Dean Viljoen

• Company Overview: An international company based in Auckland, New Zealand, offering specialist manufacturing services and marketing products to the paint and coatings industries
• The reach extends throughout New Zealand and into the Australian, Pacific, Middle Eastern, and Indian markets
• Part of a global group with facilities in Chicago, USA, and Ireland
• Manage a staff of 55 people in a modern, industry-leading factory in Auckland
• Responsible for all business development and customer service in New Zealand, Australia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East
• Maintain our outstanding customer service culture
• Negotiate annual and multi-year supply and preferred-supplier agreements with multinational companies
• Shepherd projects on the ground, from concept to execution
• Analyze the markets our customers operate in and strive to deliver the best solution to them
• Manage key customer accounts on all levels from technical to marketing to executive level
• Train, inspire and manage the sales and business development team
• Manage and consult with material suppliers as well as financial and service providers
• Spearhead and oversee LEAN manufacturing and renewal of the asset base of the company
• Introduced and developed and now oversee a fully integrated MIS and ERP system
• Perform time and motion studies to improve workflow and productivity
• Measure productivity against set KPI’s and report on these to the Group’s Board of Directors
• Currently in the process of introducing and managing changes in the plant to increase productivity and reduce costs
• Responsible for annual turnover of NZD $10-million
• Hold a seat on the Board of Directors, reporting quarterly
• Own a minority share in the NZ company

NOTE: As CEO I have worked with many different departments of our customers’ businesses to ensure that we keep adding value to them, and secure their loyalty and on-going business. By understanding all aspects of each of their companies I have been able to grow their business with our company in the thick of an intensely competitive market. Using different business strategies for each customer we have earned long-term loyalty and on-going contracts.

Highlights:

• Introducing mechanisation in the factory (reduced costs, increased output)
• Project leading the re-design of a coating line (increased capacity and quality)
• Project leading and re-designing unique equipment (increased capacity and quality)
• Established a full, in-house printing department
• Project leading and driving the development of our in-house MIS and ERP systems
• Despite the Global Pandemic, growing turnover and profitability, year on year
• Opened new markets in the Middle East and India
• Designed and implemented fully automated paint dispensing system (improved accurate repeatability of colours)

• Company Overview: A commercial printing company in South Africa, initially a small print and copy shop that grew into a large, competitive, comprehensive, one-stop commercial printing company.
• Inherited the company from my mother after her death in 1989. This was not the plan as I was studying to be an accountant at the time. It was just one of those 'life changing' moments.
• Grew the company from a staff of 6 and a turnover of $100,000 to a staff of 60 and a turnover of $3,000,000.
• Equipped with top of the range Heidelberg multi-colour presses and cutting-edge MIS systems.

PERSONAL NOTE:

• In 2008 we emigrated as a family to New Zealand to offer our children a better, safer life with more opportunities.
• In 2013 became New Zealand citizens
• Today we are well-established, with broad friendships, a growing family and many sport, social, community and work connections across the country.