Key Takeways:

  • New Leadership Role: Derrick Pautz has been appointed head of Atterbury’s Gauteng development team, taking over some responsibilities from James Ehlers.
  • Expanded Responsibilities: Pautz will oversee Pretoria’s development team, manage people, and ensure a steady project pipeline.
  • Career Growth: He started at Atterbury in 2014, transitioning from civil engineering to property development through hands-on experience.
  • Key Lessons: Trust and accountability have been crucial in his growth, with Atterbury fostering opportunities for development.
  • Industry Outlook: The property sector faces post-Covid challenges, requiring adaptability and a focus on resilient market sectors.

Atterbury development project manager Derrick Pautz was recently appointed as head of the development team in Gauteng. In his new role he takes over certain responsibilities from Atterbury Property Developments MD James Ehlers, who’ll be concentrating on the strategic direction of Atterbury’s developments. We spoke to the man of the moment.

Congratulations on the promotion! This is a new position that was created, wasn’t it? What necessitated the new role, and when did you take up the new position?
Thank you, it is a great privilege to be entrusted with the role. It’s a new position in that James has always headed up the entire Atterbury development team and now Gerrit van den Bergh and I will slot in under James, with Gerrit heading up the Cape team and me heading up the Pretoria team.

How have your duties and focus changed?
I still have a few exciting projects to complete and will most likely manage a few new projects going forward. In my new role I will need to familiarise myself with all Atterbury developments being managed by the team and focus on the pipeline to ensure we remain busy. I think that the management of the people within the Pretoria development team will be the greatest addition to my focus.

You’ve walked a considerable path with Atterbury already – can you tell us more about the steps that brought you to where you are today?
I started with Atterbury in 2014 as a development manager, working in the Waterfall office. I’d studied civil engineering at Tuks and joined a civil engineering contracting firm as soon as I graduated. So, it was a very steep learning curve coming into Atterbury and being responsible for the full development process. I firmly believe that it is a great Atterbury attribute to give people opportunities and enable them to grow and develop within the company.

What has been the biggest lesson you’ve learnt to date working at Atterbury?
Trust and accountability. When I started at Atterbury I was surprised by the level of trust management had placed in me. I quickly learnt that trust and freedom comes with accountability and great responsibility.

Covid-19 caught everyone unawares. What kind of impact, in your opinion, will the pandemic have on the property development industry in the medium term?
It certainly has had an impact on every single person’s life and way of life. I think that the property development industry is going to be tough for the next few years. We are going to have to work hard to identify and secure good opportunities. We are also going to have to look at different sectors and products to what we are used to. Some sectors of the economy are going to recover quicker than others and some will be only slightly affected – we need to focus on these for the medium term.

What will be your main focus points for the rest of 2020?
My current development focus is to launch Jewel City on 24 September 2020 and to get existing pipeline developments off the ground. I will also be focusing on getting up to speed with the rest of the team and their developments by the end of the year.