Selvan Govender - 15 years of game-changing leadership in serving Higher Education

Famous Chinese Philosopher, Confucius once said “The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.” and that is entirely what Selvan Govender has done for the past 15 years at PURCO SA.

Commencing in his role with only 29 Members and no TVET College or private Higher Education Institution, to now having 65 Members including a number of TVET Colleges and Private Higher Education Institutions, Selvan Govender’s journey with PURCO SA has been one of notable achievements and game-changing leadership.

Appointed Chief Executive Officer in 2008 after senior management roles in multi-nationals that included Shell, BP, Henkel, Hoechst and Air Liquide, Govender has grown the PURCO SA Membership and the company overall to what it is today, making his mark in the Higher Education Sector in South Africa. Not only does he have exceptional experience in multiple industries locally and abroad, Govender also holds a number of qualifications – a Diploma in Analytical Chemistry, a Bachelor of Commerce degree and a Master of Business Administration degree.

Among his many notable achievements, and most recently grew the collaborative spend to R2.2 Billion, championed the launch of the PURQ, a centralised academic information platform to assist graduates improve their credit score and obtain competitive interest rates at financial institutions. Not only that, but he led the drive to achieve and retain the ISO 9001:2015 certification, making the organization the only one of its kind to have this certification globally as a higher education  purchasing consortium. Under his leadership, Membership has more than doubled; annual spend through PURCO SA contracts has quadrupled to two billion rands; and Members have seen a seventeen-fold increase in the direct income they derive from participation in the Consortium.

Hearing from the man of the moment himself, here is what he had to say:

How would you describe your personal journey in the past 15 years at PURCO SA?

I joined PURCO SA in 2008, after spending many years in the manufacturing industry gaining global exposure working for multinational organisations. The motivation to join PURCO SA was firstly that it was an NPC and that it was seen as an opportunity to be of service to higher education and RSA. We were still a young democracy and in the early stages of transition, the buzz words being Transformation and Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment. The immediate mission was to reorganise and align the organisation from a “Club” mentality to that of a corporate organisation. This meant that aligning all processes and practices in line with the Companies Act and to the King Code of Good Governance. In addition we implemented the ISO 9000:2015 quality management systems. No doubt, all the time change management was tough both internally and externally, actually not an easy ride at all. Gradually as the sector was transforming and new entrants, being young and progressive joining from different industries, understood the benefits of collaboration and change became easier. They latched on quickly to the realisation that our services were provided in support of their work at the institutions, to complement their efforts, to collaborate as a Membership, to leverage of each other’s experiences and to save and add efficiencies to their operations. So today, 15 years later we are proud to say that we are collaborating with substantial progress, a bigger organisation, with more Members, with a diverse range of services and a steady flow of financial benefits to the Membership. The organisation continues in this growth trajectory.

How would you say the organization has evolved in the past 15 years?  

It has been a rewarding 15 years thus far. At the beginning, it was clear that the organisation had to be structured on business principles and its practices had to be quality driven. It had to also speak to the changing demands of the sector and to be ready and equipped to meet the needs of the Membership. Therefore it became necessary to employ a qualified multi- skilled team of professionals and implement an ISO quality system. During this time there was also the Fees Must Fall Campaign, which led to a huge portion of tenders business being insourced and resulted in a loss of revenue to PURCO SA. This led to the introduction of our consulting arm of the business, to offset the loss of revenue due to insourcing .Today the consultancy business is a significant revenue generator for the organisation.

Currently we have evolved from just a narrowly focussed tender management purchasing consortium to one with an expanded services, offering tender management, consultancy services, profession development and training for the Membership and supplier and enterprise development training.

Covid -19 had its own challenges which led to the development of a customised online tender system minimising disruptions to the activities of the organisation. All of these changes during these times were possible through the resilience, commitment and dedication of the PURCO SA Team.

From petroleum, chemicals to Higher Education – have you always wanted to have such a broad career?

I must say that I was not actively seeking to work in the education sector, but always open to learn new things and when the opportunity crossed my path, I thought of it as being a privilege to be part of a NPC and to serve society.

How do your friends and family describe you?

We are a relatively small family, always looking out for each other. We enjoy a friendly, cordial, and trusted relationship. Friends and colleagues are many with a good socially and healthy friendship.

How would you say Procurement has changed in the South African higher education industry?

Procurement and SCM is a challenge in any sector, private or public. It is no secret that maladministration and non-adherence to policy and good governance are widely spoken about. I am of the opinion that Procurement should have a seat at executive level, to contribute to policy and strategy development. It can be repositioned from a back office administrative function to one that is empowered at various levels. This off course will have to have teams of professionally qualified practitioners to function as collaborators internally and externally instead of functioning as bureaucrats.

If Selvan is not working, what can he be found doing in his spare time?

I like reading, keeping abreast with current affairs, sometimes play golf and most of all like pottering around the garden.

What is the best advice you were ever given? Who was it from? 

I would say that I worked with people with varied nationalities, cultures ,races, classes, languages , skills and experiences and have learnt a great deal of work and life lessons along the way. The common tread though I found was that once you unconditionally embrace the objectives of others as your own and deliver on the objectives, it fosters confidence and trust for a long lasting and fruitful relationship.

I know you always say that “young people need to always show enthusiasm and be eager to learn. One never stops learning.” What would your advice be to young people who one day want to make a big difference and be game-changing leaders, like you have at PURCO SA?

The world is a dynamic place , get and education, and keep updated with this accompanying change. This change will always present opportunities and risks. Every situation will have a solution, be decisive, bold and courageous.

PURCO SA staff shared their appreciation for their CEO’s dedication, enthusiasm and love for his job. “Mr Govender, an appreciated CEO who is a visionary leader that is forward-facing and an inspiration to the staff in pursuit of the vision of PURCO SA.  As a CEO he remains focused and determined; and resilient and strong, especially in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges faced in the sector.” as commented by the Business Development Manager at PURCO SA.

“Good leaders have a vision and inspire others to help them turn vision into reality. Great leaders have a vision, share vision, and inspire others to create their own.”  Roy Bennett.