Zain Patel appointed BPESA chair
As of October 2021, Merchants’ managing director, Zain Patel, has been appointed as the new chairperson of the BPESA National Board. This comes at an important time for the industry body, as it implements the Sector Master Plan which looks to collaboratively enhance the competitiveness of the global business services (GBS) sector and scale its economic and social impact in South Africa.
An Inspiring Leader
In line with the organisation’s constitution, Zain’s appointment follows a long, well planned, and managed transition process. “The Merchants team is exceptionally proud of this achievement,” says Merchants Group CRO, Mathew Conn. “Zain is an inspiring leader, who, despite many years of experience and knowledge, is always open to learning more and growing further – this is a trait we could all learn from.”
Zain began his career in the GBS sector and has progressively worked his way upwards to serve in his current role as the Managing Director for Merchants. Zain’s extensive experience in the global BPO space has equipped him with strong industry relationships and tremendous knowledge of the sector. Paired with his strong sense of vision and strategic direction, this makes Zain an obvious choice for the role of BPESA chair.
Industry Development
BPESA is a not-for-profit company that serves as the industry body and trade association for GBS in South Africa, serving both the international and domestic markets. Its purpose is to market South Africa to organisations around the world as an attractive place to offshore their business processes, thereby stimulating local job creation – particularly for unemployed youth – and coordinating industry role players to provide a sustainable supply of suitably skilled people to enable the sector to grow while remaining competitive.
BPESA’s mission is to create a trading environment for South Africa’s GBS sector that is conducive for inclusive and collaborative growth at scale, underpinned by the sustainable supply of workplace skills for the future, a culture of innovation, and a drive for continuous improvement across the supply chain.
Aligned Values
“This is aligned to Merchants’ values, as we prioritise future-ready skills development, sustainable employment and a digital-first approach to our models, while putting our people at the centre of all we do,” explains Patel.
“I am both honoured and excited to take on this new role. I believe wholeheartedly in the mission and the values of BPESA and look forward to driving further innovation and growth for the BPO industry and South Africa’s GBS sector as a whole,” he concludes.