After Fred's mandatory army conscription and a stint working as a prop-maker-mechanist-stage-manager-lighting-and-sound-technician at The Performing Arts Council of the Free State in Bloemfontein, he joined the then fast-growing IT industry in a client service position. It was this role which ignited his passion for client service. A man entirely against procrastination, when the opportunity to change industries was presented to him, Fred grabbed it with both hands and began working at Vasoline Advertising on a variety of projects. His commitment paid off and he ultimately achieved the position of managing director at Vasoline Cape Town.
Following the closing of the agency doors in 2002, Fred joined Two Tone Strategic Branding and Design. It was here that he had the opportunity to work on rebranding both the University of the Free State and UNISA with Brand Leadership's Thebe Ikalafeng. Although these ultimately stacked up as career highlights, Fred remembers UNISA as particularly rewarding and challenging project. The task of taking a 136-year-old institution and creating an entirely new identity, from logo, to a new CI which even included the production of graduation gowns, was no mean feat! After this, Fred worked at the Ogilvy Group, where he achieved another one of his career highlights - working on the FNB account.
It is at human.kind however, that Fred has found his home, and he enjoys the culture of freedom at the agency. As a place where people are permitted to grow, develop and encouraged to learn from their mistakes, Fred admires the mutual respect that exists and grows between the team.
Fred is a man that values attention to detail, and believes in getting his hands dirty - even when it comes to admin. He tries not to leave things for tomorrow that can be done today, believing that every day presents its own set of new challenges and demands. He believes his success lies in knowing his clients well, and feels fortunate to have a fantastic client base in his fold under his watchful eye, including high profile brands such as Prominent Paints and Montego Pet Nutrition.
In his spare time Fred enjoys the open spaces offered by the outdoors and is a keen mountain bike rider. He is also a family man and spends as much free time as possible with his daughter Milla and his son Vincent, especially if they're on their bikes. He reads a bit and enjoys braaing rather than cooking.
