Andre is a seasoned IT professional with over 25 years of diverse industry experience and a formal education in Information Technology. Throughout his career, Andre has demonstrated expertise in software engineering management, IT product owner management in an Agile environment, and program/project management for ERP, CRM, BI, and LMS. He is proficient in the delivery of system implementations, vendor and service provider management, contract negotiations, and resource management for delivery teams.
Andre has extensive experience in custom software solution development, drone survey and data analysis, data management and integration (including master, referential, and enrichment data), and the redesign and documentation of business processes. His skills also extend to change management, asset, service, and support management, as well as SQL databases.
In addition to his technical skills, Andre is an entrepreneur with strong business acumen, adept at navigating multi-cultural environments. He has lived and worked in South Africa, Europe, and the UAE, bringing a global perspective to his work. Andre excels in negotiations and is passionate about delivering solutions that meet real business requirements.
Can you tell us a bit about your background?
I’m originally from South Africa and my family and I recently relocated to Ireland to join The Project Foundry team as Senior IT Project Manager. We have travelled quite a bit for my work – in 2017, we relocated to the UAE, Abu Dhabi where I was responsible for implementing ERP, CMR & BI solutions for customers in the UAE and Egypt. In 2019 we returned to South Africa where I worked as a Product Manager & Software Engineering Manager in the Online Prepaid and Online Gaming & Sport Betting Space.
Can you tell us about your role with The Project Foundry?
As Senior Project Manager, I am currently implementing a Learning Management Solution (LMS) for one of our clients. The project is made up of various works streams that focus on Business Requirements, Integrations, Testing, Validations, Data Migrations, Documentations, Reporting & Training. I am also involved in the onboarding process of new project managers at The Project Foundry.
What motivates you to do what you do?
Success is what motivates me to do what I do. Knowing the fact that my hard work and perseverance will help me achieve greater professional success is what keeps me going.
How have you evolved personally and professionally over the years?
Over the years, I have learned that people think and do things differently. Coming from the most Southern part of the African continent, you think that everything is done in the same way in other parts of the world also. It’s only when you start to work with people from other countries and cultures, that you realise that there are different ways to achieve the same thing.
What does Culture in a work environment mean to you?
Culture in a work environment for me is the attitude, shared values, belief systems and standards that all employees share. It is important because that makes your business unique and should empower employees.
How do you maintain a healthy balance between your work and personal life?
At work, I will set myself manageable goals and make sure that those goals for the day are achieved. I try to be as efficient as possible with my time at work and communicate effectively. At home, I try to respect my time with my family. That means switching off from work. I like to stay active; a couple of kms on the mountain bike or the Endure Motorcycle does the trick for me.
Is there a particular aspect of your work that you are especially passionate about?
I really like to see that timelines are met. It doesn’t matter if I am the project manager or a product owner. I’m really goal orientated but am also passionate about innovative technology that resolves real business issues.
How do you deliver value to clients?
I think the value that I deliver to clients is made up of almost 25 years’ work experience that I bring to the table. This ranges from various Software Development to System Implementation and Integration projects throughout my career. I have a good technical background and use that to my benefit to connect business and technology.
What are the typical benefits to the client from using our services (for practice leads)?
We at The Project Foundry are a hands-on team. We don’t mind rolling up our sleeves and getting into the detail. We get the job done by going above and beyond expectations.
