It's all in alignment

FROM a young age, little girls dream about what they want to be when they grow up.

Often this includes whether they want to be married, have children and the type of career they would like to pursue.

As society has created more opportunities over the years, women have pursued a variety of careers including those that were previously considered male terrain.

As a South African woman who has represented my country in other parts of the world, one of the things that always made my country so beautiful to me is its colourful sporting activities. 

The discipline required in sport has been instrumental in the choices I have made throughout my life.

As a former South African hockey captain - having represented my country in the Olympics in Sydney in 2000 and Athens in 2004 - I feel privileged every day to work in an environment that allows me to continue to work alongside my passion.

I have used the same discipline I learnt while I was an Olympian in pursuing my career in an industry that is run predominantly by males.

Although I started off in the marketing departments of well-known sports betting companies, both in South Africa and abroad, I always aspired to greater things.

My love of sport and later technology led me to the path of becoming general manager for one of the leading online sports betting websites in South Africa.

Often people ask me if I have always wanted to work in the industry I am in - my answer is that I chose a career that is related to my passion.

I knew that I couldn’t play hockey forever, but I also knew that no one could ever take away my love and respect for sport. 

As women we need to align ourselves with careers that we know we can shine in, so that even if we are in a male-dominated industry we can walk in with confidence and be able to deliver the best we can.

A recent study by Business Unity South Africa showed that the representation of women on the boards of JSE companies is at a “disturbingly low” level, especially in the roles of chairpersons and executive directors, including CEOs and CFOs.

The study showed that in 2011 the percentage of female non-executive directors was 12.9%, a disappointing figure for a country that is a leader in the African economies.

Like any other industry, there are challenges that women face in the sports betting industry. When I walk into boardrooms, there is an expectation for a general manager to be a male in my industry.

As women we must look beyond issues such as gender inequality and work to be respected and to show that we can run businesses as well as, if not better than, our male colleagues.

Successful people align themselves with experts - people who can help them achieve greatness.

I actively align myself with people who know the industry better than I do, whether male or female, and having access to them to ask questions when I need to is important.

I am also extremely fortunate to work with committed people who are able to share my responsibilities to develop and grow the Ladbrokes.co.za brand, and the online sports betting industry in South Africa.

This allows me to enjoy being a woman in my industry and maintain a healthy work/life balance. 

 - Fin24

*Anli Kotzé is general manager at Ladbrokes.co.za. She is the latest guest columnist taking part in Fin24's Women's Month campaign celebrating women in business.

Fin24 welcomes your participation in the campaign. Send your views to editor@fin24.com and you could get published.