sparks
ELECTRICAL NEWS
february
2014
contractors’ corner
3
Personality of the Month
Seek success and the riches of life shall follow you
KEVIN Murphy, general manager for the commer-
cial sales division at O-line’s Johannesburg branch
is one of those pragmatic, forward-thinking young
men who has an astute understanding of the dy-
namics within the electrical industry – what works,
what doesn’t… and why.
This attribute, coupled with his boundless
energy and a mentoring management style,
makes him a worthy personality of the month.
Sparks:
Where were you educated?
KM:
I attendedWestering High School and then
Damelin Business College in Port Elizabeth where
I obtained a higher diploma in business manage-
ment.
Sparks:
How long have you been involved in the
electrical industry?
KM:
I’ve been in this industry for 15 years and I’m
counting…
Sparks:
When and where did you start your
career?
KM:
I started my career in Port Elizabeth with
my own electrical agency where I represented
companies such as O-line and General Electric, to
name just two. I subsequently opened an O-line
branch in Port Elizabeth, which I ran for four years.
At the beginning of 2006, I relocated to Cape
Town to run the O-line branch there.
I recently relocated to the Johannesburg branch
and I am enjoying the challenge tremendously.
Sparks:
What are the greatest changes you have
seen over the years?
KM:
A change that I have seen is that younger,
more dynamic business people are getting
involved in the electrical industry. An even more
significant change that I have noticed has been
the rise in the co-operative transfer of knowledge
between the different generations within this
industry.
Sparks:
What major projects have you worked on
and what is your greatest accomplishment?
KM:
I would say that it was challenging to simulta-
neously supply all the cable management systems
to the Green Point Stadium in Cape Town and the
Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth
when the stadiums were under construction. One
of my top accomplishments would be adjusting
to life in Johannesburg after being close to the
coast my entire life.
Sparks:
Have you won any awards?
KM:
Yes. I received a mug for being the world’s
greatest boss; does that count?
Sparks:
Who has been your inspiration or have
you had a mentor who has influenced your
career?
KM:
My parents gave me a fantastic foundation
on which I could build my career and I have
had the pleasure of working with a number of
people who have influenced my career in many
positive ways.
Sparks:
What, to your mind, are the biggest
challenges facing the industry at this time?
KM:
I believe that two challenges have been the
after-effects of the ‘brain drain’that South Africa
experienced over the last two or three decades
and the lack of quality control over cheap, poor
quality imported commodities.
Sparks:
What do you enjoy most about your
job?
KM:
I enjoy meeting and working with different
people and I get a real ‘high’when closing off
negotiations on high profile projects.
Sparks:
How do you motivate your staff?
KM:
I motivate my staff by setting new and ex-
citing objectives and by being actively involved
in helping them to master the challenges they
encounter on the way to achieving those objec-
tives.
Sparks:
If you could ‘do it all again’, would you
change anything? If so, what would that be?
KM:
No, I wouldn’t change anything. I believe
that everything that has happened in the past has
put me where I am today and also made me the
person I am today.
Sparks:
Would you advise a person leaving school
to enter the electrical industry? And why?
KM:
Yes! There is a vast amount
of scope for young, aspiring
individuals within the indus-
try. Young people should be
encouraged to take up a trade
because it is vitally important to
this country's economy and our
infrastructure as a whole.
Sparks:
What is your advice to
electrical contractors and/or
electrical engineers?
KM:
Keep up with new innova-
tive products and installation
techniques.
Most importantly, don’t be
'penny wise but pound foolish'
– buy quality the first time and
you will save money in the long
run.
Sparks:
What is your favourite
quote?
KM:
“Do not seek riches, seek
success and the riches of life
shall follow you.”
Sparks:
Name three things on
your ‘bucket list’.
KM:
First and foremost, I have
to go and witness the greatest
team in the world – Liverpool
– play at Anfield. Secondly, I
would like to see first-hand the great
wildebeest migration in the Serengeti.
Last – but definitely not least – I would
like to see my two girls, Reese and Jodi,
realise all their dreams.
Kevin Murphy.
