Dale Rosenberg, GIBS MBA Class of 2011, is an experienced business technologist with more than 25 years’ experience in technology strategy. He is the founder and managing executive of SFU1.
Tell us about the trajectory of your career to date.
Raised at a racetrack, I learned early that speed means nothing without control. Engineering wasn’t my road; building systems was. I pivoted to programming, earned a BCom and BCom Honours in information systems at Wits, then added London’s discipline. At Investec and Standard Bank, I learned to frame problems precisely and turn requirements into designs. As CIO at MoreGolf I translated designs into operating reality - people, process, budgets, outcomes. At EOH I scaled solutioning across cross-functional teams, and managed services and P&L. Today at SFU1 I combine those chapters into end-to-end solutioning, increasingly powered by AI: from concept to measurable value. These roads have led to my current Rome - crafting practical, scalable outcomes - while knowing Rome evolves as we do, and new roads keep opening.
You completed your GIBS MBA in 2010. What were some important learnings from your time at GIBS, and how have they influenced your career?
GIBS sharpened an essential leadership muscle: the ability to see the same issue through different lenses. Time spent in honest dialogue with diverse stakeholders taught me to listen for the nuance behind each viewpoint - why something matters to finance, what technology worries operations, and how strategy reconciles both. That discipline of perspective-taking has shaped how I frame decisions, negotiate trade-offs, and build alignment.
The MBA also gave me the conviction to build something of my own. In 2018 I founded SFU1, a technology advisory business. Our ethos is simple: understand the problem deeply, then stay in the arena until the solution delivers. We don’t drop reports and disappear - we execute, walk the journey with our clients, and earn the role of trusted adviser.
Lately, much of that journey includes AI and automation. These tools can feel exciting and unsettling at the same time. We help clients demystify both - what they are, what they aren’t - and integrate them into existing processes so people feel empowered rather than replaced. We call it accelerated automation.
How would you describe your leadership philosophy or management style?
With a small, tight-knit team, my approach blends coaching, vision, and transformation. I aim to set a clear direction, remove friction, and develop people so they can outperform yesterday’s version of themselves.
Early in my career I could be overly forceful - more autocratic than I’d like to admit. Over time, stewardship became my north star: leave every team, system, and relationship better than you found it. And underpinning all of it is consistency. Show up. Improve something - however small - every day. The compound effect of steady progress beats sporadic bursts of brilliance.
What is the best career advice you have received?
Your perspective is your edge. The way you see a problem - shaped by your experiences, your questions, your judgement - is uniquely yours and immensely valuable.
What have been the most important lessons you have learnt over the course of your career?
Execute, execute, execute. Ideas matter, but outcomes build trust, create momentum, and open doors.
And remember: this too shall pass. Wins and setbacks are both temporary; keep your balance, keep moving, and keep doing the work.