Work | Johann Baard

Where: Arivia.kom, a 1,500-person South African technology group, 2006 to 2009
Problem: A skeleton division, low morale, 336 open audit findings and a board that had lost confidence.
What I did: As Head of Governance and Chief Audit Executive I rebuilt the division and designed a funnel that pulled every problem into one ranked view for the executive. I sat on the turnaround team with the CEO and CFO.
Result: Open findings down from 336 to 43, and the average fix time from 258 days to 52. The group went from a loss in 2006 to its best results in 2008 and 2009, and kept its ISO certification.

Where: A proposed acquisition of about USD 120 million (ZAR 800 million), 2006
Problem: A ten-person external legal team had cleared the target.
What I did: I read the deal papers myself and found a debt structure nobody had flagged.
Result: About USD 220 million (ZAR 1.5 billion) of hidden debt. I advised against the deal the next day, and the finding was later confirmed.

Where: OneSKY, Airservices Australia and Defence, 2011 to 2016
Problem: One system for civil and military air traffic, classified material, and bidders who would test every step.
What I did: I wrote the foundational procurement strategy and ran probity. I drew the evaluation as five phases with an approval gate after each, and led the training of the 120 subject matter experts who evaluated the bids. I built the course with HR's learning and development team and ran the rollout.
Result: The programme was later contracted at A$1.22 billion (about USD 910 million) in 2018. My contract management framework became the template for its supply chain contracts.

Where: My own practice, Cape Town, today
Problem: A one-person practice with a full matter load and no staff.
What I did: I designed a team of AI agents, each with one job, working to written standards with numbered change control and a full audit trail.
Result: Nothing leaves without my check. These are the same controls I set up for clients who use AI.

Four jobs, start to finish