Michelle Robson, COO at Merpak Envelopes (Pty) Ltd and CEO at Rotunda (Pty) Ltd, has spent more than 25 years building her career in South Africa’s print and paper industry. From starting out in internal sales to taking on senior leadership roles, Robson has also contributed to the broader industry through her involvement with Young Management in Print (YMP) and Printing SA.
In this Change 1 Woman interview for Africa Print, Robson reflects on the people and opportunities that shaped her career, the achievements she is most proud of, how her definition of success has evolved, and why empowering women is about creating genuine opportunities for them to succeed.
What inspired you to pursue your career, and what has kept you motivated?
What inspired me most was the opportunity to build something meaningful, solve problems and make a difference. I have always enjoyed taking on challenges, learning as I go and seeing the results of hard work.
What keeps me motivated today is my people, the growth of the business, and the constant opportunity to improve, achieve and create something I can be proud of.
Who has been the biggest influence or mentor in your career?
Without a doubt, Deon Joubert has been one of the biggest influences and mentors in my career. He saw something in me before I necessarily saw it in myself.
He believed in my potential, had faith in my abilities and, most importantly, gave me opportunities to grow beyond my comfort zone.
I started out as an internal salesperson, and through his mentorship, guidance and trust, he opened up a completely different world for me. He taught me to look beyond my immediate role, understand the bigger picture of a business and have the confidence to take on challenges that initially seemed outside my capabilities.
His belief in me played a significant role in shaping the person and leader I have become today. From starting in internal sales to now being CEO of Rotunda and COO of Merpak, it has been an incredible journey.
I am extremely grateful to Deon for recognising my potential, giving me the opportunities to prove myself and always encouraging me to think bigger.
What achievement are you most proud of, and why?
There are two achievements in my career that I am particularly proud of.
The first is my involvement with Young Management in Print (YMP). For me, YMP was about much more than simply creating a young networking group. It was about bringing people from across the printing industry together, encouraging collaboration, sharing ideas and challenging the way things had traditionally been done.
At the time, Printing SA was often perceived as an ‘old man’s club’, and I wanted to help change that perception by bringing a younger, more energetic generation into the industry and giving them a voice.
I am proud to have been part of creating an environment where people could connect, learn from one another and see the industry as something progressive and exciting.
That passion for the industry naturally led to my involvement with Printing SA, where I served on the Central Chamber, eventually becoming Vice Chairperson and then Chairperson, as well as serving as a non executive director on the Printing SA board.
The second achievement I am incredibly proud of is what we have achieved with Merpak. I have been part of the business through many different stages of my career, and seeing Merpak grow into the largest envelope manufacturer in South Africa and a significant player across the SADC region is something that means a great deal to me.
Merapak has been operating since 1968, and for me, the real achievement is not simply growing a company but helping ensure its sustainability and relevance for the future.
I started my career in the industry in sales and worked my way through internal sales, operations, external sales and sales management. Today, being the COO of Merpak and CEO of Rotunda is a journey I am extremely proud of.
What makes these achievements particularly meaningful is that they are not just about titles or financial growth. They are about people, relationships, change and building something that lasts.
I have always believed that businesses succeed when you bring the right people together, give them an opportunity to grow, and are prepared to challenge the way things have always been done.
I am proud that I have been able to contribute not only to the growth of the companies I have worked in, but also to the broader printing industry. I have seen the industry change significantly over my career, and I am proud to have played a small part in that change while continuing to learn, adapt and push the businesses I lead forward.
What advice would you give to young women who want to follow a similar career path?
My biggest piece of advice would be to believe in yourself, even when others do not see your potential yet.
Your career is a journey, and you do not have to have all the answers or know exactly where you are going. Be willing to learn, take opportunities, ask questions and, most importantly, put your hand up when something challenges you.
Do not be afraid to enter industries or environments that have traditionally been male dominated. You do not need to change who you are to succeed in those spaces.
Be confident in your abilities, earn respect through your actions, and never underestimate the value of being authentic.
I would also encourage young women to find people who believe in them and to learn from them. I was fortunate to have a mentor who saw something in me and gave me opportunities that I may not have had the confidence to pursue on my own.
A good mentor can open doors, but you must be willing to walk through them.
Most importantly, do not be afraid to make mistakes. Some of the biggest lessons in my career have come from the things that did not go according to plan.
Keep learning, surround yourself with good people, work hard and never stop challenging yourself.
And finally, remember that success is not necessarily about reaching a particular title. It is about becoming the best version of yourself, creating opportunities for others and leaving something better than you found it.
How do you define success today, and has that definition changed over the years?
My definition of success has definitely changed over the years.
Earlier in my career, success was more about progress and personal achievement, building my career, earning more, becoming more independent and creating a better life for myself.
There is nothing wrong with that ambition. It gave me the drive to work hard, take opportunities and keep pushing myself forward.
Today, however, I see success very differently. Success is not necessarily about the size of your pay cheque or the title on your business card. For me, it is about knowing that I have made a difference.
It could be an employee who has grown because I believed in them and gave them an opportunity. It could be seeing someone in my team achieve something they never thought they could.
It could be a customer who started with a small order and, because of the relationship and trust we built, is still a customer many years later. It could simply be knowing that I helped someone through a difficult situation or made their working life a little better.
I think as you get older and gain more experience, you realise that people are your greatest legacy.
Businesses will change, targets will come and go, and financial results will always be important, but the relationships you build and the impact you have on people stay with you.
Today, I measure success by the people around me, seeing my team grow, watching the business grow, building lasting relationships with customers and knowing that I have contributed something meaningful.
For me, success is no longer just about what I can achieve. It is about what I can help others achieve too.
What does empowering women mean to you?
To me, empowering women means giving women the confidence, opportunity and support to believe in what they are capable of achieving.
It does not mean giving someone a position because she is a woman. It means creating an environment where women have a genuine opportunity to earn that position, have their voices heard, take on responsibility and prove themselves.
I have been fortunate in my own career to have someone believe in me and give me opportunities before I necessarily believed I was ready for them.
That experience taught me how powerful it can be when someone simply says, ‘I believe you can do this.’ I believe we have a responsibility to do the same for the women coming behind us.
For me, empowerment is also about lifting other women as you climb. Share your knowledge, open doors, introduce people, mentor someone and celebrate another woman’s success rather than seeing it as competition.
Women do not always need someone to make the path easier for them. Sometimes they simply need someone to give them the opportunity, back them when they take the risk, and remind them of their potential when they doubt themselves.
Ultimately, empowering women is about creating a generation of women who are confident enough to take their seat at the table and confident enough to make room for the next woman when they get there.
Creating opportunities that last
Robson’s career reflects a progression from sales into senior leadership, while her involvement with industry organisations has allowed her to contribute to change beyond the businesses she leads. Her experience has reinforced her belief that growth is closely connected to people, relationships, mentorship and the willingness to challenge established ways of working.
Her message to women entering traditionally male dominated industries is equally direct: opportunities matter, but so does the confidence to take them.
For Robson, empowerment is ultimately about creating opportunities for women to demonstrate their capabilities, while ensuring that those who reach positions of influence use their experience to help others follow.
Africa Print are proud media partners of the Women in Print series hosted by Printing SA this month.
C1W Initiative
Change 1 Woman (C1W) aims to empower women in the branding, print and signage industries. As part of this initiative, Africa Print would like to spotlight women-focused content like this piece. If you have any trend/business articles related to the signage, branding and printing industries, please email content to: info@c1w.co.za. Follow C1W on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram for more updates.
MERPAK ENVELOPES (PTY) LTD
www.merpak.co.za
ROTUNDA (PTY) LTD
rotundasa.co.za
