The Old Diocesan Issue 10 - Magazine - Page 37
BUSINESS
“I always liken retail to hand-to-hand combat.
There are fixed bayonets in the trenches
every day, and it’s real warfare.”
PHOTOGRAPHS GALLO IMAGES, AND COURTESY OF MIKE BOSMAN, LAURIE CHIAPPINI AND KEVIN LENNETT
–Sean Summers, CEO of Pick n Pay
more than 2,500 stores across
the country, was co-founded in
1985 by another Bishops alumnus,
Laurie Chiappini. Like Mike, Laurie
doesn’t think his time at Bishops
influenced his decision to become
a “shopkeeper” – although his
interest was piqued at the time.
“I spent spend the first few weeks
of the December holidays in 1958,
1959 and 1960 working at the
Claremont department store
Henshilwoods, which I thoroughly
enjoyed, and which provoked my
intent to learn about retailing,” he
says. “Perhaps I needed to increase
my pocket money to purchase
more swimwear for use at Clifton!”
He left for the UK shortly after
matriculating, was accepted by
Harrods in Knightsbridge as a
trainee, and spent three-anda-half “very enjoyable years”
there before returning to Cape
Town with newfound expertise.
While he downplays the role
of school, however, the Bishops
connection becomes tangible
once more thanks to his success.
Along with Raymond Ackerman,
Laurie was a direct influence on
Kevin Lennett, another significant
player in South African retail.
Kevin is MD of The Crazy Store, a
“discount retail variety” store that
first opened in 1999, and now has
nearly 500 outlets in South Africa,
Namibia and Botswana.
“Upon leaving Bishops, I had no
inkling that I’d ever be involved in
retail,” he says. “In fact, I stumbled
into the field by accident, and just
never left it. What I can say is that
coincidentally, and with no OD bias,
the two retailers who stood out
were Raymond Ackerman and
Laurie Chiappini. Jon Ackerman
(1984S) was at school with me,
so Raymond and his wife Wendy
were a constant presence – highly
supportive parents and always on
the side of the sports field. When
I met Laurie for the first time,
his positive energy and presence
struck me immediately. When
Laurie engages you, he looks
you right in the eye, and gives
you his undivided attention.
“My initial learnings from those
two came very much from afar,
watching how their businesses
ran, and what initiatives they were
undertaking. That gave me the
confidence to try things in my own
retail career based on their actions.”
While he was managing director
of Sportsmans Warehouse, Kevin
reached out to Raymond to ask
whether he would be prepared to
address his senior management
team – and Raymond agreed
immediately. “We all learnt a huge
amount from him in those two
hours. How amazing that he gave
his time like that… A great man.”
Similarly, Kevin had the good
fortune to meet with Laurie in the
course of his time at Sportsmans,
and develop a relationship with
him. “I would offload onto him
my concerns, my fears, my ideas
and my career prospects,” he says.
“Having a mentor like Laurie really
gave me the feeling of a constant
support structure.
“And so it was that two Bishops
Old Boys played a significant role
in my career and life – something
Sean Summers first started at Pick
n Pay in 1974, becoming CEO in 1999
before leaving in 2007. In 2023, aged
70, he returned for a second stint as
CEO at the retailer.
I’m sure they were unaware of!
That is the personality of them
both – they led others directly
and indirectly, from afar and
up close. Our school has many
of these leaders and mentors
across all walks of life. Ultimately,
it’s the special network Bishops
provides that’s possibly the most
valuable benefit of all.”
Today, Kevin works hard to apply
the lessons learnt from those who
forged the path before him – and
presumably he pays it forward,
passing on his knowledge to the
next generation. And that perhaps
is the most important link between
the retail industry and Bishops
alumni: it’s not only what you
learn at school but also the
proximity to the people you
meet and can learn from. That
applies to everyone, of course –
but ODs are on the inside track.
Tim Cohen is a
prominent business
journalist. A former
editor of Business
Day and Financial
Mail, he is now
business editor at Daily Maverick.
THE OLD DIOCESAN | 33