Our “Jack of all Technologies”, Vinu brings a wealth of skills, knowlegde and experience to rid the world of bad code, miscommunication and confusion. 

In the past, the head of IT oversaw hardware and information systems departments. Today, it’s a much different role. In a tech-focused, competitive business environment, Daniel Krause brings to the table an ability to create business value through technology, to strategically plan business growth objectives, and to ensure that Noldor’s tech systems and procedures lead to outcomes that support clients’ business goals.

A seasoned IT expert, he manages all the infrastructure for the business and its clients, from hardware to connectivity, and across a variety of different open source platforms.

Daniel has a Certificate in A+ CompTIA as well as a Diploma in Information Technology Networking from Varsity College. He also has an MCSE 2000 International qualification, and has completed a number of short courses in information technology, ensuring that he is equipped to deliver transformational solutions and navigate unchartered territories.

He began his career in 2002 as an IT assistant at Autotrader SA, where he soon moved into the position of IT administrator. In 2006 he joined Hetzner SA as a junior systems administrator, overseeing the management of the Johannesburg data centre, being responsible for building new servers, and managing onsite client installations.
In 2007, Daniel moved to digital customer communications specialist Striata SA, where he met and worked with the founders of Noldor. In the position of product specialist and Linux administrator, he demonstrated high-level technical knowledge, consulting to global teams on best practices for running a stable platform, and automating all building processes and daily installs on test servers.

Among his achievements, he created a virtual appliance to run the company’s entire platform, and implemented a virtual server environment. It was at Striata that he developed an ability to communicate clearly, manage difficult personalities, and stay calm under pressure and tight deadlines.

Daniel left Strata in 2015 to take on a new opportunity at RBA Homes, in the role of IT and systems manager. There, he managed and implemented all IT-related systems and processes. He successfully implemented a Sage virtual environment, streamlined the company’s IT support process from an Excel spreadsheet to a comprehensive helpdesk system, and succeeded in cutting costs significantly by switching to more effective and efficient systems.
He joined Noldor at the beginning of 2017, keen to work once more with co-founders Theunis de Klerk and Brett Labuschagne. His achievements thus far include the successful migration of Noldor’s static hosting environment to Google Firebase, one of the latest platforms for mobile or web apps managed by Google for scalable and real-time development. He has also implemented an Amazon Web Services (AWS) hosted environment for the company’s self-managed complex platform, as well as a wireless solution for a multi-tenanted building.

Like his team mates, Daniel is an innovator who enjoys experimenting with the latest technology and gadgets. He is also seen as ‘the fixer’ by his colleagues, and has proven expertise in designing, deploying, and developing cloud applications on the AWS platform, and on Google Firebase, two of the most ground-breaking products available in the world of technology development today. He is able to scale solutions from 100 to 10 million users.

“I believe in honesty and letting people try, even if they fail,” he says. “That is the best way to learn in any environment, but especially if you are working with a young and energetic team. We strive to stay in tune with the hi-tech needs of our customers and to be a crucial part of digital transformation.”

Simon is a visual communicator and a problem-solver. His expertise lies in combining strategy, design and technology to create, plan and deliver a strategic vision for Noldor’s clients. He spends much of this time developing and improving the quality of interactions between a user and all facets of a company. For him, it’s about the big idea. Among the brands he has worked with are StandardBank, Nedbank, Investec and MTN.

Simon’s interest and strengths include business development, above-the-line and below-the-line, digital advertising and marketing, CRM, strategic thinking and planning, creative direction, styling and art direction, and layout and design.

After gaining certification as a Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP), and Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE), he began his career at digital customer communications management company Striata in 1999 as a user interface (UI) and email designer. His responsibilities included web interface design, development and testing, and site maintenance. It was during his time at Striata that he met the founders of Noldor, Theunis de Klerk and Brett Labuschagne.

After a brief stint at financial solutions company mCubed, Simon moved to TransUnion Auto. There he held the position of graphic and print designer for the vehicle valuations company. He designed the call centre web interface for the TransUnion credit bureau, as well as the layout and design for a range of guide books and advertising campaigns. He also honed his skills in the technology and creative components of digital design and development. From 2002 to 2010, he managed his own company, Cubic Interactive, a web design and hosting agency.

It was in 2010 that he realised he wanted to broaden his experience as part of a creative team; he joined full-service digital agency The NXT Thing Now, a strategic partner of TBWA, as a senior designer and developer. Two years later he was appointed creative director, eventually working his way up to the position of executive creative director. Simon was at NXT Thing Now for almost seven years, guiding and overseeing a dynamic team of copywriters, graphic designers, photographers, and other team members in developing brand awareness for blue chip companies using through-the-line channels.

In 2017, Theunis and Brett approached him with an offer to join Noldor. Theunis’s mission – to build cool shit with friends – was one that Simon embraced enthusiastically, and he joined the business as head of creative services. He oversees the design of corporate brands, UI/UX interfaces and marketing solutions for large companies.

Aside from their joint interest in action cricket, compact cars and gaming, Simon says that what brought Noldor’s people together is a deep-seated belief system about the way things should be done.

“We take our clients seriously, and we share similar values and ethics when it comes to customer service,” Simon says. “The golden thread that runs through this business is the desire to take the client on a digital innovation journey that will enable them to achieve business growth. My role is to enable our clients to build meaningful relationships with their audience in pursuit of that growth.” As a UI/UX designer, he is passionate about the process of enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty by improving the usability, ease of use, and pleasure provided in the interaction between the

customer and the brand. Not averse to risk, Simon is happiest when pushing boundaries and engaging in new experiences powered by technology.

In 2003, Theunis de Klerk began writing software for a property management company, which by 2015 had evolved into what is now known as Noldor Technologies. Lord of the Rings fans will know that the Noldorin were known for ‘their intellectual pursuits and technical skills’ and the greatest of the elves. Theunis’s mission: to build cool shit with friends.

Today, Noldor specialises in websites, mobile and desktop applications, server hosting, Wi-Fi and CCTV, with clients in Africa, Europe and North and South America.

The story begins after he completed high school in a small town in South Africa and came to Johannesburg and set out to learn everything he could about desktop computers. Following a stint as a self-taught web developer, he became a programming expert. In 2004, he joined e-billing and e-invoicing company Striata, to which Theunis refers to as ‘the right job at the right time’.

Within 18 months, Theunis headed a Striata development team and in 2008 he was sent to Singapore to oversee a key implementation for Citibank, the consumer division of financial services multinational Citigroup. From 2008 to 2012, he worked on a number of high-calibre projects, including the ground-breaking electronic tax return filing system, eFiling, for the South African Revenue Service (SARS).

Toward the end of 2012, Theunis began to dream about running his own company. In true start-up fashion, he left Striata and started working from his lounge. He called on friend and former colleague Brett Labuschagne to join him. Brett was only too keen. Shortly after that, Simon Gill, Noldor’s head of creative, and Daniel Krause, head of IT, teamed up with the two; today they form the close-knit exco of the company.

Theunis has also run a part-time internet service provider that ultimately failed in 2014 because of time pressures. This unpleasant experience taught him much about entrepreneurship and provided valuable lessons about how to run a business, many of which he applies in his current role as CEO of Noldor.

But it all starting in 2003 when Theunis was approached by Whitfields Property Management, a specialist residential and commercial property management agency, to build its property management software platform.

Although initially designed to simply be a website, more than a decade later, it has evolved into a complete solution incorporating an accounting system, complex management, billing, user management and a platform for more than 400 websites and mobile apps. All services have been entirely built, hosted, maintained and managed by Noldor. The system is being expanded further to allow complexes across South Africa to self-manage, and to enable financial institutions to take full advantage of the reporting and financing functionality on a stand-alone basis.

Now known as Amiti Solutions, Noldor’s platform provides secure, efficient and cost-effective online management tools for a range of community schemes in South Africa – including, property, education, and sports facilities management.

Theunis’s driving force – which now lies at the heart of Noldor – is to change the lives of those around him. This approach is accompanied by a deep-seated belief in the value of ongoing learning. His passion for new technology, new ideas and new ways of thinking have enabled Noldor to differentiate itself from other development companies in a highly competitive market, and to attract clients who are as excited by extraordinary new business solutions as are he and his team.

“What’s the point of doing what we know?,” he asks. “Every time we take on a new project, we make the decision to do it in a new way with new technology,” he says. “That means we learn something we did not know before with every development we complete. Not a single day goes by that we do not experience technology in a different way from how we did the day before. That’s what makes our work so exciting and our jobs so rewarding. Most importantly, it’s what makes our clients happy.”