The Success Academy Featured Company – CapCircle Management Consultants

This week we had a chat with Senior Management from CapCircle Management Consultants, a company that focuses on business consultancy, project management and implementation of business plans and strategies through projects. One of their key offerings is challenging traditional project and program management paradigms and offering a fresh, practical solution for executives to gain control over projects and capital expenditure. Meet Managing Director & Founder – Anton Hyman and Directors – Stephan Fourie and Mphumzi Lusi.

PERSONAL

Q: How would you be introduced by a close friend at a social event? i.e. Name, age, company, title, interesting fact etc.
Anton: Please meet Anton Hyman. He is the Managing Director and Founder of CapCircle. He was a member of Accenture and Deloitte Consulting for over 12 years where he was privileged to have worked with visionaries and great leaders that inspired him to establish and grow CapCircle to where it is today. Anton is a typical optimist and a strong believer that you can do anything by keeping at it long enough.
Stephan: Meet Stephan Fourie, he is one of the senior directors at CapCircle Management Consultants and has been part of the business since 2008.
Mphumzi: Hi, this is Mphumzi Lusi, he is the newest asset of CapCircle’s Management Team and will be heading up our Human Resources division as well as driving change and communication initiatives for our customers.

Q: Tell us something that not many others know about you. This could be anything related to your family, children, their achievements, hobbies, interests etc.
Anton: I hold a degree in music with UNISA and used to play the clarinet. I still play piano regularly and compose my own music. I teach my girls to play piano as well and they enjoy it a great deal.
Stephan: I’m an outdoor person and enjoys venturing in the wild and remote areas of our beautiful country and neighbouring countries. I play the guitar to the frustration of my three boys ages between 5 and 11.
Mphumzi: Blessed with two kids, Daughter & Son, 8 & 5yrs respectively. I am very family orientated.

Q: What do you enjoy doing when you want to get away from it all?
Anton: Travelling to historic places has always been high on my agenda when wanting to get away. Even just for short weekend breaks. As a family we get away regularly to various destinations in South Africa from having breakfast in Franschoek, enjoying our beautiful beaches, and going to the Drakensberg Mountains. We have even walked the suspension bridge over the Umzimkulwane river at the Oribi Gorge. I am so proud of all my girls and especially my wife who is petrified of heights!
Stephan: Taking a 4×4 and disappear in the bushveld. Once there, hiking into those areas where 4×4 won’t go.
Mphumzi: Take my family out for a movie or a drive, holiday to another province.

Q: Which book had the biggest impact on you and why?
Anton: I typically read books like How to improve your sales, Be more successful, Who took my Cheese, like I am sure all of us do, and there are many inspirational books, but none impacted me as much as my own decision to change. In order to do THAT, I searched and found books that applied to the present and that helped me on my path.
Stephan: A brief History in Time – Stephen Hawing; and “Die Groot Gedagte” – Gideon Joubert
It made me realise the vastness of the universe, and how small (and big) humans in the context of it.
Mphumzi: Seven Habits – Steven Covey

Q: Who is/has been the most important mentor in your life and why?
Anton: I have different mentors in my life. My parents who has helped me to learn and grow and taught me that anything is possible; my brother who is always there and always honest with me, the one who had the courage to tell me what other people didn’t; my partner who is a great listener and always supportive of my dreams no matter what; and my friends who I have fun with and that provides support and comfort when I need it.
Stephan: My Father, and Brother in Law
Mphumzi: Mrs Jane Bruyns – HR Director Massmart subsidiary, she has been very instrumental in my personal growth and business approach.

Q: If you could invite any three South Africans to a dinner party, who would you invite?
Anton: I would love to dine with the top winemakers of South Africa while enjoying culinary specials from top chefs like Malika van Reenen (Signal Restaurant at Cape Grace)… perhaps get some tips from her as I love gourmet cooking.
Stephan: Christo Wiese, Jacob Zuma and Angus Buchan
Mphumzi: Mr Mark Lamberti (Founder of Massmart Holding); Mr Pravin Gordhan (Finance Minister) and Mr Vusi Thembekwayo (Motivational Speaker)

Q: Which gadgets do you personally use on a day-to-day basis and if you had to pick a single gadget you could not live without, which would it be?
Anton: No business man can live without his iPhone or Blackberry anymore. But if there is any other device which will drive me crazy if I don’t have it… it will be my wireless mouse.
Stephan: iPhone; Notebook computer & iPad. Definitely cannot live without my iPhone.
Mphumzi: Mobile phone

ABOUT CAPCIRCLE

Q: When was CapCircle founded?
Anton: The idea of CapCircle started in 2006 and the company was formally founded in June 2007.

Q: What do you specialise in?
A: We offer business consultancy services and although not limited within the consulting space, our focus is to specialise in project management services and solutions.

Q: How do you find and retain a great team of employees?
Anton: This is the greatest challenge of them all when leading and building a services company. We have learned so many lessons and the most valuable of them all is not to only find the best talent, but to let best talent find you. CapCircle offers a unique culture that attracts people who think and act with integrity and innovation.

Q: What has been the single biggest reason for your success?
Anton: Perseverance and building a business with integrity stands out for me. Certainly being talented and having good people is the base to build this kind of business, but creating that element of trust that makes customers keep coming back is vital for the growth and sustainability of our business.

Q: What relationship building tips do you have for other business owners?
Anton: I have three tips that stand out for me:
1. Get to know your customers personally, but always act professionally;
2. Always seek clarity of your customer’s expectations and make sure that they understand yours;
3. Always deliver to the minimum expectations of your client, but where possible exceed it!
By doing the above you will foster a trusting relationship that is the foundation of any other or further business.

LIFE IN PRETORIA AND BERKLEY OFFICE PARK

Q: What do you most enjoy about living in Pretoria?
Anton: I have lived in Pretoria now for 17 years and cannot get tired of seeing the Union Buildings, the magnificence of UNISA, driving past the Magnolia trees every day and the extraordinary beauty of white Jakarandas during October and November in the street we live in.
Stephan: Location. We are in the middle of the economic hub, but never more than 1 hour’s drive from the bushveld.
Mphumzi: Fast paced life, there is always something to do with lots of choices.

Q: Favorite restaurant for a business lunch?
Anton: I always make a point to take my customers to THEIR favourite restaurant, but if I could have a choice I would choose Grissini’s or Saffron Blu in Pretoria for the more formal business lunch. When considering a more relaxed atmosphere I just love Crawdaddy’s in Brooklyn.
Stephan: Ga Rouge in Centurion.

Q: What do you enjoy most about having your offices in Berkley Office Park?
Anton: The Proximity of Berkley to most of our clients and ease of access for our staff is a key advantage. We enjoy the quality of our office and being on the Mezzanine with facilities to entertain and have regular social events is fabulous!
Stephan: Location. It is 5min from my home, and close to most of our clients. The service and value added e.g. business breakfasts are exceeding my expectations from a landlord.
Mphumzi: Closer to our clients, situated in the middle with easy access to Johannesburg and Pretoria