Strategnos Workstream

Sarantis Kosmas, the Business Development Director at Strategnos, is a highly experienced Supply Chain Management professional with over 18 years of experience in the field. He holds his Masters degree in Supply Chain Management of the Cold Chain.

Sarantis has worked in a variety of industries including Pharmaceutical, Mining, Personal Care, Fashion Accessories, Food and Retail. He has a wide range of skills and accomplishments, including analytical and process thinking, strong interpersonal skills and publications.

AJ Barnard is a pharmacist and cold-chain logistics professional with over 20 years’ experience across pharmaceutical distribution, hospital pharmacy, and temperature-controlled supply chains. He holds a B.Pharm (1999) and M. Pharm (2002) from North-West University.

He began his career in clinical and retail pharmacy, including oncology compounding in the UK, before moving into senior operational roles within pharmaceutical warehousing and distribution.

AJ is currently General Manager at The Vaccine Bureau, supporting vaccine distribution in collaboration with Biovac. He has led multiple Warehouse Management System implementations and GDP-aligned warehouse transformations across several pharmaceutical organisations, bridging regulatory requirements with real-world operational execution.

Sean Petzer is the Founder and Managing Director of ESBD, a specialist provider of validated cold chain packaging and compliant distribution solutions. Having cut his teeth in the logistics industry, Sean spent 18 years in the field before identifying a critical gap in South Africa’s market, the absence of an exclusive focus on validated thermal packaging.

Determined to change that, he introduced the first PCM-based solution dedicated solely to compliant packaging in South Africa, independent of traditional 3PL models, offering both rental and sales options. Recognising that Africa’s supply chain challenges are unique – and that no single solution fits all – Sean expanded his portfolio to represent leading global innovators, enabling tailored, fit-for-purpose solutions.

Today, he works closely with pharmaceutical, healthcare, and export clients to align Good Distribution Practice (GDP) compliance with practical, cost-effective strategies that reduce temperature excursions, minimise waste, improve efficiencies, decrease costs, and eliminate risk.

Through a strategic partnership with Strategnos, Sean ensures every solution is grounded in data, accuracy, and transparency, because in cold chain logistics, performance isn’t optional, and compliance cannot be compromised.

Micaela Costa is a Senior Systems and Test Analyst at Strategnos. She studied BCom Informatics and has her honors in BIT specialising in Information Systems from the University of Pretoria.

Her knowledge and interest in the Information Technology industry have allowed her to create concepts that assist with solving business problems and providing solutions using systems.

Joe van der Walt is the Founding Director of Kohde (Pty) Ltd and a seasoned software leader with roots in enterprise application development. He co-founded Kohde in 2015 with a clear mission: to build custom software that delivers measurable, strategic value.

Under Joe’s leadership, Kohde has grown into a high-performing South African technology partner specialising in end-to-end solutions, from UX/UI and mobile development to cloud architecture, DevOps, and Azure integrations. Recognised as a Microsoft Solutions Partner, Kohde supports clients across banking, telecoms, logistics, agriculture, and security.

Joe is committed to keeping the business at the forefront of modern engineering practices, driving innovation in cloud, AI, data platforms, and intelligent automation. With nearly a decade of leadership experience, he focuses on designing scalable, resilient systems that bring clarity, momentum, and long-term value to every engagement.