I am ready for Namibia Dairies challenge – Prinsloo
By Hilary Mare
NEWLY appointed managing director of Namibia Dairies – a subsidiary of the Ohlthaver & List (O&L) Group – Leonie Prinsloo has said that she is ready to take up the challenge, highlighting that women have much to offer in the world of leadership.
Prinsloo was appointed to the position effective July 1 2020 after she formerly held the position of head of marketing at Namibia Dairies.
“I am very excited to be starting in this new role, but I know it will not be an easy journey. It was initially hard to avoid feeling overwhelmed as there are so many pressing issues to consider such as Covid-19, food security and job creation. It is a major responsibility and I feel very humbled and honoured to have been chosen to lead in this role and to be welcomed as a woman in leadership.
“I think women have so much to bring to the world of leadership; one only has to look at the concept of Mother Nature herself. Our caring and attentive dispositions and contemplative natures are aspects of emotional intelligence. They also relate to the O&L values, from fostering open communication to growing people. I believe it is no longer a man’s world but a leader’s world and I am glad to see it rising in all spheres of society, whether it be in business or government. Empowering others is essential to achieving the end result and with that empowerment, anyone can make a success of themselves,” said Prinsloo this week.
Coming from the world of telecommunications, Prinsloo joined O&L in 2011 as brand manager at Namibia Dairies. Thereafter, she became the company’s head of marketing and also served as acting head of marketing for Hartlief for three months before her promotion to MD.
“If you really want something and envision it, you can have it. A demotion at one point in my career did not scare me, because I knew what was needed to get where I wanted to be and looking back, I can say it paid off. I believe in the power of attraction and positive thinking. Your thoughts really do become your reality and you need to take responsibility for your state of mind.”
Prinsloo says she is firmly committed to ensuring the presence of a sustainable industry that is able to provide food security, notwithstanding the challenges and uncertainty farmers are currently facing.
“We need to find new opportunities to combat the present risks and that is why, in the case of Namibia Dairies, we will be diversifying our portfolio and business focus. In order to keep offering our products at affordable prices we need to focus on what we can do and find partners for the activities we can no longer optimally perform. The proportion of our dairy product offerings will be less in future, but that opens the door to other possibilities.
“We can extend our product line to bring customers new products under the brands they have come to know and love, thereby maximising the potential of our existing brands. That is part of what I am looking forward to the most: turning all opportunities into realities. I firmly believe we have the ability to change anything from the way people think all the way to the bottom line,” further explained Prinsloo.