Dr Anton Olivier: bridging strategy gaps

Eliot Ipinge
  • 1 Day Ago
Dr Anton Olivier, the founder of Stratex Consulting, is a seasoned executive with over 30 years’ experience in strategic planning and execution, project management, corporate performance and organisational development. His impact spans across public sector reform, infrastructure development and institutional capacity building across Africa and south-east Asia.

Olivier’s career began as a civil engineer in South Africa, later advancing into project management. “I was transferred to Botswana to serve as office and project manager for a consulting engineering firm for seven years,” he recalls. In 2003, he moved to Namibia, and after being retrenched a year later in 2004, he established Stratex Consulting. “My vision was to support mostly public sector organisations with strategy planning and execution.”

Olivier has a wealth of credentials. He holds a bachelor’s and honours in engineering, a master’s in business leadership from UNISA, and a master’s in management from the University of Southern Queensland.

He became Namibia’s first certified project management professional (PMP) and, in 2015, earned a PhD in public and development management from Stellenbosch University. “My research focused on closing the strategy execution gap in the public sector, a critical challenge I’ve encountered throughout my career.”

Home-grown and dynamic

Stratex Consulting was founded on 1 April 2004 and has grown into a reputable local consultancy. “We specialise in strategy planning and execution, corporate performance management and project management. What sets us apart is our ability to bridge the gap between strategic objectives, projects and daily operations.”

Olivier has facilitated over 65 strategic plans, trained more than 2 000 professionals in strategy and project management and contributed to national frameworks for strategic planning and performance management. “Projects are where the action is, where resources are utilised, and where change happens,” he says. “Proper management of projects is critical to ensure success within constraints of scope, time, cost and quality.”

His daily routine is dynamic. “There is no typical workday,” he explains. “Each project is unique, requiring flexibility. My activities range from document reviews and stakeholder consultations to strategic formulation and performance reviews using tools like the MERIL cycle – measurement, evaluation, reporting, improvement and learning.”

He has worked in 13 countries, among them Uganda, Ghana, Papua New Guinea and Botswana.

Among his achievements, he developed the MERIL-DE Model to improve strategy execution in the public sector and has presented his insights on various platforms. “My success is not just in project delivery but in long-term socio-economic impact.”

Driven by purpose

Despite challenges such as fluctuating workloads and delayed payments, Olivier remains motivated by his core values. “My faith, family and belief in delivering excellence have sustained me. God has provided for every project and opened doors in ways I couldn’t plan.”

His leadership philosophy is shaped by the acronym PAAMAA: “purpose, action plan, autonomy, mastery, acknowledgement and achievement. These principles drive sustainable motivation.”

To aspiring consultants, he advises: “Develop an entrepreneurial mindset. Don’t wait to be employed, create your own opportunities. Build competitive skills, maintain integrity and don’t compromise on quality.”

Olivier is committed to helping organisations turn strategy into results. “My goal is to drive meaningful, measurable change,” he says. Through value-driven leadership and practical solutions, he remains steadfast in his pursuit to support impactful developments across sectors.