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ArcelorMittal South Africa
Sustainability Report for 2008
A new journey of transformation
2008 marked a new step in our journey towards
transformation in which we redefined our vision,
mission and values, and set ourselves clear strategic
goals. These developments more than symbolise
our engagement in changing the culture of
ArcelorMittal South Africa, they mark out a new
direction for the future of the company.
with the appointment of a designated company
transformation manager whose function reports
directly into the CEO. The Transformation
Committee of the board, chaired by the B-BBEE
chairman, meets a minimum of two times during
the year. The transformation manager also reports
on the progress of the transformation agenda at
monthly Executive Committee (Exco) meetings.
While we are deploying a transformation strategy
across all areas of our business, we began this
transformation journey with an internal focus on
our organisation’s culture and an investigation
into how it affects people from different races,
genders and language groups. We have a strong
commitment to shaping a new organisational
culture for ArcelorMittal South Africa so that it
becomes a home for all people. Initiatives like
diversity training for staff, undertaken during the
year, wi
l
help to lay the foundations for greater
understanding and acceptance, which are critical
components of any transformation process.
Transformation managers in each business unit are
responsible for the implementation of initiatives
and achievement of transformation goals within
their respective operations. They report on such
progress to the company transformation manager.
Defining a new approach
Our approach to transformation has also shifted,
and the issue now forms part of our broader
commitment to corporate social responsibility
(CSR). This aligns us with the global ArcelorMittal
Group’s appointment of a new CSR governance
structure to address its responsibilities to its
communities, to society and to other external
stakeholders. In the South African context,
achieving economic and social transformation
through B-BBEE is central to meeting this
responsibility.
New structures to govern transformation
Transformation through broad-based black
economic empowerment (B-BBEE) plays a key
role in our new direction. During the year under
review, the issue was raised to a new level,
