21 minute read
So Who is Lillian Barnard?
THRIVING WITH PASSION, COMPASSION, HUMOUR AND STYLE:
Interview with LILLIAN BARNARD: Chief Executive Officer at Microsoft South Africa
Thanks to the foundation provided by her parents, from the age of 12 Lillian Barnard was very clear about the value of education – particularly Mathematics. What was also clear to her was that there was no doubt that she was going to go to university and pursue a degree in Commerce - which given the era in which she grew up, was the exception rather than the rule.
Lillian now has more than 25 years’ experience in the ICT industry and through the various leadership positions held, both locally and abroad, she has a broad spectrum of experience in operations, business controls, sales, strategy, business transformation and leadership.
Her career started at IBM as part of their graduate recruitment programme and for 15 years she held several key leadership positions, including working for 7-years at the IBM European Headquarters, in France and Switzerland.
Then, sparked by her entrepreneurial spirit, she started LillianB Consulting Services, where she was an advisor and coach to business leaders. Prior to joining Microsoft, she served as Chief Sales Officer for Vodacom’s Enterprise Business for two years.
And in May 2017, Lillian joined Microsoft as Public Sector Director.
Just two years later in March 2019, she was appointed as Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft South Africa. Lillian currently also sits on the Board of the American Chamber of Commerce in South Africa and the Gauteng Provincial Government 4IR Commission – as well as being Advisory Board Member of the Institute for Intelligent Systems at the University of Johannesburg.
SO, WHO IS LILLIAN BARNARD?
WHAT IS YOUR “WHY” – WHAT DRIVES YOU?
I am passionate about driving results lead at IBM at the age of 28 - the through people – developing their gifts youngest and first black person and talents, enabling them to become to be appointed to this role. This the best versions of themselves. In the opportunity set the trajectory for workplace, I see myself as the Chief her career, laying the foundation for People Officer first – and with this her leadership journey - which was comes that responsibility to create a compounded by being selected by culture that enables people to bring IBM for the international /European their authentic selves to the workplace assignment. and be embraced for that individuality – and truly enable a diverse and Another key milestone was starting inclusive workplace.
I also believe in the power of and empowerment of women in technology – and the critical the IT industry. At Vodacom the role it is playing in enabling an Women’s Mentorship Circle, which inclusive economic recovery. Digital she was instrumental in setting up, technologies have the capability to still runs today. not only transform organisations, but also to solve some pressing societal Her crowning achievement, challenges through innovation and however, is her appointment as partnership.
CEO of Microsoft South Africa, and the work they are doing Lillian’s personal successes include to enable inclusive, digital being appointed as Sales Operation transformation in the country.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE HURDLES AND CHALLENGES THAT ARE PART OF LIFE? WHAT IS LILLIAN’S APPROACH AND DOES SHE HAVE PARTICULAR LEANINGS TO SHARE WITH US?
I had to bounce back from many moments, where I was either told ‘not yet – you are not ready’; ‘not you – someone else’; ‘not now – you need more time’ and in those moments, I had to keep believing in the bigger picture.
These obstacles did and will continue to – build tenacity and resilience. And it is these characteristics that helped me overcome many difficulties.
I believe that obstacles should be used and seen as opportunities to grow. Disappointments build character and teach us how to bounce back.
I subscribe to the wisdom of Winston Churchill who said that mountaintops inspire leaders, but it is the valleys that mature them.
I have learned that career paths are not linear – those valleys, detours and obstacles are critical for us to discover how strong we truly are. Over the years, I have developed a list of my personal learnings on what it takes to not only approach, but also overcome hurdles.
I have found that hard skills are one thing (and very important), but there are seven soul skills that I have embraced as part of my journey to success:
POWER: Power comes from selfawareness – and truly knowing who you are. When you know who you are - you have confidence in your abilities, as well as a strong sense of values guiding the decisions on where you will compromise and where you won’t. This is truly empowering!
PURPOSE: Ensuring that your work ambitions are aligned to delivering on your deeper reason for being will ignite the passion and fuel the energy required to keep your motivation regardless of the challenges you may need to overcome.
POSITIVE ATTITUDE: Attitude is really an inward feeling expressed by outward behaviour. A happy person is not a person in ideal circumstances but a person with the right attitude. Maintaining a positive, optimistic, enthusiastic attitude is an essential requirement for every job description and is typically the first thing employers look for in their employees – attitude comes from inside, ability can be taught!
CLARITY: This means being clear on who you are and what you want, but also being able to articulate this to others to engage and energise them to help you on your journey – whether it be your work deliverables or your personal progression.
CONFIDENCE: Confidence is dependent on a number of other factors, including faith in your capabilities, purpose, clear values and goals, and a firm belief that you are able to achieve your goals. The combination of these factors will provide the confidence you need in almost any situation.
COURAGE: To quote the late Nelson Mandela, “Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it”. For me, it was about turning the fear into an opportunity. For example, fear of trying and failing… well, ask yourself, “what if I succeed” or fear of asking and being told no…well, ask yourself, “what if I get told yes”. So, really it is about asking yourself what you are truly afraid of and then what is the worst that could happen? AND SO, WHAT?
COMMUNICATION: More and more, the ability to effectively communicate is becoming essential to your journey to leadership, as well as being a good leader. Effective communication enables others to understand your goals, align behind your goals, provide the motivation to progress those goals and deliver successfully on those goals. The good news is that as much as it is a soul skill – it is also a hard skill and something that you are able to study and learn.
With 2 decades of experience in ICT Lillian has been part of incredible changes and developments in the sector - two of which have been the democratisation of IT and the advent of AI with its role in the fourth industrial revolution. The exciting progress is thrown into sharp relief when comparing where we are now to the original vision of a microcomputer on every desk, and in every home. Computing has become increasingly embedded into every aspect of our lives - devices in the palms of our hands, computing on the go and access to applications, tools and technologies available anywhere.
WHAT IS LILLIAN’S TAKE ON THIS TRAJECTORY?
I am excited about how we have, and continue to make technology more accessible – to help people and businesses throughout the world realise their full potential.
I echo the thoughts of our CEO, Satya Nadella, who believes that AI is the defining technology of our times and it sits at the core of the fourth industrial revolution (4IR).
We are seeing businesses accelerate the digitisation of every part of their operations – from manufacturing to sales and customer service – to reimagine how they meet customer needs – from curb-side pickup and contactless shopping in retail, to telemedicine in healthcare.
The primary catalyst for this progress and disruption is the explosive growth in data, and the emergence of powerful AI and machine learning tools that can reveal correlations and unlock insights in all that data.
Across industries, organisations achieving the greatest success are doing more than just implementing existing tech – they are developing their own digital capabilities and proprietary solutions that use data and AI to address the challenges they face and seize new opportunities.
Women in IT
In an era where South African women have become increasingly prominent in medicine, law and business, they are still significantly underrepresented in the technology sector. Only 20 percent of tech jobs globally are held by women. While some gains have been made to narrow the gender gap, interestingly, increased encouragement versus technical acumen seems to be the key to speeding up the take-up of technology careers by females.
There are a number of books, and articles that discuss this issue. It’s been reported, for example, that more gender diversity, particularly in corporate settings, can translate to increased productivity, greater innovation, better decisionmaking, and higher employee retention and satisfaction.
Committed mentors and leaders are essential to help women envision their path forward, and Lillian has personally benefited from strong mentorship by some of the best leaders, both inside and outside of her industry who exposed her to the power of diverse thinking, courageousness to lead and continuous learning - and often encouraged her to envision an even bolder path than she herself had imagined.
HOW DOES SHE SEE HER ROLE AS CEO OF MICROSOFT SA CONTRIBUTING TO DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION AND ENSURING A NEW GENERATION OF WOMEN IN THE IT WORKPLACE?
Now, in my role as local CEO of a leading global company, I am passionate about paying that mentorship forward to the incoming generation of women in the workplace. I believe it is our responsibility as business leaders to foster an inclusive working environment that enables all employees to do their best work and serve the diverse needs of customers. It’s important that we promote gender equality as a business enabler in our respective organisations, and encourage dialogue and discussion among all employees to empower them to do the same.
I remember taking a moment to absorb and take in the tremendous pride that Microsoft South Africa truly believes in the transformative power of diversity and inclusion. This is evident in the steady progress we’ve made to increase female representation in the company.
But there is still work to be done - at Microsoft, in organisations throughout South Africa and the rest of the world. Building diverse and inclusive employee populations is a longterm commitment which requires a deliberate strategy, and importantly success will not happen overnight.
I have realised that life is a continuous learning journey of self-discovery. My message to women is to seek guidance and mentorship from other leaders, male and female, that you aspire to emulate. Learn from them and teach others around you along the way.
Microsoft and Teams Microsoft has played a massive role during Covid, enabling businesses to pivot to digital and remote working via Teams. What has it been like for Lillian and her team over the last 18 months, knowing they have such a huge responsibility?
Lillian on Internal Microsoft employees We recognised, and still do, that culture is the bedrock of everything that we do as a company. At the height of the pandemic, when we were all working from home, it was essential for us to maintain our connected company culture. Feeling connected was (and is) one of the main challenges of remote working. People are social beings and the power of in-person interaction and collaboration cannot be underestimated. In a hybrid workplace, striking the right balance between face-to-face interaction and digital collaboration is essential.
On Customers & Partners
In a matter of months, COVID-19 ushered in unprecedented changes for people and businesses, requiring organisations of all shapes and sizes to adjust. The pandemic has affected how we live and work and the world as we know it will not be the same.
We saw significant growth in remote working and several companies can now attest to the benefits of enabling employees to work from home. In fact, research shows that companies in Africa are considering remote working on a more permanent basis or certainly as part of a hybrid work strategy.
We understood the enormity of the task of keeping businesses, schools, frontline institutions and governments online, and collaborating and we worked alongside our partners, customers and stakeholders to find technology solutions to do so. It was for us, a living demonstration of how serious we are about our mission to empower every person and business on the planet to achieve more.
As schools around the world responded to COVID-19, the need for remote learning tools was never more urgent. At the time, Microsoft created training and how-to guides that would help schools, educators, students, and their families as they navigated their “new normal.”
There are a number of cloud-based applications in Office365 Education that are ideal for remote learning. These include Microsoft Teams, which enable teachers to connect not only with one another online, but also learners. Created as a content and collaboration hub, Microsoft Teams allows teachers to distribute and mark assignments; teach live lessons, and record these for those learners who want to access them at any time.
In June last year, Microsoft partnered with Vodacom and launched the Connected Education solution, to enable continuous, connected learning for South Africa’s schools and learners. The Connected Education solution brings together a platform that enables remote learning with connectivity, ultimately turning the learning environment into one packaged bundle for the learner and giving them access to the tools, apps and resources they need to learn.
The solution, powered by Microsoft’s integrated Microsoft 365 A1 platform – which is free for schools – and bundled into Vodacom’s Edu Data Bundle package, which is zero-rated for learners, ensures the learning process can continue both at home and at school and that no learner is left behind with access to a full suite of educational applications and resources.
Digital transformation has accelerated at a rate not yet seen before as a result of high levels of disruption, empowering staff with the right and relevant information at the edge of an organisation will be the next competitive advantage in a world where developing new products, improving on customer experience, and driving costs down while driving innovation forward is critical. AI solutions are enabling businesses to gain these on-the-edge insights into areas previously not identified.
GOING BEYOND OUR BORDERS - IS AFRICA PREPARED FOR 5IR – AND WHAT WILL THIS MEAN FOR THE CONTINENT?
Digital transformation has been a business priority across the Middle East and Africa for many years before the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. Organisations have made growing investments in tech tools such as artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) in MEA for more than a decade now.
Microsoft and EY’s Artificial Intelligence in Middle East and Africa Report from 2019 tracked this trend and found that the region had spent $9.07-billion on AI transactions between 2008 and 2018. With AI opportunities close to home pushing companies into totally new domains in the future, it is perhaps not surprising that AI is receiving attention as a key topic for executive management.
Around 80% of companies that responded to the survey noted that AI was considered an important topic at the executive management level. However, only 37% of the Board of Directors had reported that AI was important to their board.
As much as we talk about the needfor intensive ICT investment intoinfrastructure and the technology thatwill support the continent’s engagementin the 4IR, this will not happen withoutthe human infrastructure to support thetechnology. For Africa to fully realisethe opportunities brought about bydigital transformation and 4IR, it is vitalwe have strong ICT skills.
In Harambee’s report on mappingdigital and ICT roles, there is aforecasted demand for - 66,000people in digital and ICT roles in thenext year, some of which will be latentdemand; with an estimated - 45,000entry-level jobs; suitable for youth.
Our vision is a connected system oflearning that helps empower everyoneto pursue lifelong learning.
As part of a strategic partnership linkedto our Global Skills Initiative to passon critical digital skills, we provided a$150 000 (over R2.5-million) grant to Afrika Tikkun to drive the programme and assist the people who need it most to reskill and pursue an in-demand job using resources from LinkedIn, Microsoft and GitHub. Nearly 300 000 people in South Africa have gained access to digital skills since last June.
In April this year, we announced a partnership with the Public Service Sector Education and Training Authority (PSETA) and Afrika Tikkun to extend our Global Skilling Initiative to provide at least 20 000 young people with critical digital skills.
We know that there are many technical skills that are scarce locally, but see an opportunity for reskilling current teams, and upskilling young people as the workforce of the future.
WHAT ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES AFFORDED BY MICROSOFT AZURE – AND WHAT THIS WILL MEAN FOR JOB CREATION AND THE ECONOMY WITH NET NEW REVENUES EXPECTED TO BE IN THE REGION OF R80-BILLION?
Microsoft invested in local data centres to provide the backbone for South Africa’s cloud computing, data, and network services. Our enterprise-grade data centre regions were opened in Cape Town and Johannesburg in March 2019.
Linking Microsoft’s global cloud infrastructure to Africa connects businesses to opportunities across the globe, helps accelerate new investments, and improves access to cloud and internet services for people and organisations from Cairo to Cape Town.
The local adoption of cloud services has significant potential for job creation as organisations focus on innovation and building their digital businesses at scale.
While we’re modernising business in South Africa today, what about business tomorrow? Innovation is essential if South Africa is to sustain its competitiveness for years and decades to come.
We believe that innovation creates a meaningful opportunity for individuals, companies, and countries like South Africa. Opportunity is found in simply creating efficiency, and it lies in boldly inventing brand new product categories. Whatever innovation means to our customers, partners, and colleagues, we’re here with tools, expertise, networks and big ideas.
TOP OF MIND WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR ECONOMY AND ITS TRIPLE CHALLENGES OF POVERTY, INEQUALITY AND UNEMPLOYMENT IS THE QUESTION OF THE NUMBER OF UNEMPLOYED YOUTH IN SOUTH AFRICA. MICROSOFT’S MISSION IS TO EMPOWER EVERY PERSON AND EVERY ORGANISATION ON THE PLANET TO ACHIEVE MORE. HOW HAVE YOU SET ABOUT ACHIEVING THIS IN OUR COUNTRY?
Microsoft invests in human capital as digital technology requires that people are educated and through upskilling and reskilling, we can address the unemployment and digital skills challenge. We invest in digital skills development that builds ICT capability in individuals and SMMEs so that South Africans can create new ways to address issues of unemployment, equity, sustainability, and global competitiveness.
Equipping young people with basic digital literacy skills is essential to get them employed or self-employed. After all, the skills developed while using mobile phones is not the same as those required to use desktops and programmes such as Word, PowerPoint or Excel which are common in a more formal corporate environment.
In partnership with NGOs, such as YES4Youth, we have equipped young people to assist their peers acquire skills to increase employability - from basic Microsoft 365 competency to deep technical skills. To date, eight Yes4Youth trainers have been qualified to deliver training to unemployed youth at free-to-enter City of Johannesburg libraries in Alexandra, Sandton, Tembisa and Jabavu.
The changing world of work is increasing demand for people with new digital skills in cloud, security, data analysis, AI, and machine learning, among others. This shift has only been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Launched in June 2020, Microsoft’s Global Skills Initiative offers immediate steps to help people looking to reskill so they can embark on a new career path or pursue an in-demand job. Existing and new courses from LinkedIn, Microsoft, and GitHub are broadly available to South African job seekers and NGOs. Through this programme, we have already reached over 300 000 South Africans. Cash grants for approximately R2.5-million was allocated to local NPO Afrika Tikkun, as part of a strategic partnership to reach more South Africans through our Global Skills Initiative.
In March this year, we extended the Global Skilling Initiative to the end of 2021, and in April we announced a partnership with PSETA (Public Service Sector Education and Training Authority) and Afrika Tikkun to provide at least 20 000 young people with critical digital skills and improve employability of the country’s youth in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industry.
Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) can have a profound impact in ensuring economic growth of national economies – they represent about 90% of businesses and more than 50% of employment worldwide. Formal SMEs contribute up to 40% of national income (GDP) in emerging economies, and these numbers rise significantly if we include informal SMEs.
Transforming South Africa’s economy to become more inclusive and stimulate sustainable growth requires the development of black-owned enterprises. This is particularly crucial to creating a dynamic environment, as small businesses are a driving force for economic growth.
Microsoft’s enterprise and supplierdevelopment initiative, the EmergingPartner programme, has providedover 100 fully black-owned small andmedium-sized ICT businesses withaccreditation training across three cloudsolutions, funded their access to marketjourneys, and provided bespoke businessdevelopment support.
It’s estimated that 600 million jobs willbe needed by 2030 to absorb thegrowing global workforce, whichmakes SME development a highpriority for many governments. Inemerging markets, most formal jobsare generated by SMEs, which create7 out of 10 jobs.
ON A MORE PERSONAL NOTE, WHO ARE YOUR FAVOURITEAUTHORS AND WHICH BOOKS ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?I am an avid reader and I would be hard pressed to decide on myfavourite authors, but I can tell you that I love quotes and believe thatthe right quote, at the right time, can spur you into action.
I am often drawn to quotes from Maya Angelou and reference her wordswhere I can. For this article, I think that the quote that stands out the most is
‘ MY MISSION IN LIFE IS NOT MERELY TO SURVIVE, BUT TO THRIVE, AND TO DO SO WITH SOME PASSION, SOME COMPASSION, SOME HUMOUR AND SOME STYLE.’
WHAT ARE THE THREE THINGS YOU WOULD LIKE TO TELL YOUR YOUNGER SELF?
I would start by telling my younger self that there is a thin line between feeling unstoppable and feeling fear. Find confidence in your abilities early and make a daily demand on your courage. If you want to do big things in life you can be guaranteed that fear will knock on the door, but remember that fear will condition and confine you. But confidence and courage will profoundly free you so you can go boldly after your career goals and personal aspirations. And live your best life!
The second thing I would tell myself is to be patient – the time might not always be right. Whether that is because the time is not right, or you are not the right person at the time, or that you are not yet ready for what is next – you must never lose your passion, nor your vision.
“The two most powerful warriors are patience and time”. - Leo Tolstoy
And my final message – don’t ever stop learning. Life is a continuous learning journey of self-discovery and self-improvement. Stay curious, have an open mind and embrace the moments of vulnerability that you will encounter because the sooner you embrace these, the easier some of the difficult experiences will become.
FINALLY - DO YOU HAVE A MESSAGE FOR ORGANISATIONS OUT THERE STRUGGLING TO SURVIVE? Many South African businesses were caught unprepared for such a sudden shift to digital operations. For the first time ever, some found themselves completely unable to operate, and others had to close completely.
For South African businesses looking to survive, and thrive, now is the time to take the adoption and deployment of digital technologies seriously. Where you can, reskill employees with the skills to thrive in a digital economy.
We must do this across the economy, from small businesses to the very largest enterprises. If we don’t, we will fall behind our regional and global competitors. We cannot find ourselves ill-prepared, should another crisis roll around.
