Exxaro CPO Joseph Rock’s love for travel initially brought him to South Africa’s vibrant shores. But it wasn’t just the breathtaking landscapes or the diverse cultures that captivated him. It was the phenomenal people that captured his heart and motivated him – and his family – to call the country home for the past 25 years.
Joseph Rock, who returned to Exxaro in October 2023 as chief people and performance officer, is a traveller at heart and has a passion for helping people realise their full potential. Joseph started his career in the UK where he trained and qualified as a chartered accountant with Coopers & Lybrand, now PwC.
“From a very young age I dreamt of the possibility of being able to travel. I somehow knew I wasn’t going to spend my whole life in the UK, so I started travelling as soon as I started working and was able to. Interestingly though, South Africa wasn’t initially on my list of places to visit.”
Joseph was hesitant about visiting South Africa because of its legacy of apartheid, but a friend of his, who had been here, advised him to go and check out the Rainbow Nation, as he suspected Joseph would love the country.
“When I eventually came to South Africa, I just fell in love with the place. I met the most phenomenal people. And I realised that contrary to all the negative media I had seen in the UK about South Africa, it actually was a well-kept secret,” Joseph says.
After his initial visit to South Africa, he went back to PwC in London and told them he wanted to go to Cape Town, asking if they could help him get there. They initially thought he was crazy, Joseph recalled, because at the time, a secondment to New York looked more likely. However, Joseph refused to budge, and told PwC that if they couldn’t help him, then he would speak to the other big four accounting firms. Realising that Joseph was indeed serious about his move south, PwC decided to help.
His move was a done deal after one of the PwC partners in London spoke with one of their counterparts in Cape Town. “People say there are certain things in life that are just supposed to happen. Well this was one of them. I literally came to South Africa three months later and now, 25 years on, I absolutely have never looked back. It’s definitely one of the best life decisions I’ve ever made. They say home is where the heart is, and this place has definitely captured my heart! I’ve found my place in the world and I’m honestly living my best life!”
Joseph joined PwC South Africa as a tax manager, later progressing to an associate director of transfer pricing and international tax within the Tax & Legal Services (TLS) division.
Taking a people focus and the call to serve
Joseph’s affinity for people-related matters found him involved in many important projects across PwC including being chairperson of the PwC TLS employment equity forum, and TLS representative on the PwC national employment equity committee. He also did a two-year secondment as TLS national training manager to set up the TLS training department, igniting his passion for people development.
“I was wherever there was anything happening that was people-related. That’s how I started realising that that’s where my true passion lies. I have come to realise over the years that my real strength is in creating high performing teams and helping people realise their full potential,” Joseph explains.
Following his passion for people development meant that Joseph had to step away from chargeable client work for the duration of his secondment, which many people thought at the time was risky since progression was often heavily reliant on one’s chargeable time. However, Joseph knew that the firm wasn’t going to get the best out of their people unless they properly invested in them and helped them grow their careers, so he decided to take the risk.
This ultimately worked out well for Joseph since he made a success of establishing the national TLS training department and was recognised for this by being promoted on the back of this work, at the end of his secondment.
“This is why I always tell people to pursue the things you’re passionate about. Taking calculated risks is part of charting a successful career for yourself. I know of very few successful people who achieved their success by always playing it safe. It’s important that you believe in yourself and are prepared to take a chance on you, otherwise why should others?”
From PwC, Joseph started what he refers to as the service portion of his career when he joined the South African Revenue Service (SARS) as part of the team brought in to set up the large business centre.
The homecoming
Joseph spent six-and-a-half years at SARS, which he described as some of the most rewarding times of his career to date. “There is just something about knowing that the work you do really makes a difference in the lives of South Africans. It was an absolute privilege to serve the country and something I will forever be grateful for,” Joseph proudly adds.
During his time at SARS Joseph spent many years representing South Africa as a delegate to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris, taking part in several working groups, including taxation of multinationals and business restructuring.
Joseph, who describes himself as a business leader with a passion for people, shared his excitement at returning to Exxaro on his LinkedIn status soon after rejoining the company, adding: “A few weeks in now and I’m having an absolute ball!! There’s definitely something to be said for homecoming.”
He adds that he believes his previous roles helped prepare him well for his current role at Exxaro and reconnecting with the organisation and its people has been easier than he had expected.
He admits to being known for being somewhat of a workaholic, but explained, “That’s what happens when you are doing something you really love. For me, work is definitely love made visible. I often get so engaged in the work I am doing that I completely lose track of time. However, my family understands that when I’m sitting at my desk, I’m in my happy place so they just leave me to do my thing.”
Believe in your people
When asked what he thinks has contributed to him succeeding in his role, Joseph said, “I think the combination of my training as an accountant and my passion for realising people’s potential allows me to use my understanding of business to formulate people solutions that deliver impact for the business. I am always looking for people solutions that align to the business, rather than developing solutions and trying to force the business to adopt them. I try to understand what the business really needs, as well as opportunities available to them, and how we can develop appropriate people solutions to meet the needs and exploit the opportunities.”
“I also believe in challenging the status quo to ensure that we are continuously improving and innovating. Experience has shown me that if you truly empower people to deliver in their roles, they invariably deliver far beyond what even they thought they were capable of. Part of my role as chief people and performance officer is to ensure the organisation continues trusting and believing in our people, and empowering them so that they can deliver their best for both themselves and the organisation,” he adds.
“I absolutely agree with the view that often people leave managers, not organisations. I’m also very clear that if, as leaders, we want people to buy into the vision and strategy of our organisations, an important part of this is showing up as leaders that our people can also buy into,” he says.
“Leaders need to make time to really connect with their people, get to know them, make them feel like you truly see them and acknowledge the role they play in making you look good. Building empowered teams and leading with integrity, humility and authenticity has been part of the secret to my success throughout my career and has resulted in several of my team members telling me that they would go to war for me. I never forget that my team can make me look good or bad, and if I want it to be the former then I need to be a leader deserving of such, and this is what I strive to be each and every day.”
Around the world
Outside of work, Joseph leads a life that is deeply rooted in family, faith and a passion for travel. Despite the demands of his career, he prioritises his role as a father and active member of his community.
“After five, my life is quite boring,” Joseph says with a chuckle. “I’ve got two kids, and a lot of my evenings are spent with them. Both of my kids decided last year they were done with tutors, so now I’m the one helping with grade nine and grade five studies. It takes up quite a bit of my time, but I believe people make time for what’s important to them, and my kids’ education is definitely important to me.”
His commitment to his work is evident, yet he finds joy in his professional responsibilities. “I am a bit of a workaholic,” he confesses. “When I go back to my study, I don’t feel like I’m going back to work. I’m just going back to my happy place.”
Outside of his professional and family obligations, Joseph enjoys socialising with friends and is a devout Christian. “I’m not a big hobby person. Saturdays are for my kids – they decide what we do. Sunday mornings is church and later I usually start work preparations for the coming week. So, many people may view my out-of-work time as quite boring, but those are the things that bring me joy.”
However, when it comes to holidays, Joseph takes his relaxation seriously. “I work hard and so it’s important that I also play hard. I take holiday time very seriously. My colleagues and team know that when I’m on leave, I’m not to be contacted. It’s my mission to the moon,” he says.
Joseph’s love for travel is a significant part of his life. “I’ve done 70-odd countries and counting,” he proudly states. “My kids have also done a fair bit of travel, as I think it’s important character-building for them to experience other cultures and see how different people around the world live.”
When asked about his top travel destinations, Joseph lit up. “I love Thailand for its free-spirited and warm nature of its people, similar to South Africans. The US is great for shopping, and we love to cruise as a family – it caters to everyone’s different needs.”
His travel experiences are enriched by his curiosity about local life. “I like to go off the beaten track and see how people navigate their challenges. It’s a reminder that we don’t always have it as bad as we think.”
In the workplace, Joseph is known for his belief in distributed leadership and emphasis on psychological safety. “I don’t believe in driving hierarchy. I make a point of having one-on-ones with everyone in the team I oversee to connect on a deeper level, so that every team member feels seen and heard. It’s important that they know there’s more to me than my job title or the role I occupy, and that they feel free to speak up and make their views known. Work also has to be fun because we spend too much time on it for it to be anything else.”
His approach extends to his family life. “At home as parents we don’t make decisions just because we can. Our kids are encouraged to share their opinions and question any of our decisions where the rationale behind the decision isn’t clear to them, and trust me – they do. My 10-year-old daughter also acts as my barometer – she tells it how she sees it, even asking how many meetings I have had each day and advising me when she thinks I’ve had too many meetings in a day.”
Joseph’s life outside of HR may seem “boring” to him, but it’s filled with love, dedication and meaningful connections, both at home and in his professional sphere.
Joseph is a qualified CA, has a degree in economics and econometrics and a master’s in economics from the University of Essex, and has also completed the INSEAD advanced management programme.
