CEO Today Global Awards

CEO Today Global Awards 2020 SOUTH AFRICA 33 www.ceotodaymagazine.com “ But my continuous drive to embrace the built environment industry finally paid off when, in 1995, I was given an opportunity in Richards Bay as a Junior Quantity Surveyor for Coalfields Construction, one of the largest contracting firms at the time located in Northern KwaZulu-Natal, ” he says. However, the opportunity presented challenges, especially the long “camping days” on the job. Anew opportunity arose at a Durban-based construction company in 1998 and Narsai was deployed to its Johannesburg branch for a year. He returned to KwaZulu-Natal in 1999 and was appointed the Chief Quantity Surveyor on the Kokstad Supermax Prison housing project. This contract, his last as an employee, was a turning point in his professional life because the following year, he started his construction project management consultancy. “ My strong-minded entrepreneurial spirit and focused dedication spurred me on and enabled me to bring my unique vision—to create a dedicated construction project management practice—to fruition. My transparency, fairness, due diligence, strong work ethics and being highly regarded by project stakeholders culminated in the opening of the VNA Construction Project Management Consultancy, now simply known as VNA Consulting, ” Narsai recalls. His life partner, Anju Prabdial-Narsai, joined him as a business partner in 2002. However, Narsai found he had to prove himself to clinch new clients and build the brand. He seized the opportunity to work as an independent consultant to the main contractor who built the new KZN Department of Transport offices in Pietermaritzburg in 2003. Through the project, he built a credible track record with the Client by delivering the project within time, cost and quality performance levels.” Despite providing a high-quality professional service, Narsai’s firm endured challenges and he came close to shutting the doors in 2005 when the work opportunities dried up. However, he endured the tough times and went on to experience the strongest growth in 2007 and during the 2008 global recession. One of the firm’s first major breaks came when he submitted a tender for a KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport District Consultant appointment in 2006 and was successful. Always up for a challenge, Narsai was given the most difficult district located in uMzimkhulu. This was a district that was handed over from the Eastern Cape Province to the Province of KwaZulu- Natal. Narsai lists several projects and awards among the company’s successes over the years, which have included: • Leading the growth and development of the town of uMzimkhulu, situated in KwaZulu-Natal, for the KZN Department of Transport from 2007 to 2018. • Being appointed as the Lead Programme Manager on the Free State Department of Police, Roads and Transport Contractor Development Programme since 2014. With VNA at the helm, the programme won the 2016/17 national CPSI award for the most innovative Contractor Development Programme. • Serving as the implementation agent for Vodacom South Africa (Midrand) since 2013. • Assisting the National Department of Transport to achieve standardisation, integration and uniformity of road assets within South Africa in 2016. Being awarded the contract for implementing infrastructure delivery management and road asset management in accordance with the Division of RevenueAct (DoRA) for the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport in 2018. However, the single biggest success story in the company’s history has been the acquisition, from the Australian Road Research Board (ARRB Group), their Systems and Technology division to create Automated Road Rehabilitation Business Systems (ARRB Systems). His firm secured the acquisition when the ARRB Group decided to divest its research division from the systems and technology, after participating in a highly competitive international procurement process in 2017. “ ARRB Systems is now a global distribution network involving established offices in Australia, the USA, India, Sweden and South Africa, including a global distribution network in 23 countries, ” Narsai says.