Kathryn Sakalis hails from the small town of Douglas in the Northern Cape and was schooled at Kimberley Girls High. After matriculating, she became a Rotary Exchange Student and spent a year studying in the US. “This was in 1986, when our country was in serious strife, so you can imagine how character-forming that was for me, having to deal with awkward questions I found really hard to explain to myself,” she reflects.
On her return, this dedicated achiever studied a Business Science Honours degree at UCT, where she made the Dean’s merit list and was the top student in marketing in her final year.
“When I graduated, I wrote down that I wanted to be Marketing Director of a multimillion rand brand by the time I was 35,” she smiles at the memory.
But at one stage, this energetic, positive thinker didn’t think she’d attain it.
“A week after Simon Bowley, the Managing Director of Foschini offered me the position of marketing executive, I discovered I was pregnant with my first child, ” Kathryn recalls.
And women all know what that could do to one’s promotional prospects! Fortunately, Foschini was very supportive, and only too willing to play the waiting game. “Effectively, it meant that only a couple of months after I took up the position, I was off on six months maternity leave,” she points out. Three years later, a similar scenario ensued when the retail group made her a director – while she was pregnant with her second child, Daemon. Kathryn took another six months maternity leave, and - in both instances - managed to also continue working from home.
“I’m really lucky in that I’ve have been able to have two babies and it hasn’t held me back in my career,” the dynamic brunette says, “I think I was probably Foschini’s first pregnant director!” Which is just one reason she speaks so highly of the company which has helped her carve her niche.
Kathryn’s achievements have included being proclaimed one of the top 300 women in business and government. But it’s neither this obvious recognition nor the directorship itself that she is most proud of. “Those are obvious highlights for me,” she agrees, “but only on an achievement level - the most warming is definitely the corporate social initiatives we’ve put in place,” says Kathryn.
She’s referring to two major projects she initiated: the Foschini Annual Design Awards, started in 2002, and Amelia’s Home, an orphanage in Blue Downs that her department has adopted.
“The Design Awards are a means of putting money back into the fashion industry via education and small business enterprises, enthuses Kathryn. “We use Foschini resources to support and raise funds for Amelia’s Home, such as the annual Golf Day in July. But we also donate our own free time to the orphanage. I personally support them, as do the rest of my staff, and someone goes out to visit them at least once a month, every month. The place was initially home to 100 orphans, now it houses nearly 200, she explains.
Kathryn takes every laudable achievement in her stride. “I believe that if you have a vision, you can achieve it, but unfortunately, so often, women don’t believe in themselves enough,” she says, warming to her favourite subject. “I feel very strongly about supporting other women, about progress for women’s rights and development,” she stresses, “even though women, by nature, are more competitive, which is a pity because they’re not really helping each other and I’m sure that’s why there aren’t more women MDs?” she poses.
So how does this strong woman cope with corporate life and the related politics? “My saving grace has always been my sense of humour – I don’t take myself too seriously,” she smiles confidently.
With two small boys the burning question for most is: where does she find the time?
“I’m a very driven person, with lots of energy,” she says. “I’m one of those irritating people who just hops out of bed – I’ve been driven all my life, and am very goal-orientated, and love setting out three- to five-year goals.”
This is evident in the 5-year marketing campaign she first put in place with MD Simon Bowley when she first started out, which has turned Foschini from a waning retail store into a leading women’s clothing outlet, with unprecedented success arising from their advertising, marketing and promotional campaigns. In the past five years, thanks largely to this combined vision, Foschini has done a complete turn-around to the benefit of its clientele, employees and shareholders alike.
It’s an holistic approach that does the trick, says Kathryn. “I’m fortunate enough to love what I do; marketing has always been my passion, and it’s every woman’s dream to work in fashion. I’m also fortunate to have a very supportive husband, Milton, a business analyst who, like me, makes an effort to do a lot together as a family, especially as there’s no time off with a baby! I can’t remember when I last read a novel!”
Time management, says Kathryn, is also essential. “I’m extremely organised and very focused – it’s a major discipline,” she stresses. These characteristics are all the qualities that saw her through a childhood in the platteland. “I’m still a small town girl at heart,” she laughs, “I take an annual sojourn to my home town where – even though my family speaks English – I speak only Afrikaans.”
She might not have time to read novels – “I have to keep up to date with industry trends, so I do read a lot of industry-related publications” – but Kathryn is not averse to taking a leaf from the books of her favourite author, Peruvian-born Isabelle Allende.
“She’s a strong woman with lots of spirit who’s overcome much adversity. And she comes from a totally different angle – sometimes, in life, you need to do that,” says the woman who has managed to smooth out all the sharp planes and make life work for her.
Kathryn, we salute you!
source: www.inspiringwomen.co.za
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