David Redshaw, the IT industry stalwart and long-time friend and confidante of Altron founder Bill Venter and his family, has passed away, aged 69.

Redshaw, who worked for Altron companies in senior executive roles for 22 years, including as founding CEO of Bytes Technology Group, died at the Rosebank Clinic in Johannesburg after a short illness.

He joined the Altron stable in 1987 as financial director of Powertech and became CEO of Punch Line/Fintech two years later. After Punch Line was delisted from the JSE, Redshaw restructured the group’s remaining IT businesses under the listed Fintech vehicle.

He was responsible for merging the troubled Usko, acquired by Altron, with Fintech to create Bytes Technology Group in 2001. The company, a long-time distributor of Xerox products in SA, later acquired the distressed JSE-listed IT company CS Holdings.

Venter, who chairs the Altron board, and his son, Altron CEO Robbie Venter, say they “honour and respect the legacy David left behind at Bytes, as well as the greater Altron Group, and his vision, wisdom, integrity, commitment, loyalty and dependability will never be forgotten”.

Redshaw is survived by his wife Marjorie and children Philip and Jacqui. — Staff reporter, TechCentral