The customer service and sales industry is vital for driving revenue, build­ing customer loyalty, and enhancing brand reputa­tion. It plays a key role in creating positive customer experiences essential for business growth and sus­tainability. Leaders in this industry are instrumental in shaping these outcomes by motivating teams, driving perfor­mance, and ensuring a high standard of service. By fostering a supportive and empowering work environment, these leaders enable employees to thrive, lead­ing to improved customer satisfaction and stronger business results.

Jacqui Van der Riet, Managing Director of UDM International, exemplifies this type of leadership. With 30 years of experience, she has been a driving force behind the company's growth, fostering a culture that empowers employees to achieve financial freedom. Under her guidance, UDM International has become a standout in the industry, offering exclusive, tailored insurance policies that cater to the unique needs of its clients. By prioritizing both employee development and customer satisfaction, Jacqui has helped create a thriving business model that delivers value to both its team members and customers. During our candid interview, Jacqui shared her personal and professional journey and her success mantra.

Take us through the formative years of your life. What were some key early influences in life that shaped you as an individual?

I grew up in a lively household with four siblings, and was raised by hardworking parents. My mother, a hairdresser, and my father, an electrician, taught me the value of resilience and hard work. Despite modest means, they emphasized that true worth is not defined by wealth but by our contributions to the world. I admired my mother’s kindness and the genuine care she showed to her clients. I have always embraced these values throughout my life. The strong women in my family, particularly my entrepreneurial grandmothers, were equally influential. Their ability to adapt, like turning a salon into a sweet shop during World War II, demonstrated independence, strength, and grace. Inspired by their example, I started working at 14 to support myself and continued my education after marriage, funding my studies and graduating from Unisa. These experiences fostered self-reliance, a strong work ethic, determination, and gratitude, which drove my personal and professional growth.

Give us a glimpse of your expansive professional journey as a business leader. What have been some of the most crucial junctures throughout your professional journey

I got married at the early age of 19 and moved to Rustenburg, a mining town in South Africa, where I entered a male-dominated industry that offered very few opportunities for women. A transformative experience with a female boss at AECI demonstrated the potential for women as leaders, showing me that women could excel as dynamic leaders, challenging the norms of the time. After relocating to Johannesburg for my husband's job, I balanced raising two children, working, and studying for a degree. My time at a law firm, where I witnessed rigid hierarchy and gender inequality, further fueled my desire to create a more inclusive workplace. Joining UDM as a receptionist, I saw growth opportunities and improved processes and client relations, contributing to the company's expansion. Over 30 years, UDM has grown to 400 employees with a mostly female leadership team, driven by a culture of authenticity, inclusivity, teamwork, and recognition.

Introduce us to UDM International. What is the underlying idea behind the venture and its key areas of areas of expertise?

UDM International is a call centre specializing in outbound sales, primarily in the financial services sector, where we handle a range of insurance products such as cancer, accidental death, disability policies, and estate management. We also offer telephonic sales for cosmetics and supplements. Our role involves converting leads into sales, with a focus on maintaining high-quality calls and meeting sales targets. We meticulously plan each employee's daily activities, provide necessary resources, and monitor performance closely through a robust quality assurance system. As Managing Director, my main responsibility is to keep the staff motivated and satisfied, ensuring their well-being, and addressing their needs and mental health. I ensure UDM’s sustainability by streamlining processes, securing new business, maintaining profitability, and overseeing staff development and expense control. My role blends strategic oversight with daily involvement to drive the company's growth.

"My success mantra is to be courageous and kind, applying these principles in all aspects of life"

How do you define success as a business leader? In your opinion what have been the biggest wins that you have achieved so far in your professional journey?

I define success by the positive impact I have on others, measuring it by how many lives I can uplift and empower. At UDM International, witnessing staff overcome struggles and thrive, supporting their families, and contributing to their communities gives me a profound sense of achievement. Additionally, personal milestones like taking financial risks to buy shares in UDM and mastering the call centre industry from the ground up highlight my journey. Expanding our client base and innovating continuously affirm our success and the need to remain adaptable and motivated.

A business leader's path is often filled with numerous challenges. Could you shed some light on the key obstacles you face as a recruiter in the hospitality industry? Additionally, how do you navigate and overcome these challenges?

If I reflect on my primary responsibility of keeping myself motivated and happy, I'm a strong advocate for mental health. I understand that many people, especially women, face mental health challenges due to the multiple roles they juggle—being mothers, wives, businesswomen, and workers—all while trying not to feel guilty about balancing them. Mental health is a significant priority for me, and at UDM International, I have several initiatives in place to address it. First, I’ve adjusted our working hours to better accommodate families, allowing employees to come to work but also get home early enough to spend time with their loved ones. I believe achieving a healthy work-life balance is essential. Secondly, we offer an in-house counselling program where employees can connect with a life coach to help them navigate life balance. We have a professional who leads group sessions to guide employees through this process. Most importantly, I've implemented a wellness program called 'Fit Flow' because I believe daily physical activity is crucial for maintaining mental well-being. To support this, we’ve built a gym at UDM where professional trainers lead workouts for our staff every day during lunch, and I join them.

We also offer additional classes after work, and on Fridays, we do aerobic sessions where I choose my favourite music, and we dress up in 80s style to create a fun atmosphere. It's a great way to bring the team together and promote the importance of exercise for mental health. Additionally, I allocate fun-day budgets for each team to spend as they wish to boost morale. Another challenge we faced was during the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected many businesses in South Africa and globally. However, we quickly adapted, transitioning our entire organization to remote work within four days, providing all the necessary infrastructure for our staff to thrive from home.

What has been your success mantra as a leader? What advice or words of wisdom would you like to share with aspiring women leaders?

I always apply my mantra of being courageous and kind to every aspect of my life. For me, courage means speaking your mind respectfully, staying true to your values, and striving for excellence, while kindness involves taking care of yourself and treating others with respect. I believe in embodying these principles, which I have instilled in my daughters throughout their lives, that they have even chosen to have them tattooed. Courage means standing out with integrity and positivity, while kindness is about self-care and respecting everyone, regardless of their role. This approach leads to a meaningful, impactful life.