Personal Profile
Chartered Accountant - Zimbabwe, Current position - Chief Finance Officer (4.5 yrs). Previous Positions- General Manager (Kalahari Home Products), Group Finance Director (SMM Group), Group Finance Director (The Cotton Company of Zimbabwe), Finance Executive (PG Group), Finance Manager (Export Leaf Tobacco - BAT Group) and Chief Accountant (Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority). Trained with Coopers & Lybrand (Chartered Accountants- Zimbabwe). Completed my Bachelor of Accountancy Degree with the University of Zimbabwe in 1987. Married with four children and I am a keen whitewater rafter!!
Company Profile
Allied Timbers Zimbabwe P/L (ATZ) is a State Enterprise which is wholly owned by the Government of Zimbabwe . The company, which operates under the Companies Act Chapter 24.01 is mandated to guarantee the sustainable supply of timber and associated timber forest products. ATZ has been entrusted with the management of 113,000 hectares of gazetted forestry land in Zimbabwe and its main business operations encompass plantation development, harvesting and sawmilling of timber, pole manufacturing, roof truss manufacturing, value addition and beneficiation of timber and timber related products and retailing. The company , which operates uner the Companies Act Chapter 24.01, was born out of the Commercial Division of Zimbabwe's Forestry Commission - the regulatory authority on gazetted forestry land. Organizational Vision " To be the excellent provider of sustainable quality forest-based products" Organizational Mission "To enhance stakeholder value through the provision of premium quality forest based products and service excellence" The company is currently undergoing a partial privatization process and invitations for Expressions of Interest will be flighted in the very near future with a view to achieving this objective. The end product of this exercise is to take on board private players who are interested in partnering the Zimbabwean Government if growing value within ATZ and ensuring that the company realizes its full potential. The following are the key challenges the company is experiencing, a) Minimal planting over the past 15 years (About 30,000 hectares of harvested land remain unplanted. It is therefore imperative that the company undertakes massive planting at least for the next five years in order to avoid exhaustion of timber resources and resorting to importation of same as was the case in the 1970's. b) The majority of the productive assets currently in use are obsolete and as a result, are inefficient thereby rendering the company uncompetitive. The company is currently relying a lot of the outsourcing model throughout the value chains which exposes it to the risk of being "captured" by some of its key suppliers. The focus henceforth should therefore be on building own production capacity. c) Inadequate working capital which, as a result, is inhibiting the company from realizing its full potential. The following are real opportunities available ; a) The company currently owns the largest timber resource base in Zimbabwe (31,000 hectares currently planted) b) Very strong local and regional demand for both sawn timbers and poles (transmission & fencing) c) Availability on the international market of advanced forestry technology at affordable prices. d) Weak local competition. e) Huge potential for diversification in timber processing and value addition ( Setting up of a Medium Density Fiberboard plant which will improve tree utilization ratio), orchards, fruits, waste to energy power generation, mining, water bottling, mushroom harvesting, honey production and holiday & conferencing facilities.