A treasured team player and leader

My career at Henley began in 2017 when I joined the school as a Financial controller, and it’s been nothing short of amazing.. I have done the PGDip at Henley, and now, the cherry on top, is the MBA. I’m super excited for my trip to the UK campus to graduate. Best of all my mom and family will be there to celebrate with me.

One of the things I love about travel is that there is so much we can learn from other cultures and so much we can apply to our own lives. I am a passionate traveller who loves exploring the beauty of South Africa as well as other countries around the globe and my bucket list of future destinations keeps growing. Don’t get me wrong though, despite my appreciation of different cultures, I love a beach breakaway! Especially as an antidote to stress.

I am generally a happy person. I was raised on the East Rand to humble, hardworking parents and I am one of six siblings. My mother has been a constant source of inspiration to me throughout my life. She refers to my sisters and me as ‘daughters of eagles’ – she’s the eagle in this story – encouraging us to dream big and follow those dreams. I am also very close to my father, who taught me how important it is to treat others with respect and kindness. Family is important to me and the fact that we are all so close makes me happy.

The last book I read was Indra Nooyi’s memoir My Life in Full. I’ve always admired her. She was chairman and CEO of PepsiCo and artfully balanced family and work life while running a Fortune 500 company. I think this resonates with me because of how important my family is to me.

From the time I was a child I had an aptitude for numbers, so it’s little surprise that I ended up with a BCom in accounting. I don’t regret my career decision because I am passionate about numbers to this day.

When I was little I wanted to be an astronaut because the idea of space has always been fascinating to me. I used to go to the library and take out all the books on galaxies and planets. And then, when I was in high school, Mark Shuttleworth travelled to space, and I thought to myself, it’s actually possible!

There are multiple key moments that have shaped my life. Recently I was reflecting on my journey and how the people who have come into my life are the ones who have brought about opportunity. I firmly believe that everything happens for a reason and by extension the people we meet are there for a reason, too.

I am passionate about living a better life, living in a world where girls are given the opportunity to thrive. To this end a friend and I started an NPO, the Musikana Foundation – musikana means girl in Shona – that offers practical assistance to disadvantaged women and girls, giving them opportunities that would not have been available to them had they tried to go it alone.

I’m still trying to determine what kind of leader I am, but what I do know is that I try to lead with compassion, authenticity and transparency. I am a different leader to different people, depending on what they need from me. I believe in building trust in people because this creates a sense of belonging, and when you feel that you belong, you know that the effort you put into your job is not only for the company but for you, too. It’s a win-win.

My sense of humour and ability to collaborate are my superpowers. I try and ensure that everyone is seen and that what they say matters. I’m also a firm believer that only you have the power to determine what your future holds. This is something my Mom always told me, and it’s what I tell the team. If you don’t bet on yourself, no one else will, so I tell them, “You’ve got this!”.

Henley Business School is a very special place because everyone here truly cares about the individual student and their unique journey. This speaks to the family-friendly nature of how we operate. And it’s not just a buzz phrase, it’s one of our core values and something we live out every day. We walk the talk.