PROFILE: Darren Roos, CEO of software company IFS
Introduced to the software industry through Dimension Data in SA, Roos realised he wouldn’t reach the position of CEO of a global firm if he remained in the country
Darren Roos’s appointment as CEO of Swedish software company IFS adds credence to the theory that SA punches above its weight in the global tech arena."I think that in most of the developed world — Europe and the US particularly — there is a very robust social welfare system and because of this, if you don’t get a job and make a success of it after leaving school, you don’t usually end up on the streets," says Roos, who took the helm of IFS — which specialises in enterprise resource planning software — in April."As South Africans we grow up knowing that our fate is in our hands, and we are accountable for that. As a result, we develop a very good work ethic early on and have a strong sense of accountability.Those two things are great ingredients for a successful career."Roos says he tends to hire a lot of South Africans from IFS’s competitors. This is not by design, he adds, but rather because SA tends to breed strong candidates.His company, headquartered in Linköping, a small city ...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.