Before joining Atterbury, Financial Director Flip Smit lived and worked in Eastern Europe, joined a start-up and worked with oranges… Today, this dynamic adventurer heads up the company’s Corporate Services division. He gave us 30 minutes of his time…

1. Tell us more about the road that led you to Atterbury?
I grew up in Pretoria as the third of four kids, all boys. After studying at the University of Pretoria, I did articles at Coopers & Lybrand in Pretoria, then started my own auditing and consulting company in Nelspruit. We later became the Coopers & Lybrand office in Nelspruit. I then joined the European partnership of PwC, stationed in Riga, Latvia, where I stayed for four years. I returned to South Africa in 2011, and joined an IT start-up company called Attix5. Three years later I moved to Hoedspruit to join Blyde Citrus, a citrus-farming enterprise. I joined Atterbury in 2010, after meeting Louis van der Watt while I was doing consulting work for a company where Attventure had a shareholding.

2. Compared to five years ago when you joined Atterbury, what is the biggest difference in terms of corporate services needs? Have the objectives changed during this time?
The needs and objectives are the same: the principal needs are transaction support and financial reporting, and our aim is to be both fast and accurate.

3. The company’s international expansion must present unique challenges for your division… are you learning interesting lessons?
Yes, learning is always part of new developments, more so when these developments are outside of SA. South Africa itself had and will have significant future developments and challenges.

4. Have you experienced unique challenges during international dealings?
Not really. Business principles stay the same, whether dealing locally or elsewhere.

6. What are first steps for your division when a big new development deal is signed, such as the recent Richmond Park deal in Cape Town?
First we celebrate! Then we identify the manager who has to ensure the development runs smoothly…

7. What are you most vigilant about? What can’t go wrong, no matter what?
Cash flow, definitely.

8. How do you prepare for worst-case scenarios?
We do two- to five-year forward scenario planning and monitor this to always ensure we have flexibility to manage any crisis.

9. What project have you personally enjoyed most working on and why?
Restructuring of the Corporate Services division was very gratifying; seeing how people grabbed the opportunity when they were given room for development and growth.

10. Do you have a secret for success in business? A motto you live by?
If something doesn’t go as planned, fix it first.

11. What is the first thing you do in the morning when you sit down at your desk?
Drink my Ritalin and order coffee.

12. At the end of a hectic week at work, how do you unwind?
By not planning anything and going with (my) flow.

13. Do you have any hobbies?
I like Bisley Shooting and cycling, and I’ll play golf about once a year…

14. What have you found most rewarding to work on in the past year, and what do you look forward to most for the coming year?
It’s been a great challenge to try to catch up with the dealmaking team; and I am looking forward to when we finally catch them!

15. What do you foresee to be the challenges for Atterbury going forward?
The big one will be to retain and grow the talent while maintaining the core values of Atterbury.