Gary Stroebel

Juggling broadcast, print, new media and events management is all in a day’s work for OFM CEO Gary Stroebel.

As the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of one of the fastest expanding media companies in the province, OFM’s Gary Stroebel has a lot on his plate.

The company has in the past few years grown from being merely a commercial radio station to taking on the challenging world of print, as well as online media.

Through a joint venture between Seyalemoya Communications (OFM) and Caxton CTP, Mahareng Publishing was established and titles such as Bloemfontein Courant, Get It Bloemfontein, Get It Potchefstroom, and Citi-Motoring have become well-recognised titles in central South Africa.

Another venture, Redstar Talent, has become the region’s premier event management and artist booking company.

Their web development component, Digital Platforms, has also recently expanded and now boasts national companies on its client list. In addition, the popular Word of Mouth Forum (WOMF) has extended its reach to a global audience.
However, Stroebel did not always dream of being the high-flying CEO of a growing empire.

Growing up on a farm in Namibia, the Zimbabwean-born Stroebel wanted to become a farmer.

When he moved to South Africa in the 1980s, Stroebel attended the prestigious Michael house in KwaZulu-Natal. After matriculating, he spent a year in Wales playing rugby.

When Stroebel hung up his boots, he studied BA Communications at the University of Free State where he started working for Radio Shimla (KovsieFM). He joined Radio Oranje as a presenter in 1996.

That same year, the station became the first SABC radio station to be privatised. The name was changed to OFM in 2002, accompanied by a new look and sound. In 2006, the station again underwent a re-branding to sport the primary colours it is now recognised by.

Last year, the station celebrated 25 years on air.

Stroebel has also served as marketing manager, sales director, programme manager, and station manager. He was appointed CEO in March 2008.

The Weekly met with Stroebel to find out more about running this diverse company.

When you first started working at Radio Shimla (now Kovsie FM), did you think you would be the CEO of a commercial radio station one day?
Yes, that is what I wanted to do and it was my main objective. I purposefully went into radio to get the necessary experience and after five years of broadcasting I did my miles. When I took over as CEO, I had already been working for OFM for 12 years.

Looking back, how has the company changed since you first started there?
The company started with 26 employees and has grown enormously in the last 15 years. The company now prints, does events, and the radio station has a 600 000 listenership. OFM has become more than a radio station – it has become a media company. Since we re-branded OFM, our black listenership has grown to 50 percent.

What challenges do you face managing a company with so many components?
It is difficult to remain focused. Success in one area does not guarantee success in other areas. The media industry is very political. It is very hard to find talent, and national advertising is also vital in order to put the Free State on the map. I have to travel a lot and that affects family time.

What do you enjoy most about your job?
I get to work with very creative people on a daily basis and every day I have a different experience. We also get to work with the best businesses in the region and I enjoy the fact that the media world is changing and that we are part of that change.

The last couple of years have been tough for radio. How did OFM manage to retain listenership, while at the same time growing its revenue?
We made sure that we never lost sight of what people want and we stuck to our marketing plan. In tough times, we were more involved and we followed the advice we gave our clients. We have also invested a lot in training and therefore we have staff that are amongst the best in the country, let alone Bloemfontein.

What new developments are on the cards for the company?
We have a digital team that is growing rapidly and we also have national clients. We have new digital products and we will also be re-branding the group of companies into Central Media, which will be an umbrella name under which all the media brands will be housed.

What is the best or worst business decision you have ever made?
The best decision was taking a pay cut to be in the media industry. That decision taught me to think long term and not short term. The worst decision was taking up golf because it takes up a lot of my time!

What has been the highlight of your career thus far?
I believe that I am currently in the highlight of my career and it has been a great experience so far. I work with a great team of committed and passionate people and being part of the growth is phenomenal.

Do you ever miss being on air?
I do not think I was very good as a radio presenter! But I still do some rugby commentating on Radio 2000.

You recently took on another challenge – fatherhood. How has this changed your life?
It taught me more patience and it has given me a great deal of sympathy with the mothers who work in our company. I have learned there are more important things in life than focussing on only being “successful” and financially well-off.