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Dear colleagues, alumni and friends It’s hard to believe the first quarter of 2017 is almost over and April is upon us! The year has been something of a rollercoaster ride already.
In January we were greeted with the good news that WBS received the ‘4 Palmers of Excellence’ as a top business school with significant international influence by the global ranking agency Eduniversal. Such endorsements are extremely important for the School and our overarching vision of being the highest ranked business school in Africa.
In early March came the news of Professor Steve Bluen’s resignation as Head of School, after three years at the helm. Steve was recruited in 2014 to manage a turnaround of WBS after a period of underperformance. He worked extremely hard, along with the University and the various teams at WBS, to improve performance of the School, which has, over the last three years, made significant progress. Student numbers have increased substantially, and the financial position of the School has improved. Steve’s focus on Triple Crown accreditation has also led to the School meeting several critical targets towards achieving both AACSB and Equis accreditations, in line with other leading business schools around the world. We wish Steve well in his future endeavours.
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On the events side of things, February and March have been busy months. We kicked off the year with five successful events in quick succession: an in-depth analysis of the latest World Bank South Africa report, an unpacking of Davos, mastering the art of networking, our annual SONA breakfast debate and visiting professor Lord Peter Hain’s fascinating lecture, ‘Trump, Globalisation and Free Trade: An Alternative?’ We have also dissected the 2017 budget speech, and hosted an event on tourism as a catalyst for economic growth in South Africa.
WBS was very proud to host the fifth International Conference on Management, Leadership and Governance (ICMLG) on 16 and 17 March. The conference (previously held in New Zealand, Thailand, Russia and the US) was a huge success, and by all accounts the delegates thoroughly enjoyed what was for many of them their first taste of Africa! Our thanks to co-chairs Dr Zanele Ndaba and Dr Thabang Moloaleli-Mokoteli for all their hard work.
There is always a lot happening at WBS which is reflected in our staff, student and alumni news. We have also decided to introduce to you some lesser-known staff members in the Bulletin, some of the ‘unsung heroes’ who work extremely hard behind the scenes in keeping the wheels of WBS turning!
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Regards, Alison Sinclair
Acting Head of School
Wits Business School
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Signed and sealed: Daimler gives R4 million worth of bursaries to Wits Aamir Suleman from WBS Executive Education had a whirlwind trip to East London recently as guest of Mercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA). He was invited to a special signing event to conclude the process whereby MBSA, a subsidiary of Daimler AG, has provided bursaries to the tune of R4 million for students at Wits’ Faculty of Law, Commerce and Management (LCM). Click here to read more
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WBS contributes to THE definite book on leadership!
Two of our leading lights in leadership theory have contributed to one of the biggest business books ever published in South Africa! Professors Boris Urban and Drikus Kriek are two of the over 60 experts in leadership who contributed to this 56 chapter, 1000+ page hard cover ‘bible’ which addresses leadership from every possible angle. Click here to read more
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Still on the subject of books…
On reading Dr Geoff Heald’s new book 'Why is Collective Bargaining Failing in South Africa? – A Reflection on How to Restore Social Dialogue in South Africa', Petra Diamonds decided to approach Geoff and ask him to design and present a negotiation programme for them. Click here to read more
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Entrepreneurs Battle it out on TV There’s a TV star in our midst! Full time WBS academic, Jabulile Galawe, has been appearing on e-TV as a judge on the reality series ‘Business Battle’. The series started on the 24 February, and features all the finalists from the annual Township Entrepreneurship Awards. Over six episodes, 33 entrepreneurs have to convince the judges why they deserve the title ‘Township Entrepreneur of the Year’.
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| | The ‘Famous Brands challenge’
New MBA students were once again thrown into the ‘dragon’s den’ during Orientation Week in January as syndicate groups battled it out to come up with the ‘next big thing’ for Famous Brands. Now in its second year, the Famous Brands Challenge gives all MBA students the task of identifying a new brand/concept which could substantially grow the profitability of Famous Brands, Africa’s largest branded food services franchisor. Click here to read more
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| | WBS Alumus wins Young Achiever award
Sanam Shree, who completed her Master’s of Management in Entrepreneurship and New Venture Creation (MM-ENVC) at WBS in 2016, is a building a name for herself in the property industry. In October last year she won the Women’s Property Network (WPN) Young Achiever Award (KZN) at the SA Women in Property Awards.
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Adorable Jacinto
What is your role, and how long have you been at WBS?
I have been in the Programme Manager/co-ordinator role for the past 3 years, managing the Applied Financial Management and Finance for Non-Financial Managers courses. What aspects of your job do you love?
I love the delegate/student relationship aspect and getting to interact with different types of students. What activity/activities takes up most of your day?
Preparing for the programme, the admin side of it takes most of my day. How would you describe yourself in one sentence?
Honest, and I just love people! Have you read any books or seen any TED talks/movies that have inspired you lately?
I get inspired by a lot of things, but lately my inspiration has come from me my granddaughter who is now three weeks old! What do you do to relax?
I spend time with my three sons…doing whatever is fun with them!
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Melusi Mthembu What is your role, and how long have you been at WBS?
I’m the Academic Programmes Office Manager and I have been with WBS since 2007. What aspects of your job do you love?
I love the interaction with the students. Particularly the first time you get to meet a client that you have helped over the phone or e-mail and they smile when they see the “Melusi” who has provided excellent service! What activity/activities takes up most of your day?
E-mails. I guess this is because I’m the go-to guy and my clients know I respond swiftly. How would you describe yourself in one sentence?
A very chilled guy. Have you read any books or seen any TED talks/movies that have inspired you lately?
The Thabo Mbeki I know (Pan MacMillan, 2016) What do you do to relax?
I love to spend time with my boys and my beautiful wife.
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JUNE 2017 MBA & PDBA APPLICATIONS OPEN Executive Education Upcoming courses
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South Africa Economic Update: A Focus on Private Investment for Job Creation
Our first event for 2017 was a panel discussion which analysed the latest World Bank South Africa Economic Update report. Our panellists, Dr Sébastien C. Dessus from the World Bank; Garth Strachan: Deputy DG from the DTI; Philippa Rodseth of the Manufacturing Circle and WBS’s deputy Head of School, Professor Kalu Ojah. Saleem Karimjee, Senior Manager at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), facilitated the discussion. In light of current unemployment levels, this was a highly topical debate, and our speakers analysed the latest report which found that re-orienting investment tax incentives towards more responsive sectors would stimulate growth, create additional jobs and support poverty alleviation.
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Davos Deconstructed: What it means for business and the economy in South Africa Our annual post-Davos breakfast panel discussion on 3 February saw four speakers, all of them Davos attendees, share insights from the World Economic Forum’s meeting in January. They included Siyabonga Gama (CEO of Transnet), Mokena Makeka (Makeka Design Lab), Zamantungwa Khumalo (Power FM) and Sid Wahi (CNBCAfrica). They were joined by a team from BrandSA and our Executive-in-Residence, Euvin Naidoo, who facilitated the discussion. Click here to be taken to the video
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Master the Art of Networking
Helen Nicholson, CEO of the Networking Company, shared her insights on the art of networking, which is much broader than chatting over a glass of wine. At a presentation on 7 February, she demonstrated the importance of developing your own personal brand, the power of LinkedIn, the ‘Mars and Venus’ of networking across genders, how to ‘work a room’, and how to design and deliver your ‘elevator speech’.
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The 2017 State of the Nation Address – Analysis and Insights
On Friday morning, 10th February, WBS hosted our annual review of the State of the Nation Address (SoNA) which was delivered by President Jacob Zuma the night before. Our panellists were Professor Patrick Bond, Professor of Political Economy at Wits School of Governance, Dr Geoff Heald, one of our senior lecturers, Ralph Mathega, independent political analyst and Moeletsi Mbeki, author and political analyst. Radio/TV personality Siki Mgabadeli did an excellent job facilitating the discussion, which included many contributions from the audience on what the black middle class can do to ensure a more voluble say in South Africa’s future. Click here to be taken to the video
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Are you a student, staff member or alumni? Do you have a story to tell or an event to feature? Do you have feedback on the newsletter? Please contact WBS Communications Manager, Jane Balnaves on jane.balnaves@wits.ac.za
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