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We hire driven people who are passionate about solving problems with the use of technology. And we don’t believe in micro-management, so Open Boxers tend to be self-motivated individuals who excel at managing their own time and deadlines.

While it is all well and good being brilliant at what you do, at Open Box we believe you also need to be great to work with. Every Open Boxer works as part of tight-knit team, so it’s critical that our people can work effectively with different personalities and support each other through any challenges that come their way.

Open Box can be summed up as a group of people who are drawn together by the two major traits they share:

They take a lot of pride in their work and they like to have fun doing it.


Anke Pretorius

Anke Pretorius - Analyst

  • So what do you do here, anyway?

    I joined Open Box at the beginning of 2021 as a Junior Analyst. I mainly work on the Tishman Speyer account. A day in the life would be finding and resolving issues, assisting with any queries, and testing any changes made to any of the applications.

  • Got any particularly impressive skills we should know about?

    Not sure if always striving to deliver the best work possible counts as an impressive skill. I set quite a high standard for myself, which motivates me to do my best every day.

    An impressive skill outside of work would be that I was a ballet dancer growing up for about 13 years. I really miss it and do want to get back into the hobby sometime soon. It’s a hobby that really taught me about perseverance, which is a skill I find myself using a lot in my job.

  • What do you love most about your job?

    I love the fact that I’m not doing the same thing every day… yes the core of it remains the same, like investigating an issue, but it’s always a completely different issue. I love problem-solving, and that is essentially what I’m doing every day. I also love that I never feel alone in my job, someone is always willing to help out if you are stuck or have any questions. If they don’t have an answer they will direct you in a direction where you might find the answer.

  • What do you love most about Open Box?

    I love the work culture. Although I’ve only experienced it online, the culture is still there.

    There are company briefings every week, which sounds boring, but they never are. It’s nice to know what is going on in the company. These meetings are also not as formal as you would think a company briefing should be, there is always constant banter going on in the chats.

    I also love the Open Life sessions where we learn things like the secrets of getting a good night's sleep. We learn about things that aren’t required for our everyday business activities, but rather for us as individuals to apply in our everyday lives. I haven’t come across another company that offers sessions like this on a regular basis for their employees. It’s something they don’t have to do, but rather they want to do… which shows the kind of company Open Box is.

  • What advice would you give to anyone aspiring to fill your shoes?

    Always strive to be the most intelligent person in the room, but never assume that you are.

    What I mean by that, always have the mindset of constantly wanting to learn from everyone around you, so you can be the most intelligent person. However, when you assume that you are the most intelligent person in the room, you won’t be as willing to learn anything. With this mindset you will always be open-minded and willing to learn, we should all want to be lifelong learners. Also, never be afraid to ask questions.


Shaun Barrett

Shaun Barrett - Senior Project Manager

  • So what do you do here, anyway?

    I am a project manager within the Custom Software Division, which basically means I am responsible for managing project budgets, utilization, and milestones/timelines. I work closely with my team of highly specialised individuals to facilitate the delivery of these projects and being the link between them and the client.

  • Got any particularly impressive skills we should know about?

    None in particular - I see myself as a “jack of all trades, but master of none”. Having said that, I do recall my dodgeball skills catching the eye of some bystanders playing for Open Box in the local “corporate” league! I am also not opposed to a marathon every now and then.

  • What do you love most about your job?

    Working with incredibly talented people and having the privilege of being able to grow and develop within my role.

  • What do you love most about Open Box?

    The culture is certainly something that stands out for me and not something that is taken for granted. Ensuring we are focused on delivering exceptional experiences for our clients while having fun doing it.

  • What advice would you give to anyone aspiring to fill your shoes?

    Find something you enjoy doing, and don’t underestimate the value of hard work and personal relationships.


Max McGown-Withers

Max McGown-Withers - Developer

  • So what do you do here, anyway?

    According to my dad I am a “dev.” To him, that means three screens, take-out bags and pizza boxes, and erratic sleep patterns. More specifically, I spend most of my time updating web apps that were built for Internet Explorer, to be compatible with modern browsers like Chrome and Edge.

  • Got any particularly impressive skills we should know about?

    I used to be an avid ballroom and Latin dancer, pre-Covid. I even competed for UCT a handful of times. My favourites were the more free-form and fun dances like Jive and Boogie. And I’ll never turn down an opportunity for a good Sokkie.

  • What do you love most about your job?

    Engaging with my team. They make it easy to learn new things and to ask for help.

  • What do you love most about Open Box?

    This is an extension of the above, engaging with the larger Open Box team. Everyone is super friendly and welcoming, and I have felt at home since the very first day.

  • What advice would you give to anyone aspiring to fill your shoes?

    Be honest about what you don’t know. I knew so little when I started, and only a little bit more now, but a willingness to be trained has proven invaluable to me so far.


quentin-wing

Quentin Wing - Senior Business Analyst

  • So what do you do here, anyway?

    Since I joined Open Box as a Senior Business Analyst, in January 2011, I have been mainly working on the Tishman Speyer account. My role involves working closely with Tishman Speyer to ensure that change controls, functional specifications, and other documentation accurately reflect the client’s needs. My role also involves ensuring that our team of developers and QA’s have clarity on the various documentation to provide the solution for Tishman Speyer. I get involved in most aspects of the project which includes documentation, planning, estimation, testing, and deployments.

  • Got any particularly impressive skills we should know about?

    I enjoy challenges. When an issue is identified, it gives me satisfaction to identify the root cause and to resolve the issue. I do tend to have a positive outlook in most situations which helps to alleviate stress and keeps me focused.

  • What do you love most about your job?

    I enjoy the variety of the role. I get involved in all aspects of the projects from creating a project proposal to the final deployment of the solution. I also get involved in the detailed design and testing of the solution and enjoy seeing the final result. Working with a great professional team that is always willing to put in the extra effort when and where required, really makes the job enjoyable too.

  • What do you love most about Open Box?

    Open Box is a great company to work for and really invests in the well-being of its staff, in addition to the great benefits we can make use of, for example the fully equipped and stocked up kitchen and bar, the gym and sponsored events (like the Impi Challenge), to name a few. This builds team spirit and you get to know your colleagues on a personal level.

    On the work front, Open Box provides you with up to date tools to enable you to do your work effectively and efficiently. Open Box always considers implementing new technologies, in striving to deliver timeous and quality solutions to our clients.

  • What advice would you give to anyone aspiring to fill your shoes?

    To be positive and a team player. Do the best you can, be accountable, strive to have a good work ethic and attitude. There is always something to learn from everyone.


Delicia Oliver

Delicia Oliver - Quality Analyst

  • So what do you do here, anyway?

    Well, I've been a QA (aka Quality Analyst) since joining Open Box in July 2012. A day in the life of this QA mostly entails using different methods and tools to test, find and resolve issues in an application; assist with any queries relating to an application; issue management; scheduling deployments and attending valuable training sessions...amongst other things.

  • Got any particularly impressive skills we should know about?

    At Open Box, I don't consider any of my skills to be "mad", but I do see myself as a very committed individual who always strives to do her best.

    Outside of work, I'm an excellent kids' party planner. From coming up with ideas, to finding or creating affordable décor and entertainment, through to setting up on the day. It's something I really enjoy doing (just ask any of my friends who have kids!).

  • What do you love most about your job?

    Hmmm...absolutely everything.

    Finding problems, investigating the cause and finding solutions. learning new things on a daily basis...I simply love every aspect.

  • What do you love most about Open Box?

    Definitely my colleagues. Whether they're on my team, joining me in the gym or meeting me in the kitchen for breakfast - their caring nature makes coming to work such a pleasure.

  • What advice would you give to anyone aspiring to fill your shoes?

    You will find that being a QA can be very rewarding if you are naturally curious, enjoy learning new things, have an eye for detail and are a team player who is committed and reliable.

    But most of all, you need to enjoy what you're doing. Have fun with the role.


Rob Fellowes

Rob Fellowes - Lead Technical Consultant

  • So what do you do here, anyway?

    I’m a Lead Technical Consultant, which means I get the privilege of doing quite a few things on any given day: like having conversations with existing and prospective clients talking through opportunities for efficiency gains within their businesses and how technology can enable these opportunities; understanding some complex business problems our clients are experiencing and identifying strategies using technology to solve these; keeping in touch with the latest technological trends within the Real Estate industry; spending time with our project teams on the ground to discuss project approaches and systems architectures; as well as contributing to the adoption of newer technologies within Open Box. It’s great having so many different responsibilities, but I rely on having strong people and teams around me to really do the hard work.

  • Got any particularly impressive skills we should know about?

    Tough question! Not many people know this but I was an avid Quake 3 gamer in my school days, and traveled around South Africa attending tournaments (and beating most of my competitors)! I like to believe that I still have some of these skills deep down somewhere.

    I was a 2-handicap golfer at one point in my life, I can’t say that these skills are still on point though! I’m big into running over mountains and can run from the Newlands Forest fire station to the top of Devil’s Peak in an hour. And I can make a mean roast on the Weber. There is nothing quite like a smoked, slow-roasted leg of lamb, infused with garlic and rosemary, and served with a homemade mint sauce.

  • What do you love most about your job?

    Working with some of the largest multi-national Real Estate companies in the world and making a difference to the lives of the employees working at them. These are companies that own hundreds of commercial and residential properties across the globe and in the biggest cities in the world, New York being one of them, and are responsible for managing thousands of tenants on a scale which is hard to fathom, especially when you have grown up in a small city such as Cape Town.

    We have some fantastic clients that we work with on a daily basis, and getting to speak to these individuals and build long-standing relationships makes it enjoyable and worth it. Don’t get me wrong though, they also expect the highest quality work from you which keeps you on your toes. It is also great to have the privilege to spend time in a city like New York, visiting our clients and seeing the sights. The energy of the city keeps you going in even the busiest of times, and they also make the best Neapolitan-style pizzas I’ve ever tasted!

  • What do you love most about Open Box?

    Getting to work with like-minded and talented people every day. It really makes it worth traveling into the office each day, albeit I am writing this in the time of a pandemic and therefore I’ll have to do with video calls for the foreseeable future! Also, knowing that there are people around you that you can rely on but at the same time keep learning from them and have fun doing it.

    The work perks are also fantastic – a kitted out gym with an in-house biokineticist, beers on the house on Friday evenings, as well as the flexi work hours and casual work attire!

  • What advice would you give to anyone aspiring to fill your shoes?

    Make a point to speak to your colleagues and get to know them. Take part in the social stuff and the work events, Build trusting relationships with your colleagues, and your clients for that matter. This makes it even more enjoyable coming to work every day, and at the same time gives you the best opportunity to learn from them (and vice versa).

    Stay inquisitive, ask questions, be approachable, be enthusiastic, and remember what you enjoy doing and do more of that.

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