Pragma, an industrial technology company based in South Africa with enterprise clients in 46 countries, has picked Scott Gibson as CEO.

The company announced the appointment today; saying with roots in engineering consultancy it is attaining global recognition and growth through its tailored software platform, which it says can compete with global companies such as SAP.

According to the company, Gibson, a seasoned angel and later-stage investor in niche technology, chose to join Pragma based on his investing criteria.

The company says Gibson, who formerly oversaw Dimension Data's global digital practice and was CEO of the Britehouse Group, will now lead Pragma's growth strategy.

“I plan to use my experience growing software businesses to help Pragma achieve its international expansion goals,” says Gibson.

He adds: “Pragma’s roots are in engineering consulting solutions. With over 200 engineers dedicated to enterprise asset management, Pragma’s software competes comfortably with the world’s top brands, such as SAP, Maximo and IFS Ultimo. “

Pragma says its software platform, On Key, was designed by engineers for engineers. The company adds that On Key has generated over 2.7 million work orders to keep its assets in 172 countries in “pristine condition”.

Other large operations using Pragma’s platform and services include Tetra Pak, Shell, Astron, Bell, Fair Cape Dairies and Massmart, says the company.

Gibson adds: “The business owns its intellectual property and appeals to a defined niche, and my experience has shown that clients buy business outcomes, not software.

“On Key delivers against this mandate, and when combined with the deep subject matter expertise within the business, Pragma has a compelling local and global offering. It’s also a particularly agile business with a great client-centric culture.”

Gibson says he plans to improve the ratio of people-focused versus platform-based revenue. “While our people will always be a key driver of our success, we are looking for innovative ways to grow revenue using our in-house developed platform.”

Co-founder and outgoing CEO Adriaan Scheeres, who led the Pragma Group for 34 years, will remain a shareholder and member of the board. He believes that Gibson is the ideal person to lead the business into its next growth phase.