Facing challenges head on: In conversation with EOH CEO, Stephen van Coller

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“If you know the enemy is coming, you don’t wait until they come around the corner to see how big their guns are; you put your biggest guns forward in preparation.” This is EOH CEO, Stephen van Coller’s response to fighting a battle in which you don’t know what to expect, like COVID-19. With over two decade’s worth of financial services experience, Stephen brings with him a wealth of knowledge, not only within the facet of business, but life as a whole.

In this week’s Business Unusual podcast, Topco Media CEO, Ralf Fletcher, sits down with Stephen van Coller to discuss a wide range of topics, from the way COVID-19 has increased cohesion in the workplace to why surrounding yourself with individuals different from you is so important.

Stephen discusses the idea of exponential organisations and how they should be thought of as a different way of thinking; how when we learn to think differently, suddenly we begin to see new possibilities and not problems. He discusses the way that, despite being in completely unchartered territories during this time, EOH has seen massive productivity increases, having achieved in three months this year what they had in six months last year. Stephen attributes this to the fact that people are now working more cohesively, knowing exactly what they need to achieve and the overall atmosphere being more intense and steadfast.

Ralf and Stephen dive into the notion of diverse thinking and how although it’s somewhat new, it’s become an absolute priority − we need to find new ways of doing things and understanding them. Stephen talks about the importance of striving for a diverse and inclusive team who ask questions and push boundaries, noting that it’s often through being challenged head-on that we achieve our greatest success.

With over two decades of experience in the industry, Stephen van Coller joined EOH in September 2018 and currently serves as the Group Chief Executive Officer. Prior to this, Stephen served as Vice President of Str
29 Jul 2020 English South Africa Business · Business

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