School, Nainkin went on to obtain a B Com LLB from the University of Stellenbosch in 1999. After completing her articles with Cape Town law firm Walkers, she joined Adams and Adams, a large intellectual property company in the Mother City, whose customers included Safmarine. Having long nurtured a desire to work in the commercial environment, she grabbed an opportunity afforded her by Safmarine and started as legal manager in the Cape Town head office in 2004. Now heading a Port Elizabeth staff complement of 42 people, of whom 76% are women, Nainkin says growing the business in the Friendly City and in neighbouring Lesotho is clearly one of the major priorities, an experience she is determined to enjoy. “I have long been fascinated by the shipping business and have always felt a need to be a part of it.”