Tony Savides retires

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Long-time Land Systems South Africa (LSSA) international business development director Brigadier General “Tony” Savides (Ret) is to retire from the company next week. He has served LSSA in various capacities for 13-and-a-half years.
“I shall be retiring from BAE systems at the end of January 2009, having reached compulsory retirement age,” Savides says in a message to colleagues and friends. I will by then unfortunately not have had the opportunity to greet each of you personally so this [message] will have to suffice.
 
“My final working day at LSSA will be Friday 30 January 2009… My successor is Johan Jooste whom some of you will know. Johan is a retired SA Army major general who has been with our company for just over a year.
 
“Thank you one and all for your co-operation, correspondence, support, friendship and camaraderie over the past years. Where such contact has led to a business success of one sort of another, well done!  Where not, perhaps there may still be an opportunity via my successor. I wish you all personally a great future and great success in all your endeavours.”
Savides joined the SA Army in January 1962 and retired from the SA National Defence Force after a full 31year career with the rank of brigadier general. Military career highlights include commanding 1 SA Infantry Battalion; serving as Director Projects at Army HQ and being a project officer on the Ratel infantry combat vehicle programme as well as on mine-protected vehicles.
After retiring, Savides joined Armscor in February 1993 as Market Development Manager for the Middle East and various other countries and regions. In June 1995 he joined TFM Defence and Security Division as General Manager for Marketing and when TFM sold that division to the-then Reumech OMC in April 1997, he was appointed a marketing executive there.
Vickers Defence systems of Britain acquired OMC in 1999 and in July 2001 Savides was appointed International Marketing Director. He retained the title when Vickers OMC in turn became Alvis OMC and BAE Systems Land Systems OMC as a result of consolidation in the British defence industry. In January 2006 he became Director, International Business Development of Land Systems South Africa, officially retiring from that post on 31 January last year – but retained on contract for a further year.
Savides will now likely busy himself with five grandchildren, reading, woodwork and golf.