'Time to Say Goodbye'

I've always loved the Andre Bocelli and Sarah Brightman song 'Time to Say goodbye' so it's an appropriate call out as I count down my time in South Africa.

At the start of this month I gave notice to resign my position here, something which came with an immense amount of thought, processing, scenario planning, regret, excitement, satisfaction, relief etc....everything - a vast range of decisions and emotions. It was tough.

I think the reason for the big personal impact is that I have been engaged in this business for the most part of the last 35+ years since starting as a casual cook back in Bendigo KFC in Australia. Spending so much time in a sector and the total business in one form or another indoctrinates you into the culture, the passion, the whole experience and probably has dictated vastly who I am today, so there is a 'grief' process when things change.This photo opposite is me 'relaxing' after one of my first KFC shifts...the uniform may have changed, and the age of the subject certainly has!

Making a call to exit is always a challenging one, and I have been fortunate that in the few times I have made a call to move onto another opportunity, I have done so on my own terms, and done so in a way that suited my own current circumstances, versus being forced to leave, and always moved with the right intent and concern for what's being left behind. It has always been on good terms, and maybe I'm getting more older and sentimental, but it's also getting harder to do, as the more responsibility you have as a leader, the more you seem to care about those you are leaving, and what you are leaving behind!

My time in Africa over the 2 1/2 years has been truly awesome. It's been amazing in a professional development and personal growth perspective in that it was a new and challenging role in a highly dynamic and always changing work environment. Mostly the most amazing element of the opportunity has been the people.

I've worked with amazing operations teams, amazing store teams and a great support team in our office. I could list names and whys, but this would fill my post - in general the entire small team I have worked with have given their all for the business and myself and supported choices and actions we have made, and pushed back when needed to ensure what we have done has been for the betterment of our brand. I have had the fortune of continuing to meet awesome Yum leaders across the worked within the PH and Yum family, and it's truly amazing to spend time with these people at meetings, conferences or general business catch ups. The level of support and assistance is and has been greatly appreciated. Thank you to all!

Such a time is always one for reflection, and whilst who knows what is around the corner or where things will end up, there is always a light. Knowing that I have a massive amount of industry experience behind me, and a reasonable reputation for making change in businesses and the results and a willingness to go mostly anywhere, as long as family are safe, and schooling is available, I'm sure we will be fine. A lot of family and friends are more concerned than us...and it is not the best time to resign, as soon there after the Sth African lockdown went into play, and the entire last month of my official work time, is in lockdown...which does make it all a bit weird as well. So whilst we will await the potential of a repatriation flight next week to get my wife and son home, I will most likely hang around here to ensure all is in order before hoping the CV matter allows us to get to some form of normality soon. Plus I can continue to post my daily rubbish to my current blog www.canberratocapetown.com if I have spare time to kill.

So whilst it is farewell to Marathon and the immediate team at the end of the month, I hope this is simply just another chapter in the book of Ozanne - the boy from Bendigo. I look forward to seeing what opportunities are out there in the big wide world.

Thanks to my entire immediate Marathon team, my store managers and store teams all across Sth Africa, Botswana and Nigeria as well as the Shisha Hut teams for all....and for any readers out there who may know of someone in the world and the world of QSR who is looking for a crazy Aussie to work in their brand...pass them onto me as this book is not finished being written yet, and I'm now open to new opportunities!