Interview

Avanthi Parboosing believes in recruiting people who are a “culture add”

The HR leader’s 20 years’ experience in the governance space paved the way for her CPO position.

Andisa Liba – a catalyst, connector and storyteller

Her decision to make a career shift from journalism into human resources opened Andisa Liba’s professional world.

From humble beginnings to climbing corporate ladders

Candice Watson has never been shy to push over hurdles in order to achieve her goals.

Advocating for the use of indigenous languages to enhance productivity and engagement

For Ndima Rawana, integrity, ethics and honesty are key to running a successful company.

Change and transformation are constant, says Microsoft SA CHRO Sameera Mohamed

The energetic leader believes in the value of showing up in the moment.

Rand Refinery’s Unathi Sihlahla is a stranger to impostor syndrome

Now in her first executive role, Unathi talks about finding confidence and embracing big opportunities.

Diageo CHRO Dineo Moledi links purpose to passion

The energetic HR leader sees the power of great talent within an organisation.

CHRO Palesa Ntoagae supports women at different stages of their lives

The new JSE HR director has already found connection with a “powerhouse of a team”.

Nando's CHRO Bridget Murphy strengthens the peri-peri thread

The HR leader has moved from the nuts and bolts to leading the people agenda.

Top talent is fleeing, but only virtually

Virtual emigration is on the uptick: here is how HR leaders can respond.

Celebrate the small successes, says CHRO Makgotso Letsitsi

The qualified auditor with a passion for people has been at KPMG for over two decades.

CHRO Andile Mabindisa is steadily building the SET ICT skills pipeline

The CSIR’s group executive of human capital and communication finds inspiration in the ‘me zone’ when running.

Being a great employer is about walking the talk, says CHRO Julia Modise

The Bridgestone chief people officer believes in leaders who put people first.

Up-close and personal with Sun International’s Verna Robson

Verna says they have amended their EVP to create deeper connections with their employees.

Palesa Ntoagae has been appointed as the new JSE HR director

Prior to joining the JSE, she was the regional HR Partner at Standard Bank.

Samiksha Govender advises women to embrace their femininity in leadership roles

Women bring a level of empathy to the workplace, she says.

DHL’s Marlene Badul shares how she used learning to grow as an HR leader

Marlene’s skills are complemented by her scientific knowledge of human behaviour.

Human-centred leadership is vital to survive an uncertain future

Good leaders listen more and incorporate their life experiences, says Kim Hawke.

Salesforce targets jobs growth and promotes the idea of a digital HQ

Salesforce’s Robin Fisher says people should learn Salesforce tech skills.

Care for AIDS’s Elizabeth Odero-Mboya shares her passion for bringing dignity to employees

In her role as HR manager, Elizabeth’s purpose is to help those who help others.

Corporate volunteer programmes increase employees’ connection to the business

Metropolitan’s Lyn Muzondo believes that we need to feel connected in kindness.

Samsung’s Dr Zain Reddiar: dialogue and meaningful conversations are vital

Zain believes that HR is best done by heart, with heart.

Momentum Metropolitan’s Annette Breetzke says “care” is her word of the year

Set respectful boundaries and understand the importance of self-care, she says.

Alexander Forbes’s Jonathan Muthige says he got into HR out of sheer curiosity

Jonathan was curious to see how he could use his foundational training in drama in the corporate world.

bp’s HR director Theo Motshabi shares lessons learnt through HR, entrepreneurship, and leadership

Theo says you have to search within and ask yourself what type of leader you are. A lesson learnt very early in life and applied throughout his career.

Bongani Phakathi shares that his varied career prepared him for doing good for people and the business

”Each move was not by design, but I am grateful for it. It’s given me rich experience, says Bongani.

Wellness starts with our own people, writes Vitality SA's Sundrie Naidoo

Vitality kicks off another practical, science-based strategy to address and improve its teams’ wellbeing.

Tanya Ramlagan looks at how to make the first 90 days count

Tanya Ramlagan shares tips on creating success in the early days of a new role.

Leading CHROs deliver insights for Mental Health Awareness Month

Workplace mental health is in the spotlight. Find out what CHROs are doing about it.

Illovo Sugar HR director Celeste Mdletshe focuses on relentless leadership

Celeste Mdletshe has shaped her career by being curious and leaning into her networks.

For Voys CHRO Andrew McDonald, timing really is everything

Supporting talent while unlearning is the way forward for HR, says Andrew.

BCX CHRO Hope Lukoto describes the journey of renewing the group’s culture

When Business Connexion was rebranded to BCX, the leadership team tried to create the BCX DNA.

Laressa Thavarin’s life purpose is gender equality in all walks of life

Making things better for generations to come is a personal and business quest, says Laressa.

Norma Teyise, Takealot’s head of DTI, talks about her niche in the HR space

Norma wanted to focus on something where she could truly make a mark.

Steffanuti head of HR, Natalina Singh discusses the importance of giving back

Natalina is a firm believer that what you put out into the world, you get back 10-fold.

Visionary Woman Leader: Nompumelelo Mokou says empowerment should not be limited to gender

The Dimension Data MD believes that the empowerment of both women and men should be addressed.

YES HR Executive Thato Mmaditla has faced the trifecta of workplace discrimination “isms”

Thato is a strong believer in the adage that age is nothing but a number.

Find the right team, says Neridha Moodley, head of People and Culture at SNG Grant Thornton

Neridha believes that good mentors show leadership, and the skills you don’t have can be learnt.

Visionary woman leader Emda Fourie explains what women can get right

Momentum Corporate’s Emda Fourie says women are uniquely placed to change the sector.

Dark Fibre Africa’s Portia Thokoane talks rethinking the HR role in a pandemic

Portia says it took some strategic thinking for HR to pivot and adapt through the Covid-19 pandemic.

Visionary Woman Leader: Skynamo CPO Sarah Rice describes how drama helps her win at HR

The newly minted CPO has found the old ways of doing things don’t necessarily work anymore.

Metropolitan Life’s Lyn Muzondo describes the process of fixing the organisation’s DNA

Lyn says allowing the wrong DNA to foster can lead to organisational deformities.

I am a fixer, says Antoinette Roberts, group HR executive at Blue Label Telecoms

Antoinette believes that understanding different aspects of the business are key to HR’s success.

SAP’s Genevieve Koolen believes people enable organisational success

The HR director reveals how a varied 30-year career prepared her for her current role.

Up-close and personal with Yum! Brands’ Cheryl Whitaker

Cheryl opens up about her job, her background and the superpower she wishes she could have.

Gcobisa Ntshona discusses how LexisNexis is promoting employee wellness

The exco has come up with a ‘go-slow week’ and a ‘pyjama day’ – and even exco joins in.

Google has piloted Focus Fridays to give employees periods of uninterrupted time to work

Avanthi Maharaj says Focus Fridays also help in practising better meeting hygiene.

Quit Genius allows employees to overcome their addictions 100 percent remotely

Quit Genius is the world's first digital clinic for treating nicotine, alcohol and opioid addictions.

SNG Grant Thornton’s Neridha Moodley discusses prioritising psychological safety for the return to work

Return-to-work must be underpinned by psychological safety, which is high on SNG Grant Thornton’s agenda.

Passion, work-ethic and resilience win PnP’s Thato Mxo an award

Thato says that winning this national award has given her the opportunity to transfer her skills.

EOH’s Malisha Awunor shares why showing vulnerability as a leader matters

Malisha believes that being vulnerable is a credible and authentic demonstration of your humanity.

Bryte SA’s Ncumisa Mtshali dissects the art of networking

The key is to not overthink it and to keep your old relationships warm, says Ncumisa.

Standard Chartered Bank‘s Sigrid Müller on hybrid workforces

Sigrid believes they could be the solution to many questions around the future of work.

‘HR found me’, says PPS Group Executive: HR Masenyane Molefe

Masenyane Molefe says nothing – not her studies nor the first 15 years of her career – pointed towards becoming an HR professional.

Blue Label Telecom Group HC Professional Services Executive Brigitte Chetty on being “The Olivia Pope of HR”

Asked how she landed the nickname, Brigitte says it all began when she was at Massmart.

Radisson Hotel Group’s Harpreet Singh on normalising remote working in SA

The group’s area senior HR director for the Middle East and Africa pens his thoughts on the new remote work era.

Microsoft SA HR director Jasmin Pillay on embracing the hybrid work model 

Jasmin says the company has put a huge focus on helping people feel connected when working remotely.

Discovery’s Steven Teasdale is a lifelong student of leadership

Steven realised at an early age that there wasn’t a much better feeling in the world than helping people grow.

Standard Bank chief people officer Sharon Taylor on belonging

Sharon says belonging is about being able to bring your true self to work and thrive.

EPPF head of HR Shyless Nkuna says servant leadership is paramount

If the global financial crisis was the mock exam, Covid-19 presented the real test for HR leaders, says Shyless.

Laura James to champion D&I as chair of renewable energy gender diversity group

The Globeleq senior HR manager believes there is synchronicity between renewable energy and D&I.

McDonald’s SA's Brigitte Da Gama says their culture is what gets them through tough times

It is also why Brigitte won awards for Transformation & Empowerment and Talent Management at the 2020 CHRO Awards.

Nestle's Athol Swanepoel's career began with a role as an overqualified letter sorter

Athol is fresh into his role as the HR director for East and Southern Africa at Nestlé.

Tiger Brands CHRO S'ne Magagula on finding new ways to unlock potential

In her two years at the FMCG giant, S'ne and her team have transformed Tiger's people agenda and talent development approach.

Autoboys CHRO Kyle Chetty has been working 16 hours a day for as long as he can remember

The 2020 Young CHRO of The Year tells the story of what one can achieve if they’re willing to work hard.

Weir Minerals’ Tshidi Anya is clear about what she wants from her career

Tshidi Anya has just joined Weir Minerals as the regional HR director: Africa and Middle East.

Nando’s SA chief people officer Lucia McMullan says their culture is their secret sauce

Lucia says their employer brand is, in some ways, not dissimilar from the company’s witty consumer brand.

Nametsegang Maruping on her role as group executive: human capital for Altron

CHRO SA caught up with her to find out more about her vision for the role.

Disebo Ramonyalioa “still in shock” at how the world of work has changed

Ntiyiso Consulting Group’s HC director took an eight-month sabbatical before joining the firm.

Tshepo Yvonne Mosadi describes Heineken SA as her first love

Now its HR director, she joined the beer maker before it was registered in South Africa.

Dimension Data CHRO Michaela Voller on why offices are here to stay

Michaela says there are very real benefits to the physical office that simply cannot be overlooked.

Former divisional executive Darryl Feldman shares his experience from Edcon’s collapse

After a rough few months, Darryl chooses not to wallow, but rather to find purpose in assisting others.

Derivco's Tracey Rowe shares her life-long passion for equestrian sport

Tracey says that in riding, as well as with HR, relationships are golden.

Mondelēz International’s Cebile Xulu remains a steadfast champion of D&I

Cebile is the co-chair of the Mondelez International sub-Sahara African D&I Council, which was instituted in October.

Standard Chartered Bank's Millicent Clarke on the need to lead the leaders

The Regional Head of HR for Africa Middle East (AME) says it's all about the 3 Cs.

Elsie Pule on driving Eskom's performance culture

Elsie has been with Eskom since 1995 bar a three-year stint at SARS.

Barloworld's Tantaswa Fubu talks about her journey with depression

Tantaswa's experiences led to her becoming the poster girl for mental wellness within the organisation

Lucky HR Indaba Network launch day winners announced!

Clement O’Reilly appointed chief people officer in Multichoice executive reshuffle

Former chief people officer Fhulufhelo Badugela is to become the regional director of MultiChoice Africa: Southern Region.

Derivco HR director Tracey Rowe’s voyage to discovering a global perspective

Tracey’s career has given her and her family the opportunity to discover the world.

Servest's Lungile Langa on HR’s role in driving ethical leadership

Lungile says HR can drive ethical behaviour by protecting whistleblowers.

Mars Africa’s Nerisha Charlton is never demoralised by adversity

Nerisha says she has always found the strength to overcome even the most strenuous of life’s challenges.

Google HR Cluster Head for SSA Avanthi Maharaj on leading with compassion

Avanthi says joining Google was a dream come true.

Jaguar Land Rover SA's Tanya Ramlagan's career has been a pursuit of purpose and balance

It was only after 18 years into her career that Tanya took her first HR role.

EOH's Malisha Awunor on how to help employees acclimate to remote working

Malisha says employees have adjusted to remote working far better than was expected.

KFC's Cheryl Whitaker says Covid-19 has enabled a mindset shift

Cheryl says the pandemic has impacted their head office differently from their restaurants.

Altron's Dolores Mashishi on building the workplace of the future

In an upcoming webinar, Dolores will explain why implementing Workday is key to continuing Altron's remarkable turnaround strategy.

JSE HR director Donald Khumalo explains new gender-neutral parental leave policy

This move represents yet another step towards a more progressive JSE, says Donald.

MTN CHRO Paul Norman shares lessons from his 26 years at the company

The 2019 CHRO of the Year talks about how he's been able to stay at the top of his game for such a long time without ever feeling the need to switch companies.

Igniting human potential is everything to Tiger Brands CHRO S'ne Magagula

"In my view, human resources is about connecting the art of possibility, individual and team potential with organisational performance. It is how innovation comes to life and that's what inspires me the most about leading change in an organisation like Tiger," says S'ne.

PPC's Phindokuhle Mohlala says their Change Ambassadors have been a godsend

Phindo introduced Change Ambassadors to ease turbulence in times of transition and uncertainty.

Samela Holdings CEO Bongani Hlophe was drawn to HR by its political wonder

Bongani pivoted from a career in law when his political heart strings were pulled.

Leading HR in a law firm is no child's play, says Webber Wentzel HR director Rachel Masuku

Rachel says credibility is the most important trait that one needs to have in a law firm.  

Jade Peter's HR journey came full circle upon joining Belgotex as the executive HR director 

Jade's first HR job was at Belgotex where she now sits on the executive committee.

A little vulnerability can go a long way, says Unilever's global employer brand manager Hyren Peterson

Hyren's LinkedIn post, in which he admits to making many mistakes in his career, went viral. 

Netstar head of human capital Pamela Xaba's career has been a serendipitous journey of self-discovery

Like so many of her peers, Pamela found herself in the profession as if it was driven by fate.

Aurecon chief people officer Dean Naidoo sees the silver lining behind lockdown

Dean reflects on lockdown in the context of former president Nelson Mandela's imprisonment. 

How Decision Inc's Tarryn Swemmer was plunged into the deep-end of HR leadership

Tarryn had a Masters in Chemistry and zero HR experience when she became an HR leader.

Standard Bank head of human capital Sharon Taylor has mastered introverted leadership

Sharon's 29-year stint means she has shaped the people philosophies that define the bank today.

Unilever's Mechell Chetty on setting big, hairy, audacious goals

The story behind Mechell's decision to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. 

Verna Robson's rise from Eldos to Sun International

HR boss Verna Robson's determination and solution-oriented approach to life got her to where she is. 

5 career-building tips from Standard Bank's Sharon Taylor

Here's some advice for graduates from one of the top winners at last year's inaugural CHRO Awards.

Servest HR director Lungile Langa reached many of life's milestones sooner than most

Some would say she sped through life but, for her, it was all pretty normal.

McDonald's SA's Brigitte Da Gama is driven by her yearning to see people grow

She has a profound sense of responsibility to help people realise their full potential.

Nestlé's Tania Hector is a huge champion of flexible working 

She crafted the flexibility policy for Nestlé's South Africa office five years ago.

Mondelez International HR director Cebile Xulu coaches unemployed grads in her spare time

She started a work-readiness programme with three strangers that she met on Twitter.

From classroom to boardroom:  Meet Tamara Parker, CEO of Mercer South Africa

Never one to shy away from making bold changes, Tamara welcomes new adventures.

Discovery SA's Trevor Kunda on the current state and future of L&D

Trevor says South Africa's entire learning and development ecosystem is outdated.

Talking motorbikes and tattoos with Mercedes Benz SA's Abey Kgotle and his wife Nthabe

Following Abey's experience at Lonmin, the pair found healing on a pair of Harley Davidsons.

Shirley Zinn and Ndivhu Nepfumbada on leading your CEO

They share experiences on what it takes to lead the leader of your organisation.

Hellmann's Marlize Kriel's lessons from a 10-year journey through the Middle East

Wherever she went, Marlize's motto was always to 'add value, make a difference and leave a legacy.'

Discovery SA's Tswelo Kodisang on the parallels between running and being an HR leader

Tswelo runs marathons as a way to explore new cities around the world.

Estée Lauder South Africa HR Director Devni Naidoo on perfecting people practices in the beauty industry

Devni took a step into the new world of prestige beauty after 20 years in the banking industry.

Deborah Fuller on making Nedbank's high-performance culture more agile

Having calculated every move in her career, she is now focussed on implementing the banking group's People 2020 strategy.

Donald Khumalo on transformation, the power of competition and 'The JSE Way'

Donald was mentored by some of the country's foremost business leaders.

ABSA's Sthembiso Phakathi on making line managers take ownership of people practices

He says changing mindsets was the toughest challenge after shifting to Workday

ENSafrica's Lebitso Mokgatle on finding the HR sweet spot 

She says society's culture of immediate gratification has had negative consequences on human behaviour.

SA sitting on a skills bomb, says Syspro CHRO Terence Moolman

Terence began his working life as a till operator at Woolworths.

Investec's Lesley-Anne Gatter reveals rationale behind new flexible leave and dress code policy

Investec staff can take flexible leave days and choose how to dress.

Unilever Africa's Mechell Chetty on the pursuit and power of purpose

For her, it is the key to unlocking human potential in order to drive meaningful business success.