Bringing fresh perspectives and the willingness to unlock her full potential Ntombi Sithebe has found her home within the Southern Africa and Islands Area Sales team.
Ntombi Sithebe, Customer Success Partner Southern Africa and Islands Area, fell in love with shipping and logistics in her previous role but was looking for an organisation with growth opportunities and a strong corporate culture, which is why she joined Maersk a year ago.
Starting as an intern she had perceptions of what the company would be like however she was pleasantly surprised to feel at ease and to have her opinions valued from the start. Ntombi shares that she loves the work she is doing and more importantly the work environment because of the support, patience and care from her team and the entire sales team.
There is so much culture within Maersk that I cannot begin to describe it is as if we were all cut from the same cloth. I feel at home and am glad I chose this organisation, and they chose me. I have grown and been pushed to limits I never knew existed in me. All whilst realising how much potential I have and how much there is still to learn.
She very quickly was offered a full-time position basis her commitment and the praise from colleagues and customers alike. Ntombi shares a highlight that has motivated her to keep striving higher is the feedback from customers as the acknowledgement of a job well done validates the effort, hard work and extra hours to ensure we are able to serve our customers daily.
New horizons
Making the change from data verification and dealing with transporters in her previous role, Ntombi found herself in the heart of logistics liaising with sales colleagues and customers directly. Naturally, she is more introverted but to excel in her current role she focused on sharpening her communication skills and to step out of her comfort zone. By Ntombi’s own admission she has had her fair share of mistakes however she believes that we learn from these which is why she carries these with honour and integrity. This continuous learning mindset is a trait that enables her rise to the challenge time and time again, which will stand her in good stead for her career at Maersk.
Ntombi’s biggest highlight was travelling for the first time, taking a plane and being able to dedicate an entire day to visit customers and gain a better understanding of their business, she shared that she needed someone to pinch her to realise this was her new reality. Her first dinner with a customer was nerve wrecking as she was newly appointed in her role as Customer Success Partner for Commodities and was still learning about this customer, faced with this she reminds herself to be authentic, listen and learn from our customer and then to offer relevant solutions to the customer that support their business.
Some great advice for those wanting to develop themselves or push beyond their current limits:
Take that risk, take the chance don’t think twice, don’t even blink! Give it your all and open your mind to a different outlook. I prefer to think as if there is no box at all that way to allow for all opportunities and then you can prosper in all you do.
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