Vital Stats:
- Lyle Malander
- Age: 30
- Designation: Director
- Company: Malander Advisory, Malander Placements, Malander Digital, Malander UK
- Visit: www.malander.co.za
At just 30 years, Lyle Malander is not merely a trendy businessman but a trailblazer whose ambitions are fuelled by making a difference and creating a legacy. The co-founder and director of the Malander Group of companies’ core focus is providing professional advisory and resource solutions to various large and listed entities. Lyle is proud to say that in 2,5 years the Malander businesses have derived revenue in excess of R40 million. His hard work and arduous hours have turned his dreams into reality.
Through the Malander Advisory business, Lyle oversees the team that provides managed chartered accountant and finance resource solutions to an array of clients in various sectors and industries and has created employment opportunities for over 70 chartered accountants and finance professionals.
Malander Placements is a team of trained professionals that provide recruitment solutions, particularly in the fields of finance, law and IT, to various clients. And pursuant to his keen interest in the technological environment and the ways in which it can enhance business operations, Lyle established Malander Digital, which provides temporary IT resourcing, IT outsourcing, and digital marketing solutions.
‘Lyle’s story of persistence, growth and vision is an inspiration to anyone who is daring enough to start their own business,’ says Dineshrie Pillay, one of the Top 35 judges.
‘I think as entrepreneurs, we are always looking forward and striving to achieve more and as soon as we reach a goal, we change the goal posts to want to achieve more,’ says Lyle Malander. ‘That being said, I wasn’t always fortunate enough to have enjoyed the luxuries life has to offer. I remember the struggles we faced as a family when I was growing up. I think what sets me apart is that I have always seen these struggles and challenges as a learning opportunity which fuels my desire to want to make a difference and create a legacy.’
Lyle humbly attributes the success of his businesses to his strong team with an aligned vision: ‘My co-director and team have all been pivotal to the growth of the business and their motivation and dream is what keeps us going on a daily basis,’ he says.
Lyle admits that growing up, he didn’t always have the most fortunate of circumstances. As a young coloured kid from Cape Town, he was exposed to his fair share of financial and social challenges. But he held on to his dreams to make a difference. Today he says that his perseverance and dedication has been a key factor in overcoming his challenges in life.
‘I remember a time when I was younger and wanted to become a doctor because at the time I considered it to be the only really “prestigious” profession I knew of. Later on, I realised that I couldn’t spend time in hospitals and fainted at the sight of blood. My mom then came across the CA(SA) profession in conversation with a colleague at work and proceeded to tell me about it. I then started doing some research,’ he says.
He liked what he found and avidly began pursuing his studies to be a CA(SA) at the University of Stellenbosch. But at the end of his honours year when he received his end of year results, he learnt to his shock and dismay that he had received the bare minimum mark of 40% required to get access to the final exam. He distinctly remembers his lecturer saying, ‘To those of you who have a 45% year mark, don’t worry, there have been people in the past who have ended up passing the year.’ Being in the unfortunate position of having a year mark lower than that, Lyle immediately had that sinking feeling that he might have to re-do honours.
However, when he chatted with some of the graduate recruiters at Deloitte, they encouraged him that it was still possible to make it through the year. He decided he wouldn’t be giving up as yet!
‘I managed to pass honours that year and since then, I have realised that giving up isn’t the answer. We should always continue to follow our dreams no matter what odds are stacked up against us,’ he says proudly.
Lyle relocated to Johannesburg to complete his articles at Deloitte in 2012. He then went on secondment to Deloitte LLP in Chicago for three months before returning to join an accounting and advisory division at Deloitte South Africa. He worked on various clients including the Aveng Group, where he assisted in raising a R2 billion convertible bond.
‘I believe the training we get as CAs(SA) requires us to get an in-depth understanding of not only the finance environment but the business environment in general. Gaining this understanding of the mechanics of business and the importance of controls within business has equipped me for the entrepreneurial journey in the sense that I have had exposure to various operating environments and have garnered an understanding of what it takes to run any operation,’ he says.
‘I think great entrepreneurs are the ones who not only learn from their failures but also learn from those they are surrounded by,’ says Lyle. ‘As entrepreneurs, it is so easy to get consumed by our own ideas and vision that we forget to listen to the needs of those around us, and more specifically the needs of our clients, teams or employees. Great entrepreneurs not only identify these needs but also develop solutions to address them.’
Lyle has been instrumental in the companies’ recent expansion into the United Kingdom through the opening of a London office. This is pursuant to the companies’ expansion strategy to gain international exposure and the ability to service their clients with both their local and offshore financial advisory and resourcing requirements, as well as provide their finance and recruitment professionals with international exposure.
They have also recently started a programme called ‘Malander for Change’, which is aimed at providing technological resources such as laptops and Internet access as well as development training to institutions and organisations that need it most.
‘Our Malander for Change programme is aimed at providing training and guidance on not only how to find a job but also how to get access to resources to further education and training, as well as foster entrepreneurship, in the hope of contributing to a decline in the high rate of unemployment we face in our country,’ Lyle says.
Family life
Although Lyle admits much time is spent planning business, his free hours are spent with his girlfriend, family and friends. And when he has time, he also enjoys a good game of sport.
Lyle says his mom has always been the glue that held the family together and was a significant role model for him. ‘She was always the one that drove me to become somewhat of an academic, and I will always be grateful for that.’
His father, a serial entrepreneur, and his brother, also an entrepreneur, have taught Lyle many valuable lessons and he has drawn a large amount of inspiration from them.
Lyle’s describes his gran, to whom he is very close, as one of his number one supporters. ‘I think for any individual it is always important to have someone who believes in you and in everything you do. My gran has always been that person.’
‘Coming from a background where I was exposed to poverty and growing up in areas of poverty where I witnessed the imbalances in society, I believe that we as professionals have the ability, and potentially even a responsibility, to contribute to social change,’ he says.
‘The single greatest lesson that I have learnt so far is that nothing is impossible!’
What mantra do you live by?
Dream it. Believe it. Achieve it.
Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?
I hope to lead the Malander Group to greater heights and growing it into a reputable brand within the South African and even international business environment.