When she walked into her new office at Aucor Auctioneers in the winter of 2013, she didn’t know much about mining or the auctioneering industry. However, Deseree Monyobo has never shied away from a challenge. She has always been keen to learn something new, even if it meant getting her hands dirty.
So, it was with a hint of trepidation, but brimming with confidence, that Deseree took the first telephone call as receptionist at Aucor Auctioneers on the morning of 17 June 2013.
Before stepping into her new role, she gained significant working experience at the Free State Provincial Government’s Human Resource Department. The day-to-day activities as receptionist soon became tedious though and Deseree aimed higher, even though she knew that to be successful in any role one “has to start at the bottom, work hard and learn as much as possible.”
Following her own advice, it didn’t take long for Deseree to become completely versed in auctioneering jargon. Being the “face” of the company and the first point of contact between clients and Aucor, she soon started building strong relationships.
More than seven years after she started at Aucor, Deseree believes that integrity, building lasting relationships, and to ”just enjoy what you do,” are core values when delivering an important service. It was these strong held beliefs, amongst other impressive attributes, that resulted in Deseree’s appointment as Mining Operations & Auction Manager a little more than two years and six months ago.
As an upcoming Woman in Mining Deseree now heads up the mining operations in Mpumalanga and is a strong female presence in the province. She has now permanently settled in Emalahleni to be closer to Aucor clients in addition to offing them a secure offsite storage and disposal facility. Although the job is challenging, Deseree still enjoys it immensely, although she admits there is still a lot to learn.
“I have learnt so much, but I know there is still a lot to learn to grow further. However, the fact that I enjoy my job so much is a big positive. When one enjoys what you are doing it makes it easier to deal with the many challenges,” she says.
“I would say that integrity is my best attribute. As a direct link between Aucor and our clients, having integrity puts people at ease and reassures them that they are using the best service provider around.
“Building relationships is extremely important as well. People will always come back to a service provider whom they can trust and are able to cater for their individual needs. As an auctioneering company we serve both the buyer and the seller, and it is important to make sure both parties are satisfied,” says Deseree.
Deseree’s work ethic is the perfect fit for a hard-working and dedicated group of people with expertise, knowledge, and a collective work experience of more than 40 years in the auctioneering industry.
“They are always willing to go the extra mile in serving our clients and striving to uphold our status as Africa’s favourite auctioneers. I don’t think we would have been as successful without this wonderful team,” says Deseree.
With a culture of quality, reliability, and professionalism, Deseree is of the opinion that working towards this common purpose is what makes the journey at Aucor so enjoyable, and ultimately successful. “Moreover, the fact that managers are given the required space to take responsibility and do what they are good at, gives them confidence to reach their full potential,” says Deseree.
Deseree’s day to day activities include planning and arranging for the team to be on the different sites for either compiling asset listings, and the viewing or dispatching of items. It also entails site visits, following up with clients for new projects and dealing with client enquiries.
Furthermore, she prepares everything for the big day: Auction Day!
“It is always exciting to see so many people interested in our auctions and telling them what we are going to sell, getting them to register and to be a part of our auction. The aim is to get as many people as possible to take part, especially if you have assets that are popular.
“It is definitely an adrenalin rush to follow the bidding, and to see what people are prepared to pay, and wonder if all these assets are going to be sold? On the other hand, it can also be very stressful, as the auction is only finalised once the buyer has paid for his items and has collected it from the auction side,” Deseree says.
These fast paced, and at times stressful auctions are very different from gardening and baking, the hobbies Deseree takes on with the same verve she does a crisis during or before Auction Day. In a way the challenges all these activities present her with, require similar focus and attention. But Deseree thrives in challenging environments, as she has proven throughout her life.
“Each Auction comes with its own challenges. The best way for me is to handle it immediately, communicate with all parties and find a solution. If I have a challenge on one auction, I make sure that I already prepare for it not to happen on the next auction,” Deseree advises.
So how has Aucor Auctioneers affected Deseree Monyobo life? “Aucor has affected my existence in a very positive way and it is now part of my life,” she says.