Leadership is more than just guiding an organization toward success; it is about setting a foundation of unwavering principles, fostering a culture of adaptability, and ensuring long-term impact. Jacobus Eksteen, a visionary leader in data science and artificial intelligence, has shaped his leadership journey around core values such as integrity, innovation, and sustainability. His approach to leadership extends beyond business performance—it is about creating a positive impact on society while driving ethical and effective decision-making.
As the driving force behind Matogen Applied Insights, Eksteen has successfully built a company that transforms data into meaningful insights, helping organisations make informed decisions with confidence. His leadership philosophy is rooted in fairness, continuous learning, and an inclusive work culture that empowers individuals. In this discussion, he shares his thoughts on ethical decision making, fostering a high-performance team, and the long-term vision that continues to propel Matogen Applied Insights forward.
Fundamental Beliefs Shaping Leadership
Jacobus’s leadership journey has been defined by a steadfast commitment to integrity, innovation, and sustainability. Integrity, to him, is non-negotiable—it means ensuring that words align with actions. He believes that transparency and honesty build trust not only within his team but also with clients and partners. By prioritising accountability, he ensures that decisions are made ethically and with long term success in mind.
Beyond integrity, Eksteen places great emphasis on innovation and continuous learning. “In an ever-evolving technological landscape, staying curious and adaptive is essential. By embracing data-driven insights and the transformative power of decision science, I encourage my team to challenge conventional thinking and push boundaries. My leadership is deeply rooted in a commitment to social impact and sustainability, recognising that business success should contribute positively to society.”
The Core Principle Guiding Decisions
For Eksteen, integrity is the guiding principle that influences every decision. Complemented by fairness, he upholds the belief that ethical conduct should never be compromised for short-term gains. At Matogen Applied Insights, fairness and respect are prioritised over mere performance metrics. Decisions are not solely made for achieving results but to uphold values that foster trust, inclusivity, and long-term sustainability. This high-trust environment ensures that every team member feels valued, ultimately elevating both organisational performance and workplace morale.
Ethical Decision-Making and Organisational Success
Eksteen believes that ethical decision-making is not a constraint to business success but rather its foundation. “Maintaining high ethical standards safeguards an organisation’s reputation and fosters a culture of responsible leadership. While short-term compromises might seem lucrative, they can erode trust and damage long-term credibility. At Matogen Applied Insights, ethics and business performance are interwoven, ensuring that decisions align with the company’s values and contribute to sustainable growth.”
The Inception and Evolution of Matogen Applied Insights
Matogen Applied Insights was founded out of Eksteen’s passion for transforming business decision-making through data. Recognising that organisations often struggle to convert vast amounts of data into actionable insights, he saw an opportunity to pioneer machine learning, artificial intelligence, and decision science-driven solutions.
Initially a bootstrapped start-up, the company’s early mission was to provide agile, cutting-edge solutions. Under Eksteen’s leadership, the company has evolved beyond offering analytical solutions to becoming a trusted strategic partner, integrating ethical practices, sustainability, and a client-centric approach across diverse industries such as finance, agriculture, mining, telecommunications, and healthcare. The core vision remains unchanged: empowering organisations to make better, faster, and more confident decisions while maintaining control over their strategies.
Overcoming Defining Challenges
A pivotal challenge in Eksteen’s career occurred when his team developed a sophisticated debt collection score to counteract past collection biases. However, the client chose a simplified segmentation approach rather than the most accurate predictive model. “This experience underscored the importance of balancing technical excellence with practical implementation—delivering solutions that align with client needs and business priorities rather than over engineering complex models that may not be adopted effectively.” Says Eksteen about the experience.
Fostering Adaptability and Continuous Learning
At Matogen Applied Insights, adaptability and continuous learning are ingrained in the organisational culture. Eksteen promotes an environment where curiosity, experimentation, and learning from challenges are encouraged. Employees are empowered to question conventional methods, explore innovative approaches, and refine strategies based on data driven insights. Collaborating with global industry leaders further ensures that the company remains at the forefront of decision science advancements.
Cultivating a High-Performance Culture
Empowerment is at the heart of Matogen Applied Insights’ high-performance culture. Eksteen believes in hiring exceptional talent, providing them with autonomy, and ensuring their work has meaningful impact. The company embraces a fully remote work culture, allowing employees the flexibility to operate in ways that suit them best. By prioritising outputs over inputs, the organisation fosters accountability, knowledge-sharing, and ownership, enabling individuals to take initiative and excel in their roles.
Embracing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Diversity is fundamental to innovation, and Eksteen ensures that Matogen Applied Insights reflects this belief in its culture and hiring practices. “I champion an inclusive environment where diverse perspectives drive problem solving and innovation. From internships and mentoring programs with African universities to a shareholder model where employees have vested interests, the organisation actively promotes equity and inclusive growth.” This commitment extends beyond internal policies to shaping industry standards and broadening opportunities for underrepresented talent.
The Long-Term Vision for Matogen Applied Insights
Looking ahead, Eksteen envisions Matogen Applied Insights as a leader in AI-driven automation, predictive analytics, and industry-specific AI applications. “The goal is to enhance decision-making across industries, ensuring smarter, faster, and more responsible business strategies.” Says Eksteen. By focusing on scalable solutions that drive economies of scale, the company seeks to maximise impact while maintaining its foundational commitment to inclusive finance. Strategic partnerships, continuous innovation, and investment in world-class talent remain key to realising this vision.
Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs and Leaders
Eksteen advises future entrepreneurs and business leaders to design robust business models with long-term sustainability in mind. He stresses the importance of aligning short-term actions with broader strategic goals and remaining flexible to adapt to changing landscapes. “Success belongs to those who anticipate change, embrace innovation, and surround themselves with individuals who challenge and inspire them. Ultimately, delivering genuine value should remain at the core of every business endeavor.”
Additional Insights and Key Differentiators
One of the defining aspects of Matogen Applied Insights is its people-centric and remote work culture. The company’s bootstrapped journey has fostered a lean, collaborative environment where creativity and learning are paramount. A standout innovation is its “Supervising Learning” algorithm—a fusion of expert insight and advanced analytics designed to revolutionise fields such as credit risk and fraud prevention in data-scarce environments.
Eksteen’s leadership is a testament to the power of resilience, ethical business practices, and sustainable impact. By integrating cutting-edge technology with a principled approach to decision-making, he ensures that Matogen Applied Insights continues to make a lasting difference for its clients and communities alike.
