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Nicky Holmes brings wide-ranging experience to her role as marketing and communications lead for Accenture in Southern Africa. She assumed the position in 2011—but it’s the second time around as she was marketing lead in 2006-2007 before leaving the company to help a major legal firm upscale its marketing function to differentiate and meet the demands of an increasingly competitive sector. This time around, however, she says the environment has changed substantially.
“Marketing budgets today are very tight and likely to remain so,” Holmes explains. “Marketing is now called on to play a much more targeted, client-focused role. Whereas in the past we focused a lot of energy in general brand-building, now it’s all about helping the business to realise its specific goals. That means supporting it to win specific projects, and thus a lot of opportunity-centric marketing. It requires a lot of creativity and a close collaboration with our frontline business colleagues.”
Professional services firms are facing increasing competition from Indian competitors in South Africa, particularly on price. “It’s essential Accenture demonstrates the value we can add through our understanding of the client’s business and its needs, as well as our ability to leverage our global experience to reduce risk and shorten time to value,” says Holmes. “One of the things we are doing is channelling value-added thought leadership content to our clients through a diversity of channels based on an understanding of their business needs.”
Another challenge is the global shortage of skilled ICT specialists—as a true talent-powered organisation, it’s vital that Accenture is seen as an employer of choice not only by graduates but also by experienced professionals. Marketing has a key role to play in helping Accenture communicate the career advantages it offers.
African countries in general are embarking on massive programmes to improve basic infrastructure—and will need experienced and skilful project managers to help them achieve their goals. It’s hard to overemphasise the importance of these projects for the continent’s ability to turn the promise of growth into reality. “We believe we have a key role to play because of our global experience in these types of massive infrastructural projects,” says Holmes. “It’s Marketing’s role to see that we are correctly positioned in order to compete for this type of work.”
Holmes graduated from the University of Cape Town with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Economics and a postgraduate diploma in marketing and management. She has fulfilled a number of marketing and business development leadership roles spanning the financial services, auditing and accounting, and legal industries.
In her spare time, Holmes is an intensely sociable person and a keen diner-out and theatre-goer. Reading is a passion for her, and she also loves to travel—a recent trip to see Africa’s endangered mountain gorillas in Uganda was a highlight, but her “bucket list” is far from exhausted!
In order to balance the stress of a hectic work life, Holmes meditates regularly. She’s also a very devoted aunt.