2023

Michelle Austin

Entrant Company

Keegor SA

Category

Entrepreneur - Manufacturing

Client's Name

Entrepreneurial Mining Manufacturer Transforms From Family Business To Market Leader

Country / Region

South Africa

First established in 1959, Keegor Group is a market leader in the manufacturing of equipment and related consumables for precious metals mining analysis and production across six continents.

Established in 2016, Keegor SA is one of five Keegor Group businesses. We focus on mining equipment for the precious metals, assaying, refining and smelting industries in the South African market.

We are a family-run, third-generation business based in Benoni, near Johannesburg in South Africa, united by a common purpose to ‘create excellence’ through continuous improvement, and this has delivered outstanding results.

Today, Keegor SA is a top performer within the Group, accounting for 67% of group-wide turnover in 2022 and forecast to achieve an outstanding 54% of overall net profit in 2023. With employee engagement over 20% above the South Africa benchmark, on-time delivery has dramatically transformed from 29% to 93%.

While Keegor’s exceptional success is thanks to the whole Keegor family, Group Financial Director Michelle Austin stands out. The sole executive director of Keegor SA, and only one of two women on the Keegor group leadership team, Michelle is a qualified Chartered Accountant and was on track to become CEO of a listed company, when she was persuaded by her Father, Keegor Group CEO to sit in on a board meeting. He saw the potential for Michelle to join the leadership team, bring her entrepreneurial spirit and help transform the family business. A fire was lit. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Michelle was appointed Group Financial Director in 2015. Being a woman in finance and a board member in the Metals and Engineering industry (without an Engineering degree) in South Africa is tough. Michelle turned this to her advantage, rolled up her sleeves and led by example. Together they set out on a mission to automate the company and its operations whilst staying true to its family values.

Credits

Group Financial Director
Michelle Austin
Group Executive Chairman
Bruce Hansmeyer
Group Managing Director
Guy Hansmeyer
Group Operations Officer
Marno Jacobs
Group Financial Officer
Jeanne Wiggill
Group Engineering Officer
Jaysen Loock
Group Sales Officer
Edward Short
 
2023
Richard Lee Mudd, Telecom Construction Founder

Entrant Company

RLM Unmderground

Category

Entrepreneur - Telecommunications

Country / Region

United States

 
2023
LUXEIT Revolutionizes Style with Luxury Activewear

Entrant Company

LUXEIT

Category

Product & Services - Fashion

Country / Region

United States

 
2023
Health, Safety & Environmental Program of the Year and CSR Program of the Year

Entrant Company

Tech Food Ingredients Sdn Bhd

Category

Company & Organization - Health, Safety & Environmental Program of the Year

Country / Region

Malaysia

 
2023
The Macallan Horizon

Entrant Company

Master For You Agency

Category

Video - Fashion & Lifestyle

Country / Region

Spain