Senior Manager: Corporate Communications and Public Relations, Oiva Angula, conducted an interview with outgoing Head of Marketing, Patricia Brigitte Hauuanga. Below is the interview in full:

My parting words

What attracted you to Telecom Namibia?

Looking from the outside, Telecom Namibia looks like a company with very good team players, development programmes for employees, and good values. I always saw pictures of happy people, competitions, achievements of different departments and teams as well as acknowledgement of personal happenings in the life of employees, like picture of graduations and weddings in the telescope. It looked like a company where everybody is part of this huge happy family. In addition to these, it was common knowledge that most managers leaving Telecom Namibia are highly sought after for executive positions, so I was looking forward to contribute and to be shaped professionally.

What is the one thing you enjoyed most about working at Telecom Namibia?

During my tenure of 13 years, I was responsible for the commercial department in many different capacities. Being in charge of marketing always provided an opportunity to excite customers about new products and offerings. It always excited me to promise customers miracles and to be able to deliver on that promise. After my initial appointment in 2000, I enjoyed it tremendously to deal with customer problems. It was always a challenge for me to turn an angry and disappointed customer into a happy one. I regarded every customer complain as a challenge as well as an opportunity to solve the problem and to promote Telecom Namibia. It was a good feeling to know that customers rely on you and even a better feeling to know that you had the authority to solve their problems.

During the time that I was responsible for the sales channels it gave me great pleasure to drive all the way to Aranos in the south or Oshakati in the north, to get to know the faces behind the names on Tocnet. It was good to chat to frontline staff, to hear what their challenges were, what they liked and disliked about their jobs and, more importantly, how I could contribute to make their environment more pleasant and conducive to deliver.

I enjoyed the customer presentations across the country and to be able to explain the complicated technology terms in layman’s language. I enjoyed the exposures through conferences and seminars. What I relished in most was the many wonderful new friendships that I established during my 13 years at Telecom Namibia.

What is the one thing you enjoy least about working at Telecom Namibia?

Way too many meetings! Something must be changed drastically in this regard. You lose touch with what is happening around you and it forces you to spend your evenings and weekends attending to emails, to avoid falling behind.

Besides, more needs to be done to overcome the silo mentalities and to create a truly caring, united Telecom Namibia family. This is a great company and has the potential to become even greater if departments can all pull in the same direction and stop the blaming culture.

How would you describe the work environment at Telecom Namibia?

The work environment in Telecom Namibia, I would say, is probably the same as in most companies of its size. Your attitude and approach to challenges will always determine your altitude. There will always be colleagues that will support you to do well and those that will make it a point to undermine your efforts and portray you in a bad light. The secret to me was always to take decisions that will make me sleep well at night - decisions that are in the best interest of Telecom Namibia as a company.

What are your goals professionally for the next 5 years?

I started an event management company some time ago and its performance totally exceeded my expectations. My positioning and marketing strategy worked so well that I had to double my resources within the first six months of operations. It is a good feeling to know that it is entirely up to myself on how big or how small I want to play in the market. I appointed a very competent manager to run the business and look forward to dedicate most of my time to my family. I am looking forward to spend quality time with my children, taking them for extra mural activities and have a few extramural activities myself. I am looking forward to be available whenever they need me and raise them with love and dedication to become responsible adults one day.

I love the prospect of being in charge of my own time. I do have other very exciting business aspirations lined up that I am looking forward to pursue, which are premature to reveal at this stage. My most important pre-occupation will be to improve the quality of my family life, my own well-being and doing the small things that really makes me happy.

What is your proudest moment so far while working at Telecom Namibia?

Too many to mention. Thirteen years was a long time with a lot of trails and jubilations. I am proud that I was appointed as General Manager Commercial at the age of 29 in one of the most well established and managed parastatals in the country. I am proud of all the products that were developed, priced and marketed and sold under my management. I am proud of all the awards that we won every year during shows and exhibitions throughout the country. I am proud that in spite of all the challenges, we could manage to grow revenue on an annual basis over all the years that I was in charge of commercial in different capacities between the disciplines of Marketing, Sales and Customer Care. The rebranding of Telecom Namibia eight years ago was another successful milestone.

What is the most exciting thing going on at Telecom Namibia right now?

The acquisition of Powercom t/a Leo is by far the most exiting pre-occupation at Telecom Namibia at the moment. The technical and commercial teams are working around the clock to ensure that the new acquisition will be a force to reckon with. In spite of the fact that our current mobile penetration rate is over 100%, I am confident that there is still a window of opportunity for a second credible, sustainable and fully Namibian owned mobile alternative. It is not going to be an easy ride, but I am confident that the projected future market share is realistic and achievable.

What is the most important thing you have gained or learned from working at TN?

I have definitely learned a lot of skills that I will be able to apply in so many different aspects of my life. I am equipped with all the skills to run a successful business, with a business plan, operational plan targets and PDRs. I have learned skills in planning, budgeting and people management as well.

Yes, I have learned that work is essential, but I have also learned that work is not everything. Being successful to me means being able to manage a healthy balance across all important aspects of your life and, most importantly, to be a happy and complete human being.

Any final thoughts you'd like to add?

I would like to thanks each and every colleague that I worked with and learned from and in particular my big bosses, starting from our Line Minister, Honourable Joel Kapaanda, that I had the opportunity to interact with when required, our Board of Directors, our Managing Director, my boss Mr Heiko Trost and the rest of EXCO, the Union Executive under the leadership of Mr Jacob Ramoswaane, the Commercial Executive Team, my own Management Team, my staff members in marketing as well as the many colleagues in all the different department that I worked with.

Telecom Namibia will remain a great company as long as you all pull in the same direction, support each other, celebrate the small successes and stay true to the vision, strategies and values of the company.