The Pick n Pay CFO urges people to use the teamwork of 2020 to take on 2021.
In 2020, the Pick n Pay team pulled together and made sure that their stores were open, safe and serving South Africans during the Covid-19 pandemic. This has made Pick n Pay CFO Lerena Olivier realise that teamwork really is everything. “It was an enormous effort from everyone, and I’m extremely proud to be part of the Pick n Pay team,” she says.
She explains that one of the things 2020 has taught her is that South Africans are enormously resilient. “If you empower them with clear accountability and the right motivation, they perform really well and are able to deliver beyond expectations, even – and perhaps especially – within a crisis like Covid-19.”
The new year holds many changes for the Pick n Pay team, including a leadership change in April when Pieter Boone will take over from Richard Brasher as the company’s CEO. “I’m really looking forward to working with Pieter to continue the group’s growth and success into the future.”
Lerena says that every year brings its own challenges, something she relishes. This year, she continues to look towards finding a good work-life balance. “This requires discipline and dedication, but it’s as important as a professional objective,” she says.
She urges people to take the learnings from 2020 and work as a team to make this year better than the last. “This will be a challenging year as we work towards reviving our economy. This will require hard work, innovation and energy from everyone, working together for the common good.”
