Neutral consolidator SACO CFR reached a management milestone in April when the inaugural group of students from its STARS Leadership Development Programme graduated with NQF Level 5 certificates from Metro Minds, the group’s logistics and supply chain academy.
The 10-month blended learning course was launched in April 2023, and offers successful applicants the opportunity to master a range of modules focusing on topics like the essence of leadership, team building, performance evaluation and review, change and innovation, business solutions, coaching and mentoring, company finance and creating value for customers.
Beverley Kirstein, chief human resources officer for the non-vessel operating common carrier (NVOCC), said the initial intake had exceeded their expectations and more.
“We felt that it made a great impact. We could see the difference it made to those individuals, not only to themselves but in their output in the workplace as well.”
Group CEO Dave Graham, who recently celebrated four years at the helm of the NVOCC, said the course underpinned SACO CFR’s strategy to reach transformation targets and implement succession planning.
“We want a company of skilled people and a strong talent pool to draw from if certain key positions become available.
It’s also how they intend to retain and build their brains trust, by investing in human capital.
He added that one of the aspects of the course that underscored its bespoke quality was the presentations that applicants had to put together.
“Candidates had to identify an area of the business where they felt they could make a difference.
“It wasn’t prescribed what you had to present, so we had people from our IT department presenting on data warehousing developments and other personnel focusing on cargo processing improvements.”
These “incredible ideas”, he said, were now being sifted through by the executive committee, figuring out how to implement some of them.
Kirstein explained that the presentation phase had enabled SACO CFR to ensure that only the cream of the crop of applicants, representing a strong mix of the multimodal and warehousing company, went through.
With a full-time employee complement of about 320, 12 candidates received full funding from the company to complete the STARS course designed by Juliette Fourie of Metro Minds.
Giving credit to Fourie, Kirstein said the academy’s founding member and managing director had shown why she was one of the most highly rated educators in the cargo industry, especially through conceptualising a theme for the STARS programme which is in line with the group’s strategic mantra for 2024 – “Innovate to Differentiate.”
“She knows what the industry requires, especially in the current environment.
“Because Metro Minds is so involved in our operations, they have an intricate understanding of what our specific requirements are and what we want from future leaders.”
The programme, which originated during an exco meeting about 18 months ago, where talent sourcing and development within their ranks topped the agenda, has already identified the next batch of candidates for the second iteration of STARS.
Said Graham: “There’s a very serious skills shortage within our industry and this is how we intend to address that; by giving our people growth opportunities.
“It’s how you grow as a company – you give people a career.”
