Theresia Coetzee
Area Manager :
Northern
Region (East) – Witbank
Your career journey – where did
you start, how did you decide to
work in this industry?
Northern Transvaal Steel was a
small dealer with only two branches
in the far Northern Province, this is
where my career started in 1993. I
started as a counter salesperson
and after two years the company
was bought out by Alert Steel and I
was appointed as branch manager.
The following 16 years I went
from branch manager to regional
manager to Group Operations
Director. After taking a sabbatical
I applied myself to my passion for
people and took up an opportunity
at Stewarts & Lloyds in the Lowveld.
What’s your biggest accomplishment
in the industry?
If I have to single out my greatest
achievement it would be the love
I have from the people who have
grown under [my mentorship] and
the success that they have made
of their careers.
What ’s your advice for other
women and young people wanting
to succeed in the industry?
Passion is paramount, learn from an
early age how to effectively relate
and communicate with people.
Why Stewarts & Lloyds?
Being part of something that has
been around since 1903 and has
added to so many people, in the
form of apprentices, solutions and
innovation, over the last 120 years.
This is extremely fulfilling.
Belinda Malan
Branch Manager - Vaal
What kind of academic qualifications
do you have?
I studied Personnel Management at
the Vaal University of Technology
and did various product knowledge
and basic management courses.
How did you decide to work in the
engineering industry?
My personality and the people
skills I was taught, naturally lead
me in a sales direction. I started my
career as a personal assistant for
an engineering firm while I studied
part-time and was soon offered a
position in sales. I believe that
people who hold jobs with
characteristics and tasks related
to their personally are more
productive, happier and more
successful.
What is your favourite thing about
working in this sector?
It is never the same, it is always
exciting and challenging and, being
a woman, I feel we bring a different
voice and attention to detail that is
needed to help make this industry
even greater.
What advice would you like to
give younger women who want to
succeed in the workplace?
Focus on what you want out of
your career, set realistic goals for
yourself, and keep your eyes on the
result and not the clock. Take the
opportunities given to you and
embrace them with confidence.
As you grow and climb the career
ladder, build a strong team and
make sure you place the correct
people in the right positions.
Michelle Toy
Regional Manager - Wynberg,
Robertville & Pumps branches
What did you study to get to where
you are?
I studied Financial Management
through Unisa part time. After
completing my studies, I enrolled
in the different programmes
the company offered, such as
pipeline management workshops,
leadership programmes, sales
development courses, and various
computer literacy programmes.
How did you rise through the ranks
to get to where you are?
I s tar ted my career a s t he
receptionist at Stewarts & Lloyds
Robertville. From there I was given
the opportunity to grow within the
branch. The positions that I filled
over the past 18 years have been
Buyer, Counter Sales, Internal Sales,
Internal Sales Manager, Sales
Manager, Branch Manager and now
recently Regional Manager.
What is your biggest accomplishment
in the industry?
My biggest accomplishment in the
industry would be that no matter
what happened or what challenges
came my way, I faced them, pushed
past them, learnt from them, and
stay focused on my goals, vision
and purpose.
What ’s your advice for other
women and young people wanting
to succeed in the industry?
No matter where you start, just start.
Work hard, be consistent, be willing
to learn and absorb as much as you can as you grow.
Surround yourself with people
who share your drive, passion, and
enthusiasm for and in this industry.
Learn from everyone, take as much
knowledge as you can from them.
Be willing to make mistakes and be open to opportunities.
Carol Lloyd
Branch Manager –
Pipes &
Fittings and Excom Member
Your career journey – where did you
start, how did you decide to work in
this industry?
I initially accepted a part time opportunity
to do bookkeeping for a steel
pipe fabricator over 30 years ago,
which became a permanent position
and the start of my career in fluid
conveying systems.
What’s your biggest accomplishment
in the industry?
I set myself many goals, including
one to achieve the recognition for
my strategic ability.
This moment of recognition was
when I was appointed to Excom (the
senior management committee) of
the Stewarts & Lloyds Group shortly
after joining the company in June
2021. This forum provides me the
opportunity to add value to strategic
discussions and decision making.
What’s your favourite thing about
working in this sector?
The fluid conveyance product is
complex and fascinating as it covers
numerous industry sectors, namely
water, mining, pet ro-chemical ,
agricultural, pulp & paper, power
generation, manufacturing and
others. Piping systems are varied and
dependant on industry and purpose,
which can be regionally or even
seasonally differentiated.
We are in dynamic times and understanding
the market shifts, local
and international impacts, supply
and demand, makes it exciting to
research, adapt and align product
approaches constantly.
