Home from home (E)
Notes from the front
Philippe Saeys-Desmedt, SN’s Country Manager in Kenya, reveals why his work in Africa has taught him that loyalty and mutual respect are the key to success
I’ve been working at outstations for some 16 years now, first in Uganda, then in Cameroon and now in Nairobi. Of course, each of these postings has allowed me to develop an in-depth knowledge of what is, for me, a fascinat ing job.
Representing an airline in Africa, you need to be able to do virt ually everything – and good management is often a judicious balance between being preventive and proactive. But as everybody who does this job will tell you, that’s what’s interesting about it. Each day brings i ts parcel of surprises, sometimes funny, sometimes compli cated, but always a challenge.
The human aspect in this business ca nnot be underestimated and, for me, one of the most important things to develop in my work is a dense netwo rk of contacts wherever I go. In Africa, in parti cular, a wide and varied network is the key to success and to standing out against the competition. Personal contacts are very important in this market, as is deve loping long-lasting relationships genuinely based on friendship and mutual respect. It’s not unusual for relations you’ve built up over years to make all the difference when it comes to sorting out issues, whether it’ s finding lodgings, dealing with political issues or whatever.
Loyalty in business is very important in any region, and particularly so in Africa. Political and economical situations change far more quickly here than in Eur ope, and being steadfast in your outlook generates trust and respect.
On the client side, all this goodwil l is obviously put to the service of our customers.
Market conditions mean that you need to be very flexible, alwa ys ready to listen and find a solution – always have your doo r open, as it were. Here, networking is just as important, I spend a lot of time mixing socially with our clients at all levels – but we also get involved in our regions at a community level too. For instance, at the moment we’re helping with the setting up of an orphan village in the west of Kenya by looking for funds from private individuals.
Mine is a great job, but it’s non-stop. Often, by the time I get home to my family, I’m worn out from the day’s work… but I love the job and I wouldn’t change it for anything.
Philippe Saeys-DesmedtCountry Manager, Kenya
Philippe Saeys-Desmedt is also Permanent Representative of the CBL-ACP (Belgian Chamber of Commerce) and Foreign Trade Advisor to the Belgian government for Kenya