SHAUN ROSENSTEIN: Managing Director at CGI Creative Graphics International
#AutomotiveAmbassadors: Shaun Rosenstein, NAACAM Vice Chairman for the Western Cape Region, is the Managing Director at CGI Creative Graphics International. Born and educated in Cape Town, Shaun studied Industrial Engineering followed by further Business Degrees. Whilst his career started in Apparel manufacturing, Shaun moved into the automotive components sector in 2000 as a Quality Engineer for Omnigraphics Industrial Division (today known as CGI).
Shaun remained in a senior Quality role for several years as Quality Manager, with a keen focus on product and materials development. Following a short stint in retail, Shaun moved into a General Management role overseeing plant operations and later progressing into more senior management roles.
Shaun is passionate about enhancing the OE vehicle brand through innovative design and product development. Along with this, Shaun lead CGI’s extensive local and international business development across both OE and aftermarket, primarily in the GCC, Africa, Asia Pacific and Australia.
Outside of the workplace, Shaun has a keen passion for running, both on and off road. Shaun has completed 12 Two Oceans Ultra Marathons and 25 Argus Cycle Tours including multiple finishes of major trail runs including 3 Peaks and the Puffer 80km. His greatest running achievement, however, is finishing more than 50 park runs with his 12 year old son, who is now the proud owner of a 50 Finishers T-shirt!
Having navigated a successful career in the automotive component industry, Shaun offers some key advice to his younger self and emerging suppliers #ThingsIWishIKnew:
- Have patience. Develop tolerance and listen carefully when your team, customers and suppliers talk to you.
- Don’t try solving every problem on your own. Sometimes the best advice is next door!
- Get every member in your team to love the product and want to promote it!
- Ask yourself what else can we do; the ability to pivot the business into other sectors can have a profound impact on staff morale and show what a team is capable of achieving, especially under trying circumstances.
On the #FutureOfComponentManufacutring and CGI’s support of SAAM 2035, Shaun highlights CGI’s focus on constantly improving their B-BBEE scorecard through various initiatives. CGI has found the YES program to be a wonderful program to upskill and develop enthusiastic and energetic young adults.
Regarding the strategic direction of CGI, as one of a handful of specialised suppliers, product development and innovation are both critical in staying ahead of the pack.
Product development has been key to CGI’s operations throughout the Covid19 pandemic.
At the onset of the Pandemic, Shaun and his team shifted gears from automotive components to PPE face shields – the Survisor. This switch has enabled the CGI team to keep working during the National Lockdown and support the wider community through addressing the serious shortfall of PPE.
More information and media regarding the Survisor can be found here:
- EWN Article – https://bit.ly/3oTUzU3
- News24/BusinessInsider Article – https://bit.ly/3kXAJoy
- Time Out with GC (Cape Town TV)- https://bit.ly/3l2DuoI
- CGTN Africa – 17min23” – https://bit.ly/3epdd13
- CFO – https://bit.ly/32b78Ra
Digital media – Linkedin: https://bit.ly/2GqpLJ4
