At Octavian UK, Jot Engelbrecht has become managing director. Jot joined the business ten years ago as a security officer.
Jot, who has worked alongside owner Sukhi Ghuman since 2003, will now take over the day-to-day management and overall responsibility for the business.
This latest promotion at Octavian follows owner and founder Sukhi Ghuman’s decision to spend more time in the USA to concentrate on Octavian USA and Octavian Pharma. He will become chairman of Octavian Security UK.
Jot originally joined the security contractor as a security officer after meeting Sukhi Ghuman through a friend, when visiting the UK. Having previously worked alongside police in his native South Africa, where security on farms is of paramount importance, Jot appealed to Octavian as he had gained security experience in his home province of Western Cape. Besides being Octavian’s operations director for the past seven years, Jot has worked with Sukhi Ghuman in business acquisition and overseas market development, and alongside the late Mick Burrows in operations.
Jot has also worked with Octavian non-executive director and former Nottinghamshire Constabulary Chief Constable, Steve Green, helping to further develop Octavian’s operational strategy.
Jot says: “Sukhi has set a very high bar in his stewardship of the business over the past ten years. He took it from his spare room to 27th in The Sunday Times Virgin Fast Track 100 in five years, and then to a £15m turnover business with household name clients within ten years. Octavian has never been better prepared to increase its market share, and I intend to use the same innovation and quality mantra to continue to take the business further along this successful track.”
Sukhi Ghuman says of Jot’s promotion: “Jot was my first employee and he has accumulated a wealth of knowledge. He has worked in most positions within the business, and this is testimony to Jot’s loyalty and desire to succeed.”
