With just a few hours to go before CHRO South Africa announced the winner of the prestigious 2024 CHRO of the Year Award, judges James Ramakau, Caryn Baird and Tumelo Seaketso shared their thoughts on what it takes to scoop the most highly acclaimed award in the Southern Africa HR landscape.
The prestigious CHRO of the Year award is awarded to an HR leader that has shown excellent leadership and outstanding performance over a number of years. He or she must be very involved with the strategy of the company and is a true business partner.
Furthermore the CHRO of the Year has to have been the driving force behind growth and profitability and sets the benchmark for excellence in the HR profession, is leading by example and has outperformed all others based on skills, attitude and results.
Past winners of this leading award include Standard Bank’s Sharon Taylor, Vodacom’s Njabulo Mashigo, Dieter Veldsman (former group human capital executive at Momentum Metropolitan), FirstRand Group’s Tswelo Kodisang and MTN Group’s Paul Norman.
James Ramakau, who has been on the panel since 2022 and is the chairperson of the South African Board for People Practices (SABPP) says, “The quality that embodies a CHRO of the year for me, is a leader that transcends their discipline, company and geographical context they find themselves in. It is someone who, through their work, concerns themselves with creating shared value, to prosper their team, company, community and the country at large. It is someone who breaks the mould of HR as we know it, a pioneer and a champion of people who unleashes potential and achieves extraordinary results.”
Caryn Baird, an independent advisor and executive coach who has been on the panel for the last four years, says the HR leader must embody strategic agility and be a systemic thinker. “This is a leader who connects the dots across complex challenges. He or she must also possess business acumen, executive presence and display high integrity, along with an ethical approach that fosters deep trust. They must advocate for and embody the brand and culture, demonstrating emotional intelligence, self-awareness and a courageous, impactful leadership style.”
Tumelo Seaketso, panel member since 2022 and partner at STRASS Consultancy, notes that to earn the title of CHRO of the Year, a leader must excel in a range of qualities that go beyond traditional HR expertise. “An outstanding CHRO champions and personifies the brand and culture, has the ability to understand the ever-evolving business landscape and steer the people function to proactively and insightfully (through data) help business navigate the complex environment. This, while ensuring employee wellbeing isn’t a compromise in the course of achieving business priorities.”
The award, sponsored by executive partner Workday, will be handed out tonight at the glitzy “Oscars of HR”, where top CHROs, VIPs and business partners will meet for an elegant evening of networking, entertainment and fine dining.
Nominees for the 2024 CHRO of the Year are:
Annalize van der Waal, HRVP: sub-Saharan Africa at PepsiCo
Colin Smith, HR director at Northam Platinum
Deb Fuller, CHRO at Nedbank
Elanie Kruger, group CHRO at Tsebo Holdings SA
Itumeleng Matsheka, chief of people management and learning at Transnet
Kavita Ramjee, CHRO at Coface South Africa
Laressa Thavarin, former executive HR Leader at Air Liquide
Liziwe Masoga, CHRO at Mr Price
Melody Lekota, CHRO at Telkom
Naeem Timol, group HR Manager at Pedros
Palesa Matoli, executive head: human capital and transformation at Bidvest Bank
Rizwana Butler, group executive: human resources at Capitec Bank
Savina Harrilall, CHRO at Mukuru
Shalini Bhateja, VP: HR – Africa at Coca-Cola
Shireen Johnson, people director at Virgin Active
S'ne Magagula, CHRO at Tiger Brands
Tebogo Maenetjia, CHRO at MTN South Africa
Terence Moolman, CHRO at Syspro
Thabo Masete, former HR director at Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa
Unathi Sihlahla, executive head: HR & OD at Rand Refinery
