Celebrating 20 years of excellence with Gary Stocks
Gary Stocks is the Head of Research and Knowledge at BSG.
He recently celebrated 20-years with the company and shares his journey with us.
Gary, 20 years is a long time to stay with the same company, could you share a little about what initially attracted you to BSG and your journey thus far.
What attracted me to BSG 20-years ago was the opportunity to be part of a local consulting company with an entrepreneurial flair. My journey over the 20 years has been enriching from the diverse experiences I have had with clients as well as internally at BSG. Business and technology keeps changing, ever more rapidly and that means there are no shortage of challenging opportunities.
What would you say is the most compelling value proposition that BSG offers to its existing and potential clients?
The most compelling value proposition for me is BSG’s ability to structure an approach to solving a business technology problem and then work hand-in-hand with clients to solve that problem.
Your current role is as Head of Research and Knowledge. Tell us a little about that role and why it is so important for a consulting company like BSG?
The role is essentially about supporting relationship sales and delivery with knowledge, and influencing BSG’s culture to value knowledge more. Clients expect us to bring experience and knowledge, which is the reason I think the role is an important one. I know for myself that when I go to a client with an understanding of their context and the problem domain, I feel better equipped to add value. It also helps that BSG is a home-grown South African business, so we have lots of relevant insights for our continent.
BSG’s has a Graduate Development Programme that has been created over the past 18 years or so, what is your message to students looking to start their careers in consulting?
Consulting is a rewarding career, and especially attractive for people who like to be involved in change. The benefits of learning fast come with stress, so it does require commitment, high EQ and attention to manage that dynamic.
BSG is constantly looking for experienced people to join the team, what would your message be to them as to why they should consider BSG?
After having learnt how to be a consultant / technologist / software developer, BSG offers the opportunity to be part of building an organisation that is ‘home grown’. If that is appealing, then BSG is a great place to make a visible difference by building on a solid foundation rather than starting from nothing. There is lots to do – we may have great people and many successful projects but we still have a long way to go to become the industry leader we aspire to be.
