How I fell in love with learning – and Henley

As the Head of Business Enablement at Liberty Africa Insurance and interim Managing Director at Liberty Life Namibia, she describes herself as firm and goal-orientated, but she’s also a giver and is inspired to develop people ‘one person at a time’ – a passion and purpose she honed during her MBA studies with Henley Business School Africa. Read her story in her own words below.

I’m always up for a challenge, so when Barry van Zyl – who did his Henley MBA around the same time I did – called me and asked if I’d be interested in joining the local alumni chapter I said yes immediately. We had to build the community from scratch, which was very exciting and involved a lot of hard work. When I decided to hand over the reins earlier this year, it was because I felt that I had done my time and was no longer adding value. That doesn’t mean I’m no longer involved with the school. I love Henley, and I love the alumni, but it was time to move on to something else.

I am firm and goal orientated, but I also care deeply about people, and I’m a collaborative, inclusive leader. I don’t fix problems, I leave that to my teams. My job is to point out areas of concern and guide them. I’m the same with my kids. As a single mom, my instinct is to rescue them from situations, but I’ve realised I have to take a step back and let them make mistakes and learn by themselves, too. But I always try to make myself available to them. Time is my love language.

I want to make a difference in people’s lives and leave a lasting impression on those who cross my path. I like to take things that are broken and then create a sustainable environment where I can help grow people, developing them so that they reach their full potential.

Developing people, one person at a time, makes a massive difference to a family. This is what I want to do for the people I work with, and it has similarities to Henley’s payoff line: building the people who build the businesses that build Africa. If I play a small part in that every day of my life, then I’ve won. In my various roles I have the opportunity to give people the means to grow and shine, and I am putting a lot of emphasis on training and skillsets. Doing this is, I believe, the hallmark of a good leader.

I was introduced to Henley by a colleague who was doing her MBA at the time. My colleague Claudette Louw said I should apply but I was sure I wouldn’t get in. I had very little self-belief back then, but I listened to her and put together an application. When I was accepted, my mind was blown! If not for my colleague, I don’t think I would ever have had the courage to apply so I owe her!

I am a single mother and when I started the MBA my son was 12 and my daughter was just six months old. It was chaos! But, and this is why I love Henley so much, the school supported me through it all and as a result I have made lifelong friends there – I’m looking at you, Linda Buckley, Janet Brumme and Puleng Makhoalibe.

Studying has not always been a part of who I am. While I understand now that lifelong learning keeps you relevant, I didn’t go to university straight after school. I began my career as a data capturer at Standard Bank, and it wasn’t long before I started to move up the ranks. I have always been determined and pour everything into the task at hand regardless of how big or small. I believe this has propelled me into roles and situations that I would not otherwise have been exposed to or considered for.

I fell in love with learning while doing my MBA and the journey was profound. It was about so much more than gaining insights into subjects like critical thinking and self-reflection; it also taught me resilience and the importance of perseverance. Above all, it shaped me into a stronger leader who prioritises people.

Henley sparked in me a love of academia and I have followed that path by completing a second Masters, this time in Digital Business, a course that has reinforced the importance of remaining relevant in the digital era and embracing uncertainty. Is my academic journey over? Who knows? I may sign up for Henley’s new DBA one day.