Malisha found the recent CHRO roundtable rewarding
Malisha Awunor, head of HR at BHBW (previously Barloworld Handling), initially wanted to be a graphic designer but, being the first person in her family to go to university, her father refused to pay for tertiary education “so that you can learn how to draw”. After studying a social sciences degree at the University of KZN, she was hired by Anglo American, where she was pushed into the deep-end as her time there coincided with the introduction of employment equity laws.
She says that undertaking further studies in business allowed her to learn to incorporate the business side of work to what she does.
“What it did for my confidence as an HR manager was paramount. After that, there was never a time when a finance person could exclude me from a particular discussion because they thought I wouldn’t get it,” said Malisha.
On Wednesday, CHRO SA senior editor Sungula Nkabinde met with Malisha, who attended the recent CHRO roundtable and found it immensely rewarding.
Said Awunor: “The roundtable gave me great comfort because I met many people who were going through the same things that I do. I do have a mentor that I consult with when I’m dealing with difficult issues but it’s not always possible to speak to him face to face. This community means there are more people with whom I can relate and share my professional challenges, and more importantly, learn from.”
