Step-by-step to achieve your dreams

The dream of going to business school has been a long-held aspiration for Curtleigh Wangra. She would drive past the Henley campus on her daily commute to work in Sandton, hoping that one day she might have the opportunity to attend the school. Growing up in Eldorado Park, she was raised by a single mother who was unemployed for most of Curtleigh’s childhood. “Despite our challenges, she was very strict and made me read every day. She would buy the Daily Sun newspaper and have me read it cover to cover for her each night. Through this, she instilled in me the importance of education.”

Curtleigh’s partner attended business school and she was inspired by what she heard about the experience. Choosing Henley was a relatively easy next step because it offered a clear learning path for someone who does not have the existing qualifications to get straight into an MBA.

“One of my career goals is to obtain an MBA, and applying for the LIFT Higher Certificate in Management Practice programme was step one of five in this process. In addition to its status as the top-ranked business school in South Africa, I selected Henley for its supportive, family-friendly learning environment. Balancing school, work, and personal life was seamless.”

Embracing a culture of growth

Currently enrolled on the RISE! Advanced Certificate in Management Practice programme (step 2) at Henley, Curtleigh says that already, her learning journey has significantly enhanced her leadership and management skills.

“I've become more self-aware and learned to present myself in ways that benefit both me and my team. I've developed the ability to receive and apply feedback effectively in my interactions with others. This year has been a remarkable period of personal growth, and I am truly grateful. The exposure and learning experiences have underscored the importance of leading by example, a trait I now appreciate as invaluable.”

These newfound abilities are being noticed by her employer too. A customer success consultant by profession, Curtleigh works for recently awarded Fintech of the Year, Easydebit Payments Solutions that, she says, “fosters a culture of education and innovation, encouraging employees to think critically and question the status quo.”

This environment has instilled in her the importance of improving every process, department, and assignment she encounters. And the combination of this with Henley’s teaching and learning mindset has been explosive.

“I applied the approach I learned at Henley to identify and understand clients' frustrations and pain points and then proactively seek solutions within our organisation by identifying a need for client training and education during the onboarding process,” she explains.

“Working in Customer Success within the fintech industry has shown me the critical importance of staying ahead in a fast-paced and dynamic environment. I have learned that identifying client needs in real-time is essential – waiting until they express them means you're already too late.”

As a result of her proactiveness, she developed and introduced what she called the Enablement Department – using statistics from a case study – where time is dedicated to training and enabling a newly signed client, resulting in a significant drop in post-sale queries.

“In my case study, I compared the number of post-sale queries from clients who received extensive training and enablement with those who did not. The results demonstrated a significant difference, highlighting the clear need for thorough enablement.”

Curtleigh says her ability to integrate subject matter expertise with customer success experience proved invaluable in addressing this need. After presenting her results to the CEO, she was given the opportunity to pilot the Enablement Department, and following the successful trial, she has since been appointed as the Enablement Manager. “Empowering our clients to gain the full value of our products became my main objective. By doing so, we ensured a high product adoption rate and increased customer success. 

“Henley has perfected the concept of personal mastery,” she believes. “That module, in particular, teaches you that you cannot excel in a role, career, or organisation without first mastering yourself. In their classes, you learn to accept feedback, even when it is difficult to hear.”

Real world relevance

She says it’s important to immediately apply the lessons you’re learning at Henley in your daily life. “The peer-to-peer learning is useful because it helps you identify and unlearn behaviours that may hinder your career progression. Ultimately, though, while your skills may open doors, it is your work ethic, collaborative efforts, and leadership style that will ensure your continued success.”

“Leaders and experts who are capable of generating business and employment opportunities, are much needed in Africa, and Henley provides the education to cultivate these skills,” she adds.

With so much new ground already gained, Curtleigh is looking forward to seeing how far her learning journey at Henley will take her. But she takes nothing for granted.

“I know I have a lot to be thankful for and I am grateful to God for blessing me with the education and career that I have prayed for.”