I seek senior roles where I can lead data-driven and AI transformations, rescue or scale operations, collaborate with executives, and deliver measurable commercial impact.
VB
Open to opportunities
Vicus Burger
@vicusburger
Business transformation leader driving data‑driven operational turnarounds and growth.
South AfricaWhat I'm looking for
I am an accomplished business transformation leader and strategic consultant with over a decade of experience driving operational excellence and revenue growth across telecom, financial services, supply chain and manufacturing.
I specialize in leveraging advanced analytics, cloud technologies and AI/ML to design scalable data architectures, predictive models and executive reporting ecosystems that enable faster, evidence-based decisions.
I have led high-stakes turnaround and stabilization programs, including informal business rescue, financial reform, operational restructuring and governance enhancements to restore institutional credibility and performance.
I partner with senior executives and cross-functional teams to deliver measurable outcomes — from reducing reporting time and data latency to improving operational efficiency and delivering sustained commercial growth.
Experience
Work history, roles, and key accomplishments
SW
Current
Executive Director
Southern African Institute of Welding
Apr 2025 - Present (6 months)
Led strategic transformation and informal business rescue for a 75-year institute, overhauling finance and governance to stabilize operations and enable a 12-month turnaround with measurable improvements in accuracy and accountability.
TG
Director of Reporting
Tyme Global
May 2023 - Jan 2025 (1 year 8 months)
Led enterprise reporting transformation, implementing Iceberg, Spark and Power BI to eliminate manual reporting, reduce latency and standardize executive dashboards for real-time decision-making.
SC
Founder, Senior Consultant
SR71 Consult
Apr 2005 - Mar 2020 (14 years 11 months)
Provided executive advisory and delivered data-driven business transformation, building BI frameworks and data architectures that reduced time-to-insight and improved processing speeds for clients.
CC
Executive Head of Product Management
Cell C
Aug 2019 - Feb 2020 (6 months)
Directed product portfolio strategy and integrated advanced analytics and agile practices to accelerate time-to-market and improve product performance and customer engagement.
CC
Executive Head, Strategic Operations
Cell C
Jan 2017 - Jul 2019 (2 years 6 months)
Led strategic operations and commercial projects using AI/ML and big-data labs to optimize network performance, drive revenue forecasting and deliver live executive performance insights.
CC
Managing Executive, Regional
Cell C
Jan 2015 - Jan 2017 (2 years)
Managed regional operations and executive functions, overseeing commercial and operational activities to support business objectives across the region.
RE
Manufacturing Director
Reckitt
Feb 2013 - Dec 2014 (1 year 10 months)
Directed manufacturing operations in Africa, implementing lean improvements that reduced conversion costs and improved warehousing service levels and operational stability.
PE
Manufacturing Director
PepsiCo
Sep 2011 - Jan 2013 (1 year 4 months)
Led commissioning and operations of a high-tech manufacturing facility, delivering project execution under budget constraints and ensuring operational readiness.
MI
Customer Services & Logistics Director
Mondelēz International
Apr 2008 - Sep 2011 (3 years 5 months)
Oversaw customer services and logistics, improving service levels and operational performance across distribution and planning functions.
MI
Plant Manager
Mondelēz International
Jan 2005 - Jan 2008 (3 years)
Managed plant operations, driving production efficiency, quality control and engineering improvements to meet operational targets.
SA
Group Engineering Manager
SAB
Jan 2000 - Jan 2005 (5 years)
Led engineering and production units, overseeing maintenance, capital projects and process improvements to support manufacturing performance.
UN
Engineer
Unilever
Jan 1996 - Jan 2000 (4 years)
Performed engineering duties supporting manufacturing operations, process improvements and equipment reliability initiatives.
Education
Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework
DADatacamp
Certificate, Data Science
2019 - 2019
Completed the 'Data Scientist in R' certification through Datacamp in 2019.
BUBrunel University
Master of Science, Packaging Technology
2005 - 2005
Completed an MSc in Packaging Technology at Brunel University in 2005.
UPUniversity of Cape Town (Management Development Program)
Professional Development Certificate, Management
2005 - 2005
Completed the Management Development Program (MDP) at the University of Cape Town in 2005.
SUStellenbosch University
Bachelor of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering
1993 - 1993
Awarded a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) degree from Stellenbosch University in 1993.
SP
SA Breweries (Packaging Management Development Program)
Professional Development, Packaging Management
Completed a Packaging Management Development Program through SA Breweries.
VP
Vienna Advanced Emotional Intelligence and MBTI Program
Professional Development, Emotional Intelligence / MBTI
2007 - 2007
Completed a Global Advanced Emotional Intelligence and MBTI type program in Vienna in 2007.
LB
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt
Certification, Process Improvement
2000 - 2000
Obtained a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification in 2000.
DC
Department of Labour (Mechanical Engineers Certificate)
Certificate, Mechanical Engineering
1998 - 1998
Received a Mechanical Engineers certificate from the Department of Labour in 1998.
Tech stack
Software and tools used professionally
Availability
Open to opportunities
Location
South AfricaAuthorized to work in
Salary expectations
2200k-2800k USD
Skills
Business TransformationBusiness Operations& StrategyDigital StrategyBusiness IntelligenceData ArchitectureData GovernanceAdvanced System AnalyticsAI Based SolutionsCloud TechnologiesProcess OptimizationAnalytics ModelingTeam LeadershipForecastingChange ManagementETLApache IcebergApache SparkPower BIDAXTime AnalyticsRefineEvidenceGmailN8nSpark
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