SARS Commissioner Edward Kieswetter has 'an obsession to serve', chartered accountant and author KC Rottok Chesaina writes in his new book, The CEO X Factor. | News24_Business
SARS Commissioner Edward Kieswetter has"an obsession to serve", chartered accountant and author. Chesaina interviewed Kieswetter and other CEOs of South Africa’s top companies to uncover the unique personality traits, business acumen and leadership values that make them so successful.Edward Kieswetter, commissioner of the South African Revenue Services , is a fount of knowledge – natural intelligence combines with a wealth of long-earned learnings to culminate in solutions.
"SARS is a complex organisation and heading it is the same as heading a big corporation, regardless of the owner. Ultimately, you’re answerable to stakeholders. In the case of SARS, the stakeholder is the government or, in the broader sense, South African citizens. When I was [group chief executive] at Alexander Forbes, I had to answer to shareholders. So, it’s not different: you can’t get away from being accountable.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re leading a tax authority, an educational institution or a financial services company, he says. Whether it is a public or private institution, as a leader your mandate is always to serve the common good.Born in Maitland, Cape Town in 1958, Edward was one of five children. He had humble beginnings: as an eight-year-old boy he would go from door to door to help sell the clothes his seamstress mother had made.
"I came into a job I knew was going to be very difficult and one that, frankly, does not pay well. A recent article listed the top ten earners in government and my name was also there – but I was the only one the writer thought was underpaid! Fortunately, I’m in a phase of my life where money is not the primary driver. When I took the job, I was answering the call ofHigher purpose
Like Moses, Edward has a set of commandments he lives by in his professional life. He calls them the six Is: intent, impact, inspiration, influence, insight and interdependency.
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