Richard Pike remembers February 19, 1981 as the worst day of his life. It was the day a motor accident left him paralyzed from the waist down.
Pike, his brother and four friends were driving to East London to compete in a university rowing regatta. They drove a pick-up truck, hauling a trailer laden with rowing boats. A short drive out of Johannesburg, the trailer jack-knifed. It threw Pike and his fellow passengers from the vehicle.
Richard Pike during the Cape Argus
“I found myself lying on the ground, unable to move, for hours; I remained in the same position, waiting for a helicopter to airlift me to a hospital,” says Pike.
The helicopter took Pike to the Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg, where even the most seasoned specialists were horrified at the sight of his broken back.
“My lower spine had developed a curious s-shape,” says Pike.
It meant, at just 18, Pike faced life in a wheelchair – a sentence he refused to accept.
“I would not be who I am today, if it were not for that fateful day,” says Pike.
Nearly 30 years on, Richard Pike, through sheer determination and medical miracles, has the full use of his legs and a thriving career. He has worked his way up through the ranks of South African business to become the CEO of the country’s largest staffing and recruitment agency, Adcorp Holdings.
It was a long, painful journey from despair on the side of the road to East London. It took almost a year of operations and hard work to work his damaged legs back to life. During this difficult time, he spent many nights lying in his hospital bed asking himself: “Why me?” The nurses, who tried to help him, bore the brunt of his anger and arrogance.
It was so bad that years later, Pike felt the need to apologize to the nurses in his book, Tangled Toes, Pins and Needles.
“Eventually, I decided to live like a poker player and play the hand I was dealt. It was hard, but it was about how I played the hand. I had to constantly talk to myself and visualize the end result; where I was going,” says Pike.
Pike’s stubbornness almost undid the good work, as he defied doctors’ orders to rest and limit movement. Looking back, Pike admits this was a big risk. He wore a heavy body brace for many months. It was hot and uncomfortable, but crucial in easing his spine back into place. Often, he fell to the ground or became frustrated at being helped like a child to do simple things. All the while, he refused to give up.
“I hate living in the past. I soon realized that the regret and speculation around my back was futile.”
Three decades on, Pike admits he doesn’t go into crowded rooms for fear a slight push may send him crashing to the ground, but this hasn’t stopped him living life to the full.
“I know it’s a cliché, but it’s true: only when you realize what you’ve lost do you appreciate what you have.”
Pike expressed this by becoming an adrenalin-relishing sportsman. He competes in triathlons, the annual Argus Cycle Tour, plays golf and is learning to fly helicopters. He is married with three daughters.
Pike began his corporate career at Deloitte and Touche, five years after the accident. He moved on to HL&H, where he became finance director.
In 1995, he formed his own company, the Morgan University Alliance. The company focused on skills training and development. He then sold the company to Acumen Holdings in 1999. The merged company, now known as Adcorp, has a turnover of $785 million. Since taking on the role of CEO in 2001, Pike has grown the business in South Africa and on the continent. It has 90,000 contracted staff on its books.
Pike concedes that South Africa is facing a huge problem of job creation. His tenacious, outspoken personality often opens him up to harsh criticism, but he refuses to be silent. He often engages in heated debates with the unions.
According to his research, unemployment in South Africa is almost double the official statistics of 25%. “We can fix this; send students who have just matriculated into the services sector where they will receive on the job training. With a monthly stipend, at least they will have dignity and self-worth and from there they will use their skills to move into higher earning jobs,” he says.
“We need to deregulate the labor market, introduce youth wage subsidies and cut all the red tape for small and medium business. If we do this now, we may make a dent on the growing unemployment rate.”
In the meantime, Pike is focused on growing Adcorp on the African continent. He wants to grow the business and extend its reach. But he also wants to embrace technology. He’s already working with partners to develop new systems that will advance the recruitment process. He says technology will make the employment business more efficient. Some argue that the rise of social networks could see the demise of recruitment agencies, as information is spread at lightning speed. Pike believes the industry needs to embrace the fast pace of the world or risk being left behind. It’s pretty much how he felt 30 years ago, on that fateful day.
What did he learn?
“It’s not what happens to us that defines us, it’s how we respond to adversity that teaches us the most valuable of life’s lessons. The fateful events of my accident of 19 February 1981 were without doubt the most definining for me in terms of the way I live my life and the way I run my business. I regard myself as a very goal-orientated individual who is both extremely resilient and highly tenacious. I also regard myself as an optimist and look forward to the future with enthusiasm. All of these character traits I trace back to the invaluable lessons my life changing accident taught me. There is no doubt that these character traits have served me extremely well in my role as the Chief Executive Officer of a publicly listed company. Although I would not want a repeat of those fateful events of 1981, I have no regrets and regard my accident as the best experience of my life.”