Hardus Swanepoel, Head of Innovation Services at CloudSmiths, was recently named Smith of the Year 2023. Thomas Fowler, CTO at CloudSmiths, says, “An integral part of the CloudSmiths team, Hardus has consistently demonstrated outstanding leadership and a commitment to helping his team members grow and develop.”
As Head of Innovation Services, Hardus leads a team of exceptionally smart individuals that support the business in Presales and Architecture. He says, “I believe that open and honest communication is the key to success in everything you do. As such. I ensure that we always communicate effectively with our clients, as well as ensuring clear lines of communication internally. This guarantees that all parties involved in an engagement are always aligned with process and goals.”
Hardus spent a decade living the corporate life at a bank before making his way to CloudSmiths. “I joined CloudSmiths (then DotModus) around five years ago as a Data Engineer,” he says. “For the first year I felt like the most inadequate person in the room, being surrounded by great people and even better developers.” Instead of letting this feeling of inadequacy cripple him, he used it to spur himself on. “I learnt as much as I possibly could from my peers and the industries that we were servicing.” Due to this eagerness to upskill, he eventually found himself being able to understand solutions from a high level all the way through to detailed implementations.” He adds, “This knowledge has empowered me to guide our clients and developers into building the best software we possibly can and delivering exceptional service during the process.”
One of the things Hardus values the most about working at CloudSmiths is being part of a team that is not afraid to change the norm, a team that pushes the status quo and lives on the edge. He says, “It is an exciting space to be in and I’m always psyched for the future of this company and mine along with it!”
Being named Smith of the Year was an unexpected accolade. The award is voted on by everyone in the company, and simply being nominated was an honour that Hardus could not have predicted. The qualities that the company looks for in the Smith of the Year are varied and complex. “I feel that this title is awarded to someone that helps drive and improve the everyday lives of people they encounter,” he explains. “It’s not just about working hard and making your own deadlines, but also contributing to the day-to-day lives of the team members with whom you work.” He adds, “I see so many hard-working individuals that make CloudSmiths a success on a daily basis, and I was honestly not expecting to be nominated by those same people as Smith of the Year. It was absolutely humbling.”
Hardus’s motto is, “If you don’t like something, change it. You have the power of running your own life. If you are just complacent with how things are going, then nothing is ever going to change.” His goal is to ensure that he keeps the same passion and motivation every day going forward, so that he can inspire his peers to be the next Smith of the Year. It helps that he truly believes anyone can achieve the award. His belief in the people around him and his positive outlook are probably two of the reasons his colleagues voted for him.