SAHETIANS MAKING HEADLINES

Alec Joannou

Class of 1985

Visionary CIO of the year 2017

The Visionary CIO of the Year Award, is presented by the IITPSA in association with ITWeb, the Gordon Institute of Business Science and Gartner South Africa, and recognises a personality and an executive in the corporate IT environment who has demonstrated visionary leadership in applying technology to grow and transform business.

Alec Joannou matriculated at SAHETI in 1985 and attended Wits University where he completed his BSc in Archaeology and Computer Science. Alec joined Price Waterhouse’s consulting division - later to become PwC Consulting - and decided to specialise on a relatively unknown system at the time called SAP.

He quickly rose up the ranks of PwC being promoted from consultant to senior consultant and associate director. In 2002 at age 33, Alec was appointed as a Partner to head up the SAP practice for PwC across the African, Middle East and Turkey. At the time Alec was the youngest person to be appointed as a Partner at PwC.

In 2012 he joined Sasol as their Global CIO and leads a team of 400 permanent staff and over 600 contractors serving over 30 000 users across four continents. Alec was recognised by his peers for the work he did to transform the IT function at Sasol into a global function that serviced clients and customers in a consistent way across the globe.

Alec was instrumental in taking the worst performing function in Sasol to its top performing function over the past five years. Further recognition was given for the leadership Alec showed in implementing an SAP project which went on to be awarded the honour for SAP Projects by the SAP Board. It was a major milestone and win for Sasol and for South Africa as the project beat off 265 other nominations. Alec has played a trusted advisor to a number of boards including Unilever, Sappi, Anglo American and Sasol and has worked and consulted in over 40 countries.

Alec sits on two boards and is an avid supporter of the MI University that provides for a free tertiary education for underprivileged students. He is married to Anastasia and is the proud father of four children. Alec recognises the importance that SAHETI has played in his life and is very grateful for the friends and experiences he created whilst at the school and in many cases has maintained over the years. The Greek ethos and spirit of entrepreneurship certainly played a huge role in shaping him as a leader and in the ability to build and sustain relationships.