‘I’ve been in this industry for 28 years,’ he comments. ‘I started as a driver at Nashua in the 90s. I wanted to get into electronics, not necessarily printing, but Nashua gave me an entry point.’
What followed was an odyssey through the technical landscape of South Africa’s printing industry – one that saw Gnesen ascend from warehouse duties to a colour product specialist at Nashua, before being headhunted by HP, then Epson and Canon. Each move came with bigger responsibilities: overseeing multi-country service teams, developing training programmes and ensuring that customers across Africa received seamless technical support.
At HP, he was one of only two candidates selected for the South Africa region from a pool of 100 applicants vying for 18 technical specialist roles across EMEA. He later became the country support manager, collaborating with channel partners across 17 African countries to optimise service delivery.
Now, at Kemtek, he takes on a new challenge: restructuring and elevating the company’s service division to meet the demands of an evolving industry.
The Kemtek vision
Gnesen joined Kemtek in June 2024 as national service manager during a pivotal time — the company was transitioning to a new CRM system, relocating to new office premises and opening a new warehouse. It was the perfect opportunity to revamp its technology solutions service division.
Within months, he streamlined operations, transforming service efficiency and reducing customer complaints from a flood to a trickle.
‘When I came in, there was a lot of noise around service issues,’ he explains. ‘Now, there are little to no complaints. That’s because we focused on aligning the right people with the right roles and making sure our processes worked for the customer – not just for us.’
Effective 1 February, Gnesen was promoted to national service executive, overseeing and supporting all service divisions within Kemtek.
According to Gnesen, Kemtek is committed to providing exceptional support for every product it sells. A key initiative, the Kemtek Service Partner Program – exclusive to the Auto ID division – trains resellers in remote locations to ensure consistent service excellence. ‘We may not have a technician everywhere, but we can equip resellers with the expertise to support our customers wherever they are,’ he states.
Kemtek is also expanding its reach across South Africa and Africa while optimising spare parts stockholding to improve turnaround times. ‘By streamlining processes, we aim to be the service provider of choice for our OEM partners, making business with Kemtek seamless.’
To enhance customer experience, Kemtek is introducing advanced support tools and AI-driven analytics for predictive maintenance and real-time insights. ‘It’s about eliminating root causes, not just fixing problems,’ Gnesen adds.
Ongoing staff training and upskilling remain a priority, and Kemtek is strengthening the learnership program to develop the next generation of electronic engineers.
Gnesen is at his best when he’s troubleshooting. A customer in Durban recently faced a high-stakes job delay. Gnesen tapped into his network, arranged local support and ensured the issue was resolved within 24 hours. Another time, when a customer struggled to source toner cartridges, he leveraged his deep industry partner connections to secure the supply chain.
Gnesen’s philosophy is simple: service isn’t just about fixing problems – it’s about preventing them in the first place. That’s why he emphasises training and mentorship, particularly for young engineers entering the field. ‘We need a strong pipeline of technical talent,’ he says. ‘If we don’t invest in skills development now, we’ll pay for it later.’
Throughout his career, Gnesen has operated on a bedrock of honesty and integrity. He believes in giving customers the truth, even when it’s inconvenient, and in fostering a culture where employees feel heard and valued. ‘I engage with every member of my team. I want to know what’s working, what’s not and how we can improve.’
A key priority moving forward is ensuring that Kemtek becomes the preferred service provider for OEMs, particularly in high-value segments like HP Indigo presses as well as Brotech, Duplo and Scodix finishing equipment.
Warranties, he notes, play a crucial role in building customer confidence. ‘Customers don’t just want a warranty – they want peace of mind. They want to know that their investment is protected, that spare parts and labour are covered, and that they can focus on running their business.’
‘Service isn’t just a department,’ he says. ‘It’s the backbone of everything we do. If we get it right, we don’t just support the business – we drive it forward.’
And if history is any indication, Gnesen is just getting started.
