Christopher Edwards

AssetPool (Pty) Ltd, Edenvale, South Africa
I joined AssetPool at the request of the founder and chief technical officer who were the majority shareholders at the time. My role was to bridge the entrepreneur and developer and to transform AssetPool into a sustainable business, thereby preparing and growing the company from a four-person startup, to be ready for 'Round A' funding.
Having joined AssetPool in May 2021; 'Round A' funding was secured from an IT company listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in April 2024.

Managing AssetPool necessitated:
● Managing multi-disciplined teams and resolving conflicting priorities and resource allocation.
● Cash flow management and responsibility for the Profit & Loss of the business.
● Fostering teamwork at the management level, providing leadership and decisive action and forward thinking.
● Balancing entrepreneurial perspective whilst developing a sustainable company. This was especially so in developing a team that could provide a robust, well-constructed, stable code framework capable of future growth and improvement,
● Identifying, developing, and directing the implementation of business strategy,
● Involved in planning & organizing the companies’ activities to achieve targets,
● Identifying, driving, reviewing, refining, and implementing the strategy and direction of the company.
● Building client relationships that result in revenue and profitability growth.

• CSI Purchased RVI (Pty) Ltd and part of the purchase required that I to bed RVI (Pty) Ltd into CSI's listed organisational structure.
• CSI Company Overview: Consolidated Steel Industries owned a number of manufacturing facilities throughout Southern Africa that supplied colored and profiled roof sheeting and cladding and aluminium extrusions into the building industry in Southern Africa. (Global Roofing Solutions and Stalcor)
• CSI was not a contracting business.
• CSI wanted to expand its offering into SHEV's and Architectural Solutions sub contracting. My responsibility was therefore to set up operational and risk mitigation procedures to expose CSI, safely, to sub contracting, whilst transitioning RVI clients into CSI, whilst growing sales and meeting our ongoing client requirements.
• It was necessary for me to build partnerships with other CSI divisions to leverage collective strengths, the companies balance sheet, buying power, manufacturing facility and access ot raw material, and to develop comprehensive solutions for increased revenue and improved profit.
• My responsibilities at CSI included the above and all the director responsibilities of RVI (Pty) Ltd
• Reason for Leaving: Opportunity to transplant myself and to grow a new business from the start again.

• Company Overview: Specialist Sub-contractor. RVI Specialises in the design, supply and installation of: Smoke and Heat Exhaust Ventilation Systems (SHEVS), High heat load industrial ventilation systems, Architectural Sun Shading, Acoustics and Natural Ventilation
• Fiduciary duties of a director,
• Making sure that the business grew by way of developing new clients whilst maintaining its existing customer base.
• Contract management intervention and execution when contracts deviated from cost forecasts, timelines and contract obligations posing significant risk to the company.
• Managing the sales team to secure the budgeted bookings / orders for the company.
• Develop and maintain the sales strategy for the company.
• Winning identified projects / business from key target clients.
• Implementing systems that reward good staff performance & competence.
• Annual forecasts regarding orders received and claims processed.
• Development and implementation of marketing strategy for RVI.
• Development of RVI national business footprint.
• Responsibility for cost estimates.
• Responsibility for SHEVS designs.
• Introduction and maintenance of technical & performance standards pertaining to new products.
• Technical support for high heat load ventilation enquiries and orders.
• Managing production quality, throughput, planning and capability in RVI’s manufacturing operations.
• Conflict identification and resolution.
• Creating and maintaining links with world wide technology partners and other trade and professional associations.
• Fostering teamwork at the management level.
• Listening to employees and providing leadership.

• Company Overview: Multi-disciplinary Construction and Engineering Group. Part of the ventilation division of Steeledale Cladding. Robertson Ventilation International specialized in the fields of: Industrial ventilation systems (both powered and natural), Industrial Acoustics.
• To establish and develop the SHEVS Business.
• To conduct industrial ventilation site surveys and additional reports for large international high heat load projects.
• Equipment and system design and equipment selection.
• Ensure systems and products, offered locally under license were based on the latest international standards applicable/available.
• Reason for Leaving: Grinaker LTA closed certain non-core operations and I had the opportunity to start my own company.

• Company Overview: Internal Environmental Engineering, incorporating: Fire and smoke ventilation systems (both powered and natural), Industrial ventilation systems (both powered and natural including pollution control), Acoustics, Solar control/shading, Window and skylight automation.
• Eventually responsible for all the South African Smoke and Fire ventilation business
• Carrying out of site surveys.
• Compiling site survey and design reports.
• Equipment and system design and equipment selection.
• Cost estimating for tenders.
• Preparation of quotations and tender specifications.
• Technical explanation of tenders to sales engineers and/or clients, as required.
• Preparation of technical drawings.
• Becoming knowledgeable in all statutory laws and regulations relating to the fields in which the company operated.
• Product research, product and system design.
• Maintenance of existing relationships with key customers. Customers included consultancies (both mechanical and fire), architects, property developers, main contractors and quantity surveyors.
• Collaboration with the organisations contracts team to ensure timeous and accurate completion of contracts from enquiry stage to commissioning.
• Reason for leaving: Opportunity to work at Grinaker LTA. Limited Growth Opportunities.