Business Leader of the Year WINNER 2013: Mark Jankovich

Name: Mark Jankovich

High School: Durban High School

Tertiary Education:

• Cape Technikon
• Harvard Business School – RBS Senior Management Programme
• London Business School — International Leadership Programme

Qualifications:

• National Diploma in Marketing and Sales Management
• Various London and New York Stock Exchange qualifications
• Top Hut Rider, St Moritz Toboggan Club

Lives In: Wandsworth, London

Company Name: Delphis Eco
Title: CEO of Delphis Eco
Time within company: 5 Years

Professional Membership held:

• Association of Catering Excellence
• British Institute of Cleaning Science
• Corporate partnerships including, Sustainable Restaurant Association, Keep Britain Tidy, Green Tourism Business Scheme, EU Ecolabel, Forum for the Future, British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums and National Union of Students

Previous positions held:

• 2000 – 2007: Coutts & Co – Head of Investment Sales (Set up and ran the Ultra High Net-Worth team and the Charity Investment team)
• 1996 – 2000: Merrill Lynch London- Head of Investment Advisory Group

What are your main achievements in the category you are being nominated for?

• After leaving the city, I bought a business in total distress but which had a great potential.
• We’ve changed direction completely from the commercial cleaning sector into contract catering primarily within the education.
• Recent work with kids on an eco project showed they really care about saving our planet.
• Sales up every month and actively taking on new staff.
• Restructured our SA biz which now has great prospects, set up a plant in Dubai, signed new contracts in Nigeria, Botswana, Russia, Poland and France.

What makes you most proud about your business?

We are making a positive difference to the environment, changing the way people think and leaving a legacy with the next generation. We are a group of like minded individuals who know we are operating in a very competitive space but genuinely believe we’re doing the right thing — and winning.

Community Involvement:

• Eco Turtle: We need to reusing more, our Eco Turtle Dispenser is a refill station for empty cleaning bottles. It’s a social enterprise and great way to raise money for charity.
• Community Garden: we converted a patch on our industrial estate into a garden of herbs, fruit trees and bee friendly plants. It’s for the community to help themselves. Other business have followed our lead.
• Capital Clean-up: We’ve organised a Boris sponsored clean up day with helpers coming from McDonalds, Holiday Inn, B&Q, Virgin Active.

Directorship / Leadership positions:

• CEO of Delphis Eco
• Best Foot Forward Consultancy — Strategic Advisor
• CAPA — Guest lecturer to Tennessee Business School

Recent Awards:

• EU Ecolabel best communication ‘Business to Business’ for 2012. (awarded June 2013)
• Best product in class — Foaming Oven Cleaner
• Current finalists for Wandsworth Business Awards- Commitment to the Community, Entrepreneur of the Year and Best Green Business.

Favourite Business Quote: ‘Don’t skate to where the puck is, skate to where the puck is going to be.’ Steve Jobs.

Who is your mentor and how has he/she inspired you to success?

John Hunt, Emeritus Professor of Organisational Behaviour London Business School. While at Coutts he made me realise that I had much more to offer than was possible in a banking environment. Without his guidance it would have taken me a lot longer to do the right thing, if at all.

Voting for all nominees has now closed. Each comment posted in response to the CV/bio of your chosen nominee, which is connected to a unique, legitimate e-mail address and IP address, will be counted as a vote. Comments made by the public will contribute to 30% of the total vote. Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on 28 November.

Entry, voting, participation and judging of the South African Chamber of Commerce Business Awards 2013 are governed by the Rules and Regulations.