Safe Hands
On complex technology programs, the difference between elegant execution and at-risk delivery can come down to management competence in several critical areas. We’ve been helping tech companies reduce capital risk across continents and industries for over two decades with an industry-defying track record. For a fraction of the overall capital commitment, let us help swing the success odds in your favor on your technology project.
Why Crossbolt?
We are a technology delivery specialist agency based in Johannesburg and Brisbane with a team of experienced professionals who love doing what they do, and have fun building high performance delivery teams.
The Team
The Crossbolt core is a close knit, highly experienced management team who look after a responsive and evolving group of project execution and technical people that reside across the globe


Pierre van Lelyveld
Chief Operating Officer
Pierre is a goal-driven manager of complex technology programs. As an ex corporate CIO, Pierre can empathize with the stresses in the client executive teams as initiatives traverse their execution path. With an MBA on his resume, Pierre is also able to focus on leading strategic change in the business while managing continued improvement of IT. Pierre’s areas of expertise and experience are:
– Conceptualizing and leading complex technology projects
– Building capable, resilient delivery teams through leadership and mentoring
– Building the technology architecture for a business that needs to scale from a customer growth and product development perspective
– Re-engineering and modernizing legacy systems to be nimble, scalable and future-proof
– Enabling change while maintaining operational stability
– Conceptualizing and implementing a centralized integration model for systems to successfully work with each other
– Mentoring and coaching technical experts to take ownership and lead change
Pierre has managed large internal and external IT teams to deliver systems based on business requirements. He has extensive knowledge and experience in all aspects of IT including hardware, software, and data. Pierre’s ability to understand business problems and deliver innovative and cost-effective solutions are based on his experience as a developer in his early career and subsequent roles across the software development lifecycle.
Domain wise, Pierre has extensive knowledge in FMCG (Fast moving consumer goods), Medical (Radiology), Financial Services (Home loans, Short-Term Insurance and Life Insurance) and Real Estate industries.


Farid Essack
Portfolio Manager
Farid is a project management professional (PMP) with extensive experience in the delivery of technology solutions across a diverse industry spectrum. He has spent over twenty years running complex initiatives with stints in the US, Australia, Japan, India, and many years in Southern Africa.
Farid has significant exposure to both agile and waterfall implementation methodologies with expertise in technology-driven corporate transformations and complex digital product development programs. These programs have ranged from smaller strategic interventions to multi-year initiatives with budgets up to $100 million USD and dedicated team sizes over a 100 people.
Domain-wise, Farid has delivered solutions in mining, automotive manufacturing, FMCG, food and beverage, insurance along with an array of system migration transitions. The last few years have seen him running product development in the health-and-wellness area, driving behavioral change through an incentivized health eco-system. This resulted in interactions with large insurers as well as global rewards and technology partners.
Farid can leverage his skills as a public speaker and a trained crisis counselor (with LifeLine) to sell concepts and to manage relationships with client and project team resources. It has also equipped him to support his teams through the mental health challenges often arising from pressured delivery.
In addition to his consulting work, he is an entrepreneur having owned several businesses, is a performing electronica artist and a volunteer crew of Brisbane Marine Rescue.


Derek Smith
Senior Program Manager
Derek is a senior project and program management professional with over 30 years of experience in the technology industry. He is a servant leader with a solid track record of delivery on tough targets and large budgets within global programs and on key accounts across many sectors. Project rescue is a speciality of his. He has held many diverse senior roles such as account executive, CIO, PMO lead
and global compliance officer. He has strong leadership abilities, having led many large teams. He is a lateral thinker with a good technical acumen and has tough negotiation skills.
Derek has won numerous awards and is a certified coach and mentor having put much back into the PM community through volunteering and involvement in corporate and PMI internships. He has been an executive board member for 2 publicly listed companies and an Exco member for PMI international. (VP Technology and Communication). His work ethic is impeccable, and his superpowers are conflict resolution, ideation and dedicated leadership. He always goes the extra mile and brings the best out of people.
Domain wise, Derek has contributed to finance, shipping, motor/retail, fitness and technology verticals. He has setup many PMO’s from inception and managed many large software and infrastructure projects, making local news and publications. Wellbeing and fitness are key aspects of his life, and he is a qualified fitness and boxing trainer with a passion for teaching and learning. He is a techie at heart and is driven by his intrigue in technology and exploiting the incredible potential of people to reach collaborative outcomes.


Salim Essack
Principal Consultant - Prototype to Mass Manufacture
With more than 20 years’ experience in supply chain optimisation and a strong record of accomplishment in FMCG, Salim Essack is a highly accomplished Mechanical Engineer with a Black Belt in Lean Manufacturing. His career includes having successfully led the design and launch of leading-edge manufacturing solutions for high-profile organisations. He has deep expertise in implementing breakthrough improvements and designing optimised facilities. Considered a subject matter expert in his field, Salim is accustomed to driving execution of multi-million rand projects across multiple locations.


Ezra Kahimbaara
Principal Consultant - Software Architecture and Enterprise Application Integration
Ezra is a technology leader with specialist expertise in systems architecture, engineering and delivery. His area of competence includes the planning, design and delivery of technology initiatives and he has an extensive record of successful delivery across the Public Sector, Telco, FMCG, Financial Services, Health, Media and insurance industries. With 20 years experience under his belt delivering large and complex systems at enterprise level, he is equally comfortable with both Agile and Waterfall implementation methodologies and possesses real-world experience with both approaches.
Specific skills
− Software architecture and delivery management
− Enterprise application integration and solution architecture
− Professional services consulting for enterprise software and business process management
− Software product sales and pre-sales