Tell us more about the career path that led you to Atterbury? What made you take the step to join the company?
I started off at a law firm in Johannesburg where I took up articles an where I was later appointed as an associate in the commercial litigation department. I then had the privilege of joining my father’s firm, initially as an associate and later as Director.
I always had a keen interest in Atterbury and knew that apart from being a successful organization, Atterbury also has a culture and ethos that aligns with my values. I can honestly say that I would not have left private practice, had it not been for an opportunity to work for Atterbury, specifically.
A friend of mine who works for Atterbury informed me of the opportunity, I applied for the position and was lucky enough to be the successful candidate.
How does a typical ‘day in your life’ unfold in this new position?
Business at Atterbury is very dynamic and there isn’t really something like a “typical day”. The only real constant is the cup of coffee that I get every morning from our lovely barista, Lerato!
Every day is quite exciting and unique in that we are very involved with the day-to-day dealmaking and agreements that emanate therefrom, be it acquiring new land to develop, discussing opportunities with our partners or potential partners, selling some of our mature assets and then putting pen to paper to structure these deals.
Tell us a bit about your personal life and what you are passionate about.
I relatively recently got married to my wife with who I enjoy sharing the simple things in life with, such as spending time with family and friends, listening to good music, having a braai and glass of good wine.
I am a very patriotic South African (something that is quite evident when the Springboks beat New Zealand comprehensively in the lead up to the World Cup)! I firmly believe that despite our many challenges, South Africa is – or at least has the potential to be – the best country in the world. I guess you could say that I am passionate about converting the non-believers in this sense!
I also enjoy the outdoors, watching sport, playing golf, travelling and exploring places off the beaten track and try to tick a couple of items off my bucket-list each year.
What will be your focus for the rest of the year and going into 2024?
We will generally be focussing on what our head of legal, Louis Hiemstra, calls “big ticket items” to tick off, which involves signing a couple of relatively large deals, finalising a couple of disposals in the pipeline and tying up any loose ends with regards to ongoing deals.
How does your expectations compare to reality?
My expectations were admittedly quite high as I have only heard great things about Atterbury (hence the decision to take the leap), but I can honestly say that it exceeded my expectations. There is certainly a lot of hard work and team work that goes into making Attebury the success that it is and it is very satisfying when a plan comes together and knowing that you played a part in it, however small that part might have been.
In your career so far, can you share an “aha” moment, when a learning made a big impact on the next step that you took?
There were many “aha” moments, but the most important lessons that I have learnt comes from many trials and errors. To use an analogy, I have learnt that business is very much like building (or developing). If the “deal” is built on solid foundations, the details will sort itself out. Stated differently, if everyone is on the same page with regards to the end-goal in any deal or idea, determining how to achieve that and navigating the challenges that presents itself along the way, is a lot easier to figure out.
I have also learnt that, in business as in life, EQ is as important as IQ (if not more important), that you should always first seek an outcome that benefits all involved and that partnering with the right people is crucial. As our slogan goes: “It’s a matter of association”.
Tell us about the professional persona Dirk Pistorius. Where did you study, what was your first ever job, your first proper job and what path did your career take from there to where you’ve started at Atterbury?
I started out studying industrial engineering at Tuks, but soon realised that I prefer speaking and writing over chemistry and calculus and switched to BCom Law (LLB). I did a couple of odd jobs to fund my travels during varsity, such as tutoring maths to high school kids or chaperoning foreign nationals to and from the airport.
My first proper job was as an article clerk and I eventually made my way up the proverbial corporate ladder to joining my father’s firm and opening a branch office in Pretoria which I headed, to where I now work at Atterbury as Legal Manager.
Where and when did you realise you have an interest in property development?
Property development combines expertise attained from practice in your field (in my case, law), with entrepreneurship and general business that can’t necessarily be taught, but for which you need a natural affinity. I have a keen interest in people, entrepreneurship and business in general and property development in a way takes people’s vision and ideas and turn them into a reality – what’s not to like about that!
If you could be a professional in any industry, what would it be?
Professional surfer by day, guitarist by night. Problem is, I can’t do either of them (or very well, at least)! I’d like to be a writer one day, but I am very happy with where I find myself and am grateful to be part of the Atterbury-family.
