“We are data nerds who like studies,” said Fred Axsel to his captive audience during the 5th CFO South Africa Event in the Saxon Boutique Hotel on 3 October 2013. Axsel is Managing Executive at management consulting firm IQ Business. Together with his colleague Rob Brine he shared the results of IQ’s latest research in a presentation titled 'Innovate or Die vs. Innovate and Die? CFO Managing Risk for Growth’.
When organisations innovate their existing products and technologies or converge into new markets there are inherent risks, which need to be balanced against the potential rewards. 
In the presentation Axsel and Brine shared a number of indicators for success and risk appetite – for example when implementing new technology.
“As South African companies we tend to hire two to three times more people compared to the United States and Europe to do the same processes,” was one of the findings Axsel presented. “Yes, people are cheaper here, but the total cost still comes out higher and the investment in technology is also still higher. That is something to be thinking about as a manager.”
Established in 1998, IQ is the leading, independent management consulting firm in South Africa. The company currently employs about 400 people in South Africa and prides itself on delivering hands-on solutions that make clients’ businesses more effective and efficient. Consulting, research and contracting are core to IQ’s services across its expertise areas. 
These expertise areas cover people, process and technology change, risk and accounting services and strategic advisory services (through a partnership with NASDAQ-listed The Hackett Group).
IQ’s clients include financial services institutions, retail businesses, telecommunications operators that require dramatic improvements in productivity, cycle times and quality.
The IQ Business presentation by Axsel and Brine can be viewed here.
