“I`ve achieved what I had to achieve, and now it`s time to move on.” Hugo Knoetze was until recently chief operating officer at Arivia.kom. He exudes an aura of self-confidence that borders on arrogance, a fact that he readily acknowledges. But looking closer, one gets to know a man who is superbly focused and extremely self-aware, making him almost single-minded in his purpose. And noticeable underneath a cool exterior is a restless energy, as if the man is going somewhere fast.

Success has, indeed, come quickly for him. At the age of 36, Knoetze has had a phenomenal career that has included playing a key role in the establishment of an entity that is currently rated as the second-largest IT services company in the country: Arivia.kom. And that doesn`t even rate as his top achievement. “I know where my strengths lie, and I know what I`m good at,” he says. And what he has become known for in the industry is being a turnaround specialist, who has restructured more than a few ailing companies during his career.