We all love a good leader, but do we know what it means to be one? If you ask us, we’d say, it’s when people can look at you and feel respect. When they can look to you to help nurture their dreams. When they can trust you with their vision, their career, their aspirations to get to the top, then look at your business and believe that yours is the one that will help them get there. When they can learn from your growth rather than just watch it; and feel inspired by you more than they fear you.
When they can gather the audacity to think that one day they will fill your shoes, whether they’re old enough or not; whether they have a family or not; and whether they have a golf membership or not. When people can be part of a culture that helps them prepare for the day they’ll walk in your shoes because they’ve earned it.
That’s when they see what leading with purpose looks like and take the first step towards it.
The Liberty Leading Edge Insight Series - Making purpose the foundation of leadership.
About the Symposium
Purpose driven leadership means different things to different people, different professions, and different industries. It means something different in Mining than it does in Advertising. It means something different to the CEO than it does to a Team Leader. It means something different to a start-up/challenger business than it does to an established business. And it definitely means something different in New York, London or Paris than it does here in South Africa.
The Leading Edge Symposium gathers leading thinkers to share the insights, ideas and discussions focused on how Purposeful Leadership contributes meaning and fulfilment to a team.
COVID-19 related lockdowns and the current fast paced, complex world of work have seen people increasingly seeking more from their world of work than in the past. Meaning, fulfilment, connections, the ‘full version of me’, alignment of personal and company goals, transparency, authenticity, openness, directness and making an impact are all on the agenda today.
Even more so from the younger working generation as they progress in the workforce. And it’s not all about work, work, work … wellbeing must factor into the equation too.
Purpose has become very important.
Why you should attend
Join our host, broadcast and financial journalist, Alishia Seckam, keynote speakers, guest contributors, along with business owners, HR Professionals, technical experts and other colleagues towards sharing their insights and ideas on purposeful leadership, innovation and human capital as your most valuable asset.
This will better equip you to foster a holistic and sustainable approach to business that benefits employees, customers, shareholders, society and the leaders themselves. It aligns with modern values and expectations, leading to enhanced performance, growth, and positive societal impact.
Speakers
Alishia Seckham
With more than 15 years of experience as a financial journalist, broadcast anchor, moderator, and media trainer - Alishia is the perfect choice to host and manage this Symposium.
Lindi Monyae
Head: IAM Corporate Benefits.
Leading the Corporate Benefits unit at Standard Bank Insurance and Asset Management Cluster, which includes Umbrella Fund solutions, Group Risk, Investments, as well as Consulting and Actuarial solutions.
Yuresh Maharaj
Chief Executive: Insurance and Asset Management, Standard Bank.
An accomplished financial executive with extensive experience in accounting, auditing, and insurance.
Jenine Zacher
Head: Enterprise and Direct Banking Propositions, Standard Bank
With Honours Degrees in Education and Human Resource Management, along with professional certificates such as a Lean Six Sigma green belt, her academic background is as diverse as the fortune of having been able to change career paths multiple times.
Miles Kubheka
Entrepreneur, keynote speaker and author.
Restaurant owner and entrepreneur, he embodies the audacity of hope. Inspired by a fictional restaurant in a TV ad, he created his own namesake restaurant and achieved entrepreneurial success.
GG Alcock
Marketer, author, speaker, and entrepreneur.
An accomplished speaker on a range of topics from motivational to trend talks on entrepreneurship, the informal market, diversity and culture in our society, marketing communications to the mass market, and route to market strategies for the informal sector.
Trudi Makhaya
Writer, Economist and Entrepreneur.
Between 2018 and 2023, served as economic advisor in the office of President Cyril Ramaphosa. She provided technical support to the President on economic policy. This included regular input on key issues and initiatives. She interfaced with relevant advisory councils and economic policy stakeholders.
Zandile Makhoba
Lead Specialist Research and Analytics, Liberty.
With over 15 years of work experience including market research, investment banking, risk analysis and economic consulting.
Lincoln Mali
CEO Lesaka Technologies.
Lincoln is an experienced executive with over 25 years in the financial services industry, his core expertise is in the areas of leadership, people management, customer service, sales management, digital transformation, and business performance.
Author leadership lessons in 'Blazing a Trail'.
Motlatsi Mkalala
Executive Head: Middle Market, Standard Bank SA.
An experienced banker with more than 15 years of solid banking experience. He is currently responsible for the Middle Market segment and also heads up the Standard Bank mobile business unit.
Michael Coulter
Head: Product VAF, Standard Bank.
A seasoned leader in the financial services industry with over 18 years of experience marked by purposeful leadership and strategic vision. Currently, as the Head of VAF Business Enablement, he champions a holistic approach encompassing Product Management, Data and Analytics, Governance, and Innovation for Group VAF. Previously held roles within Standard Bank’s Treasury, Finance, Pricing and Data capabilities. He believes in a balanced lifestyle and is a proud father and avid sportsman.
Craig Polkinghorne
Senior Banker: Business and Commercial Clients South Africa
Craig leads a team which partners with the leading South African entrepreneurs, providing banking products, services, and solutions for their businesses, in order to support their sustainable economic growth. This includes an understanding of entrepreneurial strategy and solving for blockages that impede growth.
Colin Iles
Innovation Catalyst.
Helping Leadership teams thrive in an Exponential World and unpacking the opportunities in an AI rich world.
He helps courageous and curious leaders find new opportunities with disruptive interventions in innovation, culture, leadership, and strategy.
His whole business is built around the idea that thought leadership can help executives develop new relationships, which in turn open new opportunities.
Zuko Mdwaba
Vice President for Africa & South Africa Country MD Salesforce.
An executive with more than 25 year's experience in Technology & Business.
His whole business is built around the idea that thought leadership can help executives develop new relationships, which in turn open new opportunities.
09:00
Welcoming and positioning on behalf of Liberty & Standard Bank.
SPEAKERS: Alishia Seckam
Yuresh Maharaj Chief Executive: Insurance and Asset Management - Standard Bank.
Lindi Monyae Head: IAM Corporate Benefits.
Jenine Zachar Head, Enterprise and Direct Banking Propositions. Standard Bank.
09:30
Building with purpose as your centre.
SPEAKERS: Miles Kubheka Entrepreneur, keynote speaker and author.
Led by purpose. Lead by purpose.
SPEAKERS: Lincoln Mali CEO Lesaka Technologies.
Blazing a Trail - Lessons for African Leadership. Purposeful leadership in action.
11:00
Refreshments and comfort break.
DURATION: 30 MINS
11:30
Insights for today's Leaders - South Africa's real economy revealed.
SPEAKERS: GG Alcock Marketer, author, speaker and entrepreneur.
The state of play - Leading South African insights every purposeful leader needs to know.
SPEAKERS: Trudi Makhaya and Zandile Makhoba Lead Specialist Research and Analytics, Liberty.
GG Alcock Marketer, author, speaker and entrepreneur.
12:55
Lunch and comfort break.
DURATION: 60 MINS
13:55
Future Leadership discussion.
Learning Today, Leading Tomorrow, Leadership in Action and Purposeful Leadership as the driver for success.
SPEAKERS: Lindi Monyae Head: IAM Corporate Benefits.
Motlatsi Mkalala Executive Head: Middle Market, Standard Bank SA.
Michael Coulter Head: Product VAF, Standard Bank.
Purposeful Leadership as the driver for success.
SPEAKERS: Lindi Monyae Head: IAM Corporate Benefits.
Craig Polkinghorne Head: Commercial Banking, Standard Bank.
Invited Guest: Kobus Viljoen, GoSolar
15:15
The Future is Artificial, Intelligent, and Human.
SPEAKERS: Colin Iles Innovation Catalyst.
Zuko Mdwaba Vice President for Africa & South Africa Country MD Salesforce.
16:00
Symposium closing remarks.
DURATION: 10 MINS
In 2022, Alishia Seckam hosted the Symposium at Sandton Convention Centre on 31st October 2022. The Symposium gathered together today’s leading thinkers across various areas to help you pursue growth in your organisation through your most valuable asset – your people.
In addition to guest entrepreneurs such as Ian Fuhr and Godi Mogajane, the full Symposium programme included keynotes from award winning radio journalist and author Bruce Whitfield on thriving on the edge of chaos while Dr Emmanuel Taban reminded us of the importance of humanity and human endeavour. Leading global IT trend-tracker and innovator Stafford Masie challenged our thinking on how future and other digital innovations may be closer than we believe.
Economists Kevin Lings from STANLIB, Goolam Ballim from Standard Bank and Zandile Makhoba, from Liberty Group unpacked the local and global economic forces. Liberty's Nobantu Masebelanga, Divisional Executive: Human Capital was joined by guest HR professionals to unpack how they are pursuing growth through people within their businesses.
Liberty was pleased to present the Liberty Leading-Edge Symposium 2023 hosted by business journalist Alishia Seckam at The Focus Rooms in Sandton on 12 October 2023. The Symposium featured a diverse range of industry thought leaders, from successful entrepreneurs and trailblazers to inspiring orators and maverick strategists.
Our line-up of speakers presented unique insights, opinions and findings on relevant topics relating to business growth, performance, profitability and productivity, under the theme: making purpose the foundation of leadership.
The Symposium provided new and unconventional perspectives on modern leadership, both within and beyond professional contexts. In unpacking what it means to lead with purpose, the symposium’s programme was designed to provide guidance on how to unleash your business potential and accelerate growth in the short to medium term.
View a synopsis of the Symposium or if you were unable to join or would like to view the sessions again, you can click on the links below:
- Session 1: Welcome and positioning by Alishia Seckam, Yuresh Maharaj: Chief Executive: Insurance and Asset Management – Standard Bank, Lindi Monyae: Head: IAM Corporate Benefits and Jenine Zachar: Head, Enterprise and Direct Banking Propositions, Standard Bank.
- Session 2: Building with purpose as your centre with Miles Kubheka: Entrepreneur, keynote speaker and author and Lincoln Mali: CEO Lesaka Technologies, Blazing a Trail - lessons for African Leadership.
- Session 3: Insights for today's Leaders - South Africa's real economy revealed with GG Alcock: Marketer, author, speaker and entrepreneur, Trudi Makhaya, Writer, Economist and Entrepreneur and Zandile Makhoba: Lead Specialist Research and Analytics, Liberty.
- Session 4: Future Leadership in Action with Lindi Monyae: Head: IAM Corporate Benefits, Motlatsi Mkalala: Executive Head: Middle Market, Standard Bank South Africa and Michael Coulter: Head: Product VAF, Standard Bank and ending with Craig Polkinghorne: Head, Commercial Banking, Standard Bank and invited guest, Kobus Viljoen from GoSolar.
- Session 5: The Future is Artificial, Intelligent, and Human with Colin Iles: Innovation Catalyst and Zuko Mdwaba: Vice President for Africa & South Africa Country MD Salesforce.
