Taking the helm of a major motor organization during a global health and economic crisis is not for everyone, but Isuzu Motors’ CEO Billy Tom accepted the challenge, and has overcome speed bumps to successfully grow the business. He speaks about the journey that led him on the road he is today.



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote has-text-align-center is-style-large is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">“…what is driving me in Africa is intra-African trade. Africa has to trade with itself.”</blockquote>



Barely three months into South Africa’s national lockdown in response to the Covid-19 pandemic – one of the strictest in the world at the time – Billy Tom took up the helm of CEO and GM of Isuzu Motors. With transit and travel closed to all but those termed ‘essential personnel’, taking on the responsibility to imprint a sense of stability, leadership and grow a vehicle manufacturing business was an arduous task. But Tom achieved just that, through embracing technology, pivoting the business to new opportunities and looking after Isuzu’s employees.



“… some of the things that the company did was to look after their employees during Covid-19” says Tom in an interview with FORBES AFRICA. “We didn’t retrench a single person.”



Isuzu Motors’ approach to engaging with the challenges the pandemic presented reflects the philosophy that informs why Tom was an appropriate choice to lead the business during these times.



Growing up in rural Alexandria in South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province, Tom learned early on in life that dedication, cooperation and humility are key. Despite having to redo several years of schooling due to ongoing anti-apartheid protests in 1980’s South Africa, Tom earned some extra money driving trucks during university, beginning a journey that led him on the road he is today.



“Every day the farmers would give me a job to drive trucks and get a little money… that instilled a lot in me – it instilled discipline… A lot of time in life when people see you eating your harvest, they eat their seeds. It has taught me to be patient,” continues Tom.



Commenting on his remarkable journey from truck driver to CEO of Isuzu Motors, Tom credits his early life and the desire to constantly create new opportunities, something that can’t be achieved if one doesn’t keep looking forward.



These characteristics are generally useful, but their value increased exponentially when Tom took up his position as CEO of Isuzu Motors at a pivotal and incredibly challenging time – the beginning of the Covid-19 lockdowns. Not only was this a tough time for business – particularly in the motor industry – but it also offered a unique obstacle to asserting his new leadership of the organization.



“It was quite an interesting one for me in that I signed my letter of appointment two days before the country went on lockdown,” Tom laughs. “The difficulty was, I didn’t meet any person… so I had to be very resourceful in how I introduced myself.”



Tom managed to achieve this through key management decisions and embracing technology. Under his guidance, Isuzu Motors moved immediately to work-from-home policies to protect their employees, and supplied them with the needed technological support to remote work. While many



companies did this, albeit half-heartedly, concerned that their employees would be slacking off without constant observation, Tom embraced the change to much success.



“One of the things I believe in is trust – because when you have people working from home, you’ve got to trust that they do the work… and people didn’t disappoint,” says Tom.



And it worked. Management also lowered costs where they could, including reducing salary increases and reducing management salaries to preserve funding. The result was that not a single employee was retrenched during the Covid-19 lockdowns.



This humane approach to management allowed for Tom to gain high levels of trust and productivity during the worst levels of the pandemic, and allowed Isuzu to be on the front foot as vaccination levels increased and daily life slowly returned to normal. That was Tom’s moment to push for growth.



“We are in a fortunate position in that our offering is more commercial orientated,” says Tom, explaining the commercial vehicle market which is a large component of Isuzu’s business. Focusing on market segments that saw growth during and after the lockdowns allowed for Isuzu to move from strength to strength. “The [commercial vehicles] segment grew drastically… but also the section that is more leisure, your double cabs and SUVs… because people couldn’t go into crowded areas, they started to go outside and doing things like camping… Agriculture is another area where we are strong.”



Tom is using this resourcefulness to grow the business into Africa as well, with a focus on inter-African development as well. With primary manufacturing occurring in South Africa, resources are being invested all over the continent to open up both new markets and develop manufacturing capacity in these markets for future growth.



“With the African Free Trade Area agreement, we see Africa as a huge opportunity,” says Tom. “South Africa is one country, and that gives you about 80% [revenue], many other countries give us 20%, but the potential for growth is massive… to me, what is driving me in Africa is intra-African trade. Africa has to trade with itself.”



This vision for the development of Isuzu Motors in South Africa and the continent more broadly is also driven by Tom’s personal philosophies around upliftment. Speaking on the ravaging effects that both the Covid-19 pandemic and the 2021 unrest in South Africa has had, he makes it clear that he believes upliftment is the only long-term solution.



“A child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth,” says Tom, quoting an old African proverb. “As a leader, I’ve always said we need to create opportunities for generations to follow…”

Screenshot 2022-08-09 at 12.20.45

From Truck Driver To CEO, Set On The Right Course

Staying out of the socio-cultural fray is no longer an option for most brands and businesses. Can “safety” be a framework for when and how CEOs and CMOs should consider acting?



For the CEOs of the world’s largest companies, navigating when and how to enter cultural conversations, when and how to show solidarity, allyship and citizenship is fraught with real and perceived risk. The consequences of both action and inaction can be measured in an eco-system of reputational, economic and/or political impacts. The fear of alienating people, be they buyers, subscribers, employees, or shareholders en-masse, has long kept good people and good companies from doing more good things and standing up against more bad things. 



If we lived and marketed in <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/1176668064/pattern-i-could-really-use-some" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">precedented times</a>, this would all be easier, but we don’t. We live and market in times when the values-based divide between red and blue is so enormous that <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/magazine/2022/03/08/they-are-preparing-war-an-expert-civil-wars-discusses-where-political-extremists-are-taking-this-country/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">civil war seems as likely as civil discourse</a>. The once-unthinkable is now entirely thinkable as most identity groups—from the historically under-represented to the historically privileged—feel as if they are under attack—despite the socio-cultural, economic, legislative, and electoral evidence making clear that some remain far more so than others, and that not all perception is reality.



Today, brands are boycotted for pushing back against hate; for advocating for equity and inclusion; for doing and saying things that not so long ago would have seemed reasonable and right but, now, don’t. Making decisions about when to act and when not to is a calculus that, for CEOs and the CMOs who help them steward these brands and businesses, fraught with political and bottom-line considerations, as, no matter one’s heart or values, fiduciary duty calls. In fact, according to a recent survey, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/madelinehalpert/2022/07/20/less-than-10-of-companies-commented-publicly-on-roe-v-wade-decision-poll-finds/amp/">fewer than 10% of US companies spoke out against the SCOTUS Roe reversal</a>. But staying entirely out of the cultural fray is no longer an option, no matter the risks, as people—whether buyers, employees, partners or vendors—are <a href="https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/why-more-companies-are-standing-up-on-social-issues/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">increasingly looking to businesses</a> to address social issues, having <a href="https://www.edelman.com/trust/2021-trust-barometer" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lost trust</a>in government’s ability to do same.



These growing expectations require a new level of corporate accountability and transparency to an ecosystem of stakeholders, not just shareholders. And as CEOs from across the globe watched as Bob Chapek was publicly pilloried both for what he, at first, didn’t do by remaining silent on Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill and then by Florida’s lawmakers who threatened massive economic consequences when he spoke out in support of ABC, they got scared.



So, how do you decide when and how to step in without, as Sarah Kate Ellis, the long-time President of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.glaad.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">GLAAD</a>, an organization dedicated to accelerating change for the LGBTQ community, calls it, “sticking your neck out.”



While the work Ellis and GLAAD do focuses on the LGBTQ community specifically, she has a simple framework for determining when and why to get involved that has application to other communities as readily. The simple construct occurred to her at at The World Economic Forum in Davos this past May, as she listened to the assembled consider how to mitigate the risks of doing and saying something that needs to be done and said despite ramifications. Her very simple framework? Act when the safety of others is at risk.



“Companies and CEOs are having to speak up constantly on social issues,” she says, “and I was trying to think about how we could shift the narrative from isolated issues—LGBTQ+ rights, guns, Roe—and wondering what kind of framework we could build that is rooted in fact, and depoliticizes issues that (have been) wrongly politicized. These are not political issues, they impact the safety, health and well-being of humans across the board.”



The premise is great, but how exactly does one appeal to humans across the board when the pieces on the board are more akin to chess pieces battling than disparate parts of one whole?



To Ellis, it begins with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs</a>. “If you look at Maslow, ‘safety’ is foundational,” she reasons. “So, the framework should be simple and factual: it’s all about people’s safety. Safety in schools, safety at work, safety for women, safety for the LGBTQ community. Safety for the under-represented. You’re either for safety or against it.”



Who could reasonably be against safety? Well, at a time when&nbsp;<a href="https://leafgroup.zoom.us/j/84570240131" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">7% of Americans</a>&nbsp;believe chocolate milk comes from brown cows, anything’s possible. As Ellis points out, “there is a fringe that will always be fringe and you can’t argue with them, but you can have a stance and a framework that is for good and for all.”



But even “safety” can be subjective. When asked what she’d say to those would argue for the safety of the unborn child, she admits, “There’s no perfect framework. But CEOs are having to speak up all the time on one or another social issue and it’s a race on narrative. You’ve said you support us, you market to us, you have some policies and procedures, but what are you doing in the public sphere when the rubber hits the road? We think ‘safety’ lets them get ahead of issues and creates a decision tree that can help them do the right thing when the right thing seems hard.”



For businesses, no matter what or whom you ally with or against there will be those who love you for it and those who don’t. This has always been true — it’s just more so now, with no signs on the horizon that it will become less so moving forward. Employee, consumer, shareholder and stakeholder activism and expectations all but mandates corporate action, accountability and transparency in ways heretofore unconsidered. And this is true regardless of whether you fall on Hobby Lobby’s side of the conversation or Patagonia’s.



Ellis is, of course, right. No perfect framework for this exists in these particularly imperfect times. And as much as she thinks this is a framework for any one CEO, her bigger hope is that it becomes a framework for a coalition of them. “The biggest thing is CEOs going in together and sign[ing] some sort of shared declaration,” she says. “‘We believe in the safety of our employees and customers. This is where we stand, and we will act in support of (it) whenever it is challenged.’”&nbsp;



Ensuring social, cultural, and economic safety seems a reasonable bar for businesses to hurdle. After all, if you can’t stand resolutely for the safety of those you work with, sell to, and seek to serve, what exactly can you stand for?



By Seth Matlins, Forbes Staff

Young businesswoman walking with digital tablet at coworking

A Framework For CEOs And CMOs On When And How To Enter The Cultural Conversation

Cheryl Buss, the UK-based CEO of Absa International, on her passion for Africa and its resilient, entrepreneurial mind-set.



Cheryl Buss lives by the mantra “smooth seas don’t make for good sailors”.



It was a quote she first heard Mercedes-Benz South Africa’s former CEO Arno van der Merwe use and one that has helped her navigate countries where populism, polarization and Brexit are rife.



It is a saying that will no doubt help the CEO of Absa International deal with one of the biggest challenges the world is facing – Covid-19, a deadly virus that is sending shivers down the spines of economies around the globe.



But for now, Buss is using her mantra to gain business in the United Kingdom and the United States.



The UK-based career banker wants to take Africa to Absa’s clients in the UK and the US and bring the bank’s clients to Africa, a continent she is very passionate about.



She is working hard to convince businesses that want to invest in Africa, to bank with Absa on the continent.



&nbsp;Her passion for both the continent and her job is driving her success in this endeavor.



“I’m passionate about the business in which we work and I am passionate about the opportunity for Absa and for Africa. I think that if you are passionate about what you do and you show up positive, that tends to hopefully spread around and is hopefully catchy,” says Buss, dressed in an elegant dark blue dress.



As she explains her passion for Africa to FORBES AFRICA, Buss’s eyes light up. The continent offers experience, diversity, opportunity in agriculture, farming and the provision of food supply, she says.



Excitedly, she adds it has the world’s biggest population of youth that if harnessed correctly will see the continent beaming with new ideas and new thoughts.



Africa’s people are another element that makes her an Afro-optimist.



Explaining, she says: “It struck me going into Zimbabwe a couple of years ago… this was probably three, four years ago, just a load of poverty, you can just see the roads are in bad shape, everywhere you look, you see people with beaming smiles. You think ‘God, what are you smiling at?’. But it is just African people, we are taught to be resilient, we are taught to come back and I think that is part of the excitement through which you see this entrepreneurial development and mind-set.”



But Buss does not just plan to take the conversation about Africa to the UK and the US, where the bank recently received regulatory approval to operate and has started engaging with clients, but also to Asia.



Confidently, she says “you would have seen Charles Russon, who is our CEO of Corporate and Investment Banking, alluding to the fact that we would be, we are considering what the China strategy would be like, that would be rather our next port of call… China is our first consideration that we are working with our strategy team to see and understand what that would look like and then there is the Middle East-Asia consideration as well, so we would look to kind of have the four corners.”



High in emotional intelligence, a trait the charismatic leader believes she picked up by being open to change, resilient to failure and open to learn, she says she wants to build the international business to be in the best place ever.



“For me, I want it to be ‘wow, that business didn’t actually have a blip it carried on’.”



How does she plan to get there?



“It is about that close personal touch, I like to have close personal relationships with my teams, with the people I deal with and the people I mentor and make sure I am offering guidance at the right level and I like to build close relationships with my clients as well…



“Banks are a commodity so the real differentiator is the people you employ in the bank and how they show up to our clients.”



-Monique Vanek

IMG_3781

The Afro-Optimist: This UK-Based CEO On Her Passion For Africa And Its Resilient, Entrepreneurial Mind-Set

At the 2020 FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Leading Women Summit in Durban on March 6, for the first time on the same stage, South Africa’s minister Dr Naledi Pandor and her entrepreneur-daughter Dr Aisha Pandor revealed their secrets to continued success.



It’s not often we get to witness a famous mother and daughter on the same stage sharing their lessons on success and legacy. And this duo was certainly doing so for the first time.



At the 2020 FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Leading Women Summit in Durban, South Africa, on March 6, Dr Naledi Pandor, the country’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, and Dr Aisha Pandor, CEO and Co-founder of SweepSouth, engaged in a stimulating and thought-provoking panel discussion titled ‘How To Raise A CEO’.



“Thank you very much to FORBES WOMAN AFRICA for the opportunity to be here with Aisha. I don’t often get a chance to see her. So it’s lovely to see you Aisha,” opened the much-loved minister, to laughter from the audience in the large ballroom at the international convention center in Durban.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="517" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Forbes-LWS2020KZN-2778-e1586614377306-1024x517.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-44166" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Forbes-LWS2020KZN-2778-e1586614377306-1024x517.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Forbes-LWS2020KZN-2778-e1586614377306-300x151.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Forbes-LWS2020KZN-2778-e1586614377306-600x303.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Forbes-LWS2020KZN-2778-e1586614377306-768x388.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Forbes-LWS2020KZN-2778-e1586614377306-1536x775.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Forbes-LWS2020KZN-2778-e1586614377306.jpg 1623w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption>Gugu Mfuphi, Dr Aisha Pandor, and Dr Naledi Pandor </figcaption></figure>



The panel’s moderator Gugu Mfuphi began with a comic disclaimer that Dr Naledi has four children and that Dr Aisha is certainly “not the favorite”. As the audience lapped up the moment, the minister, with a broad smile, shook her head in disagreement, saying: “They are all my favorite!”



<figure class="wp-block-pullquote"><blockquote>“It was very clear – just nurture them in a wide range of things. That’s really important.”<cite>&#8211; Dr Naledi Pandor</cite></blockquote></figure>



There was more laughter and life lessons in store, as the audience got to see the lighter side of the minister.



“As a mother, what I tried to do is nurture her where she wished to grow, but also, to encourage her to have as much experience in a range of areas as possible. We would encourage academic work. We also encouraged sport, creativity; all my kids had to do speech and drama at school, it was very clear – just nurture them in a wide range of things. I think that’s really important,” said the senior Pandor.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="711" height="883" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Forbes-LWS2020KZN-2806-cropped.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-44176" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Forbes-LWS2020KZN-2806-cropped.jpg 711w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Forbes-LWS2020KZN-2806-cropped-300x373.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Forbes-LWS2020KZN-2806-cropped-600x745.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Forbes-LWS2020KZN-2806-cropped-242x300.jpg 242w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 711px) 100vw, 711px" /></figure>



While she mapped out her daughter’s career path, she later came to an important realization.



“She was really good in science. I love science but I’m bad at it. So I thought ‘God gave me Aisha, she’s going to achieve you know, because she was good at math and science’. And so she did very well at school, and went into the science faculty, did very well at the undergraduate level, was invited to carry on with an honors degree. She did very well and was asked to proceed to her Masters prior to finishing the honors. So, I was over the moon. It’s my dream, right? She continues from Masters into the PhD track, and completes her PhD with much fanfare and celebration on our part because now I’m thinking ‘here’s our senior research partner’. All these things I’ve been talking about science and technology, my child is going to live the example. Well lo and behold…”



The minister went on to offer more life-changing anecdotes about her daughter.



“One day, Aisha comes with her husband – who happens to be a software engineer – they tell us about this plan they’ve cooked up; that they’re going to start this tech start-up. And so I say to her ‘what about your research career?”. And she goes ‘this is what I want to do”. I say ‘what, but you’ve got a PhD, you could be a professor at the University of Cape Town, what are you talking about?’ And she says, ‘no mom, we’ve designed this program, we’ve started our company’. They began to tell me and her father all about it. Both of us were livid. I must tell you we thought ‘these kids are going to be a problem for us, they’ll be coming to beg for money and everything’. Few years down the line, and here we are! I’m very proud of her. I’ve learned my lesson. Let your children go where they wish to go!”



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="681" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Forbes-LWS2020KZN-2807-1024x681.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-44169" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Forbes-LWS2020KZN-2807-1024x681.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Forbes-LWS2020KZN-2807-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Forbes-LWS2020KZN-2807-600x399.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Forbes-LWS2020KZN-2807-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Forbes-LWS2020KZN-2807-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Forbes-LWS2020KZN-2807.jpg 1623w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption>Dr Aisha Pandor</figcaption></figure>



Aisha, along with her husband, learned quickly that being a CEO will require significant sacrifice.



“I lived with my parents for probably four years after starting our business. We eventually ended up selling everything we had, to fund the business,” she said.



“Our parents brought us up to have the right moral compass. Education and the idea of learning and knowledge have been very important. My parents gave us freedom in the decisions we made based on the fact that they knew they had given us that grounding.”  



Watch the full panel discussion below: 



<figure class="wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="#LWS2020KZN: Mother &amp; Daughter - How To Raise A CEO" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kqJiWcLTgGY?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>

Forbes LWS2020KZN-2791

How To Raise A CEO: A Mother And Daughter Share Lessons

Thomas Schaefer, the 49-year-old CEO of Volkswagen Group South Africa, loves golf, running and wine, and says he would put his money into waste-to-energy projects, and horses. 



What has your focus been for business recently? 



Volkswagen in South Africa started over 65 years ago and has
been a part of South African history with iconic models like the Beetle, Citi
Golf and Kombi. Volkswagen has been the passenger car market leader for the
past eight years and had 23% market share in 2019. The factory in Uitenhage
will produce 162,000 Polos and Polo Vivos as well as 97,000 engines. 



In the rest of sub-Saharan Africa, we have unfortunately not
been as successful. But then again, no other manufacturer was really
successful, as 95% of all vehicles sold are used vehicles and not new. 



In 2016, Volkswagen decided to change that by reaching out
to those African countries that have the political will to make the required
changes that will bring industrialization and jobs. We have started assembly
operations in Rwanda, Kenya and Nigeria. Ghana is next and then hopefully,
Ethiopia. 



Those are small beginnings, but when Volkswagen started in
China in 1984, nobody expected it would be producing more than four million
vehicles per year in 22 factories today. 



If you had to invest capital into any venture, what would it be and why? 



I would invest in waste-to-energy projects. Apart from being
feasible, they tick some more boxes like job creation, conserving the
environment, reducing the need to dump waste in landfills and providing a
source of carbon neutral energy. 



Your biggest investment blunder yet? 



It My biggest was buying German Telekom shares after
privatization. 



What is your most prized investment, and why?



My house in Stuttgart [Germany]. It is rented out to an
American couple. 



When we were about to move to Hannover with my change over
to Volkswagen, the American Army decided to increase its presence in the
Stuttgart region and build up the Africa Corps. Since then, rental has gone
through the roof. 



What do you spend your money on mostly? 



My wife’s passion is horses. We own a smallholding and I can
say without a doubt that this has taken number one spending position. Other
than that, mainly food and wine. I can’t really spend much on cars. 



Your most recent expensive acquisition?



Our smallholding for the horses, plus all the equipment that
one needs such as quad bikes for the riding arena.&nbsp; 



What is your dream car? 



A Porsche 356.



Which is your favorite Volkswagen vehicle, and why? 



The Polo GTI. It is an unbelievable car that ticks all the
boxes – looks, feel, finish, power, handling and of course, value for money.



You cannot travel without your…? 



German wax earplugs. I need them to sleep on the plane. The
normal earplugs you get are all useless and hurt your ears.&nbsp; 



– Interviewed by Gypseenia Lion

VWSA Chairman & MD Thomas Schaefer

‘I Can’t Really Spend Much On Cars’

As part of FORBES AFRICA’s ongoing eighth anniversary celebrations, we present a CEO Rhetorical Analysis by Anahita Negarandeh, a Harvard University Extension School student, on FORBES AFRICA’s founder and publisher, Rakesh Wahi. The CEO Rhetorical Analysis researches and analyzes the rhetoric — the effective messaging or speech — of a CEO and global business leader. The values chosen to explore in the CEO’s rhetoric are a key part of this article.



This
rhetorical analysis examines the messaging of Rakesh Wahi, Founder of CNBC
Africa and FORBES AFRICA. By consulting with approximately 10 executives from
Wahi’s global team, this rhetoric examines four of his leadership values such
as courage and determination, collaboration, passion for education, and
equality. 



Courage and determination 



Wahi
is a well-respected global businessman based in Dubai and South Africa who has
been involved with approximately 20 corporate development projects. He
continues to grow his establishments in more than 25 offices around the world.
As a leader in media, IT, telecoms, and education, Wahi has built companies in
22 countries, employing over 1,000 employees. Prior to moving to the UAE, Wahi
served in the Indian Armed Forces for approximately nine years and was awarded
the Vishisht Seva Medal by the President of India in 1985 for distinguished
services to the country in peacetime. During his army service, at age 23, he
was part of India’s second base establishment in Antarctica where a near-death
experience changed his life. 



“But I realized at that age that life is not something you take for granted, therefore, whatever you want in this world, you have to set out to achieve it. At the end of the day, you are either there or not there; if you are not there, and if there are unfulfilled dreams, they will always be unfulfilled.” (Wahi) 



READ MORE: <a href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/woman/2016/10/01/5-minutes-rakesh-wahi/">5 Minutes With Rakesh Wahi</a>



Wahi’s
executive team members, who have known him for approximately 20-30 years,
believe this statement. Based on four personal interviews conducted for the
purpose of this analysis with Wahi’s global leadership team, Wahi “lives this
statement in his everyday life” (Martin). Many acknowledged that he is continuously
determined to fulfil his dreams. Lars Jeppesen, Wahi’s Co-Founder of Tech One
Global, states that “Wahi dreams and then puts all efforts to pursue the
dreams… he is still building universities, creating new businesses, and pursues
his dreams” (Jeppesen). Wahi is known to thrive on challenges and never gives
up on achieving his goals even when faced with obstacles and challenges. 



A
leader’s personal life experiences and adversities play a major role in one’s
values and ethics. In Wahi’s case, facing death at a young age motivated him to
pursue his dreams to become realities. This is an admirable value for
entrepreneurs, especially the younger generation. As a role model, Wahi teaches
them to never give up despite challenges. 



Collaboration &amp; Importance of People 



Wahi
has learned valuable business lessons from his experience in the army, most
importantly, the core lesson taught in the military about the importance of people
and looking after them. His 2016 autobiography, Be a Lion, dedicated a section to The Importance of People.
Books have had a great impact on Wahi, specifically the philosophy of reason
from Ayn Rand while he was fighting for his life from the military
life-threatening incident. As an advocate in the influence of others, he
reiterates in his book, “That it is difficult to achieve anything without the
involvement, commitment, loyalty, and assistance of others. When you come
across a person with whom you can see a future, you must grasp the opportunity
and mutually make the most of it.” (Wahi Ch. 1, location 173, par. 4) 



Wahi executes his philosophy in numerous examples throughout his career, especially one with Daniel Adkins who is now CEO of Wahi’s Transnational Academic Group Middle East. When asked to describe a situation reflecting Wahi’s collaboration with and valuing people, this quality has directly been experienced, Adkins states, “I am probably the best possible example of this philosophy.” (Adkins). He describes his hiring experience entering the organization in late 2009 and rise from the most entry level position at one of Wahi’s Dubai-based universities, Murdoch University, to now CEO for the Middle East operations. 



“Throughout
this entire process, Wahi has provided both direct mentorship and mentorship by
example and has made sure that I did the same for my entire team, which has
produced fantastic organisational results including no turnover with regret for
six years.” (Adkins) 



READ MORE: <a href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/focus/2019/03/01/the-most-defining-aspects-of-our-lives/">The Most Defining Aspects Of Our Lives</a>



As
stated in Lancaster University Ghana’s Senior Management biography, Wahi’s
“core focus is on long term corporate and leadership development through
building strong management teams”. Adkins reiterates this statement in an
interview: “Wahi absolutely lives this philosophy and demands it from his
entire management team… the people are the business and there is nothing more
important” (Adkins). 



Wahi
is known to have a special gift and skill to find loyal people and never
hesitates to show appreciation to people’s loyalty. Wahi learned this quality
from his role model parents, a father who was a military, corporate, and family
hero and a mother who was not only Mother Teresa’s friend, but a genuine giver
in life. In other words, Wahi is a “go back to your roots leader” (Al
Abadilah). Wahi was brought up in a giving family and now gives back as a
leader. Because of the people-oriented philosophies followed in his
organizations, employee turnaround rates are phenomenally low. Everyone is
treated like family and the principles presented in Ken Blanchard’s book, Gung-Ho!, are lived by
management. 



Wahi’s
philosophy about collaboration and importance of people is truly refreshing in
a CEO and business leader. In today’s individualistic world, leaders like Wahi
who dedicate a major part of their leadership role to importance of people is a
rare finding. Such values must be celebrated and promoted in all aspects of
business worldwide. 



Passion for education 



As
a sought-after speaker at educational institutions on leadership and
entrepreneurship, Wahi received an Honorary Doctorate Degree of Science from
the International University of Management by the Minister of Education of
Namibia. He was also appointed as an IATF2018 Goodwill Ambassador by The Trade
Finance for Africa. He personally learned and continuously teaches patience to
other entrepreneurs in emerging markets. In an interview with CNBC Africa, The Entrepreneur’s
Entrepreneur: Rakesh Wahi,about his book Be a Lion, Wahi
shares he is “extremely passionate about education”. His vision is to set up
educational centers of excellence across Africa incorporating new innovative
industries such as online and hybrid aspects of education with traditional
classroom environment. He has mentored many people in his leadership journey,
but believes mentorship benefits both parties as he states in an interview with
CNBC Africa: “Within a group, you always learn from each other. Mentorship is
not a one-way journey, you learn every day from your peers, subordinates,
seniors… If you are a student, you will remain a student all your life. You
must be like a sponge, no matter your age.” (Wahi) 



According to Adkins and Martin, executive partners at Wahi’s educational business sectors, Wahi lives his statement daily. Not only does he mentor his staff, he also learns from those on his team whether they are junior level or senior. Wahi has created a business culture amongst all sectors in a way that everyone learns from one another. 



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="681" height="1024" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Rakesh-Wahi-035-681x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-42238" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Rakesh-Wahi-035-681x1024.jpg 681w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Rakesh-Wahi-035-300x451.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Rakesh-Wahi-035-600x902.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Rakesh-Wahi-035-200x300.jpg 200w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Rakesh-Wahi-035-768x1155.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Rakesh-Wahi-035.jpg 1277w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 681px) 100vw, 681px" /></figure>



“There
is no rank in the discussion. It is both intuitively understood and explicitly
expressed that everyone’s ideas deserve equal consideration and we have made
company-altering decisions based on input received from junior team members
when those ideas turned out to be the best… It is absolutely the culture.”
(Adkins) 



Jeppesen,
now Co-Founder of a tech enterprise with Wahi, states in an interview, “Wahi
has been my mentor since we met 17 years back… Later, when we co-founded Tech
One Global, he was leading our board and mentored me personally as the CEO.”
(Jeppesen). 



The
culture of learning and mentorship from one another has saved the business in
an example of a termination deal of one of Dubai’s university partnerships with
a junior member of the team’s approach. This is proof that critical decisions
are made, as a group despite rank levels. An important aspect of Wahi’s work is
helping the leadership team rise to the next level. 



Equality 



Wahi’s
decision to launch FORBES WOMAN AFRICA was to provide a platform for women
entrepreneurs’ stories and the overwhelming waitlist of these stories in FORBES
AFRICA. 



“The
main reason was that as a startup magazine, FORBES AFRICA was overwhelmed with
a waiting list of stories from 49 countries in sub-Saharan Africa; by virtue of
women having a late head start in the business world, the stories were largely
dominated by men who had done great things to transform Africa.” (Wahi) 



In a short period of time, the magazine has risen to be the material of choice for inspirational women stories, with fantastic content being produced. Equality is discussed in an article by FORBES WOMAN AFRICA, Celebrating Five Years with The Founder and Publisher: Rakesh Wahi. 



“We
have discussed the trials and tribulations of women in the workplace and become
a champion for equality. The word ‘equality’ is a living value for us at the
ABN Group and I am so proud that we have been able to personify our values
through affirmative action.” (Wahi) 



READ MORE: <a href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/focus/2019/04/01/equality-as-a-living-value/">Equality As A Living Value</a>



According
to a partner of over 35 years, Rajiv Podar, “Wahi has always respected and
admired hard-working women and a firm believer of equality at workplace and
home… Most of his senior colleagues are women too” (Podar). In an example from
a former female executive at one of Wahi’s first ventures 20 years ago in
Dubai, Maha Al Abadilah discusses the value of equality she experienced as a
woman working with Wahi. “I have never experienced anything that distinguished
a man and a woman, nothing but full respect and treating us with our pure
qualifications and titles.” (Al Abadilah.14:19). 



Wahi
repeatedly demonstrates his firm belief in his statements amongst his team
members. When a decision is to be made for an important matter, all team
members discuss as equals. “It is both intuitively understood and explicitly
expressed that everyone’s ideas deserve equal consideration.” (Adkins).
Evidently, not only the value of equality is present within his ABN Group
amongst women in the workplace, but also amongst all employees. Gender and rank
are clearly not considered in any team discussions and decisions. 



Conclusion 



Wahi’s leadership approach and personality embodies unique values such as a life-changing incident, the collaboration and importance of people, a passion for education, and equality. As he was personally approached for research purposes of this analysis, he promptly welcomed connections with over 10 executives and partners of his global team who were all eager to help. Research results and personal interviews with warm responses from his team members and partners portray all qualities examined in this analysis positively. Wahi lives his statements and is a true people-oriented leader. 



Works
cited: 



Adkins,
Daniel. “Re: Business Paper Inquiry &#8211; Harvard University.” Received by Anahita
Negarandeh, 12 Dec. 2018. 



Africa,
Forbes Woman. “Celebrating Five Years With The Founder &amp; Publisher: Rakesh
Wahi.” Forbes Africa, 27 Sept. 2018,
www.forbesafrica.com/woman/2018/09/27/celebrating-five-years-with-the-founder-publisher-rakesh-wahi/.




Al
Abadilah, Maha. “Phone Interview, Rakesh Wahi Analysis” Voice recorder. 18 Dec.
2018. 



Bandyopadhyay,
Somshankar. “Military Lessons in Entrepreneurship.” GulfNews, 15 Mar.
2017, https://gulfnews.com/entertainment/books/military-lessons-in-entrepreneurship-1.1994221.




Bishop,
Chris. “Re: Chris Bishop CNBC Africa.” Received by Anahita Negarandeh, 12 Dec.
2018. 



CNBC
Africa. “Rakesh Wahi Reflects on CNBC Africa&#8217;s Decade of Broadcasting.” CNBC
Africa, CNBC Africa, 1 June 2017, www.cnbcafrica.com/videos/2017/06/01/rakesh-wahi-reflects-on-cnbc-africas-decade-of-broadcasting/.




CNBC
Africa. “The Entrepreneur&#8217;s Entrepreneur: Rakesh Wahi.” CNBC Africa, 4
Nov. 2016, www.cnbcafrica.com/news/special-report/2016/11/04/be-a-lion/. 



Jeppesen,
Lars. “Re: Business Paper Inquiry &#8211; Harvard University.” Received by Anahita
Negarandeh, 12 Dec. 2018. 



Lancaster
University Ghana. “Rakesh Wahi Chairman.” Lancaster University Ghana,
www.lancaster.edu.gh/our-faculty-details.php?id=45. Accessed 8 Dec. 2018. 



Martin, Gary. “Re: Business Paper Inquiry &#8211;
Harvard University.” Received by Anahita Negarandeh, 12 Dec. 2018. 



Naicker,
Roberta. “Re: Business Paper Inquiry &#8211; Harvard University.” Received by Anahita
Negarandeh, 12 Dec. 2018. 



Podar,
Rajiv. “Re: Business Paper Inquiry &#8211; Harvard University.” Received by Anahita
Negarandeh, 12 Dec. 2018. 



Vettath,
Malavika. “Global Entrepreneur Rakesh Wahi: &#8216;I&#8217;ve Been a Very Bad Personal
Investor&#8217;.” The National, The National, 25 May 2018,
www.thenational.ae/business/money/global-entrepreneur-rakesh-wahi-i-ve-been-a-very-bad-personal-investor-1.733606.




Wahi,
Rakesh. Be A Lion. Penguin Books, 2016. Kindle eBook file. 



Wahi,
Rakesh. “Re: Business Paper Inquiry &#8211; Harvard University.” Received by Anahita
Negarandeh, 12 Dec. 2018.

Rakesh Wahi

Analysis: The Values That Make A CEO

Our annual snapshot of the 100 women with the most impact are top politicians and CEOs, activist billionaires and celebrities who matter. In roughly equal measure you’ll find next gen entrepreneurs and media mavens, technologists and leaders in philanthropy – all ranked by dollars, media momentum and impact.
We’ve selected women that go beyond the traditional taxonomy of the power elite (political and economic might). These change-agents are actually shifting our very idea of clout and authority and, in the process, transforming the world in fresh and exhilarating ways.
This year the list features nine heads of state who run nations with a combined GDP of $11.8 trillion –including the No. 1 Power Woman, German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The 24 corporate CEOs control $893 billion in annual revenues, and 16 of the women here founded their own companies, including two of the three new billionaires to the list, Tory Burch and Spanx’s Sara Blakely. Speaking of, this year’s class has 14 billionaires valued in excess of $82 billion.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-5693" src="/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/FWA-2013-Oct-012-019-MOU-Top-100-006-197x300.jpg" alt="" width="197" height="300" />
<h4>Here, a quick peek at Power Women 2013:</h4>
Newcomers: Among the 15 newcomers on this year’s list are South Korean President Park Geun-hye (No. 11); Lockheed Martin LMT +0.52% CEO Marillyn Hewson (No. 34); CEO Tory Burch (No. 69);  Spanx founder Sara Blakely (No. 90) and Baidu BIDU -1.28% CFO Jennifer Li (No. 98).
Old friends: At this 10th edition, attention must be paid to the 15 who appeared on the inaugural list in 2004 and are still here today:  Oprah Winfrey(No. 13), of course. Ditto for Hillary Clinton (No. 5). But there’s also  Christine Lagarde (No. 7),  Sonia Gandhi (No. 9), Indra Nooyi (No. 10), Helen Clark(No. 21), Nancy Pelosi (No. 22), Anne Sweeney (No. 24), Amy Pascal (No. 36), Queen Elizabeth II (No. 40), Abigail Johnson (No. 60),  Ho Ching (No. 64),Diane Sawyer (No. 73), J.K. Rowling (No. 93) andGreta Van Susteren (No. 97).
She’s No. 1: Chancellor Merkel has made the list eight times out of the past 10 years – seven times as No. 1.
She’s the first: Forty percent  of the women on the list are “female firsts,” such as African head of state (Liberia’s Ellen Johnson Sirleaf), billionaire to sign The Giving Pledge (Sara Blakeley), and CEO at IBM (Ginni Rometty). Even more impressive are a the women who are multiple “firsts”, such as Judith Rodin, first president of an Ivy League and of the Rockefeller Foundation  and Hillary Clinton.
Hillary stays on: Clinton’s CV is chock full of firsts: The only first lady to become a U.S. senator turned viable presidential candidate turned secretary of state. Now a private citizen, she continues to be one of the most watched and listened-to women on the planet. All bets on that she will be the 2016 Democratic presidential candidate and the free world’s presumptive next leader. She’s done little to quiet the chatter, including hitting the speaking circuit last month at an estimated $200,000 fee per event and inking a reported $14 million book deal.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-5696" src="/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/FWA-2013-Oct-012-019-MOU-Top-100-008-202x300.jpg" alt="" width="202" height="300" />
Tech takes a second turn as a category on the Power Women list. Five tech women made the top 25 this year, including Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg (No. 6), Rometty (No. 12) and HP’s Meg Whitman (No. 15). There are 16 tech women in total, including also Susan Wojcicki, SVP of ads at Google (No. 30) and Sun Yafang, chair of Huawei Technologies (No. 77).
in South Africa. Joining the efforts of the U.N. are Angelina Jolie (No. 37), Shakira (No. 52), and Gisele Bundchen (No. 95). Beyonce (No. 17) rules the House of Dereon and Sofia Vergara (No. 38) co-owns LatinWE.
Businesswomen are booming in Asia: The whole region makes a strong showing, from China and Singapore to New Zealand and Thailand. Entrepreneurship is on the rise: see Zhang Xin (No. 50), The rising tide of female entrepreneurs:
A remarkable number of women are founders or owners of their own enterprises, not a few of whose eponymous companies are synonymous with high fashion. Consider Miuccia Prada (No. 58), Zara founder Rosalia Mera (No. 66), Tory Burch (No. 69) andDiane von Furstenberg (No. 74). Other self-made self-starters include Oprah Winfrey (No. 13), Arianna Huffington (No. 56), Chinese real estate tycoonZhang Xin (No. 50), and Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, India’s first biotech entrepreneur (No. 85).
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-5697" src="/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/FWA-2013-Oct-012-019-MOU-Top-100-012-300x210.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="210" />
The new celebrity role models: Sure, they’re famous but they deserve special attention for their outside work, be it ambassadors for meaningful causes or as business owners.
Oprah founded both Harpo Productions and The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls Sun Yafang (No. 77) and Solina Chau (No. 80). And Asian region women are showing their political might, from newcomer Park Geun-hye, the South Korean president (No. 11) and Burmese dissident and parliamentarian Aung San Suu Kyi (No. 29) to Australian PM Julia Gillard (No. 28) and Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra (No. 31).
Healing, feeding and educating the world: If they’re not topping corporations or state, the women on our list are heads of major nonprofits and NGOs and they wield as large budgets and impact millions, from Melinda Gates (No. 3) and IMF chief Christine Lagarde (No. 7) to Director-General of World Health Organization Margaret Chan (No. 33), World Food ProgrammeExecutive Director Ertharin Cousin (No. 49) and Harvard University’s Drew Gilpin Faust (No. 43).
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-5698" src="/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/FWA-2013-Oct-012-019-MOU-Top-100-003-217x300.jpg" alt="" width="217" height="300" />
<h4>Joyce Banda</h4>
Malawi’s first female president (and second on the African continent) spent her initial year in office pushing for rapprochement with the international donor community while grappling with spiraling inflation and an angry populace at home. With foreign aid accounting for nearly 40% of Malawi’s revenue, Banda urged global financial institutions to restore the dollars and Euros frozen during the autocratic regime of her predecessor. But her decision to devalue Malawi’s currency by 50% – to meet IMF conditions – has resulted in soaring costs for food and fuel and widespread protests. Her first 12 months were also marked by progress in decriminalizing homosexuality and major public health initiatives such as the $15 billion Global Fund to Fight Aids, TB and Malaria.
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<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-5691" src="/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/FWA-2013-Oct-012-019-MOU-Top-100-004-203x300.jpg" alt="" width="203" height="300" />
<h4>Sri Mulyani Indrawati</h4>
When Sri Mulyani Indrawati addressed the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in April, the Indonesian economist shared a curious insight: while high-income countries continue to suffer in the wake of the financial crisis, developing countries have come out relatively unscathed. The World Bank projects average global GDP growth of just 2.5% in 2013. Indrawati has served as managing director and the most senior woman at the World Bank since May 2010; as managing director, she oversees the World Bank’s operations in Asia and Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. After a series of deadly accidents in Bangladesh, the World Bank and the International Labor Organization have put pressure on the country to overhaul its labor laws.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-5692" src="/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/FWA-2013-Oct-012-019-MOU-Top-100-005-221x300.jpg" alt="" width="221" height="300" />
<h4>Liyuan Peng</h4>
China&#8217;s most public first lady since Madame Mao, Peng is the stylish second wife of new leader Xi Jinping. She toured with her husband during Xi&#8217;s first presidential trip abroad to Russia and Africa in March and was credited with putting a human face on the Communist regime; not for nothing, Peng is a member of the Public Diplomacy Association, an organized tasked to make China more appealing abroad. The former superstar folk singer is often joked about for being more famous than her husband: &#8220;Who is Xi Jinping? He is Peng Liyuan&#8217;s husband.&#8221; Fashion editors watch her for her (mostly) made-in-China style, but she&#8217;s also a U.N. ambassador for health and a Goodwill Ambassador for the World Health Organization focusing on TB and HIV/AIDS.
&nbsp;
<h4>Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala</h4>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-5689" src="/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/FWA-2013-Oct-012-019-MOU-Top-100-001-221x300.jpg" alt="" width="221" height="300" />
One year in office after a failed bid to for the World Bank presidency, Nigeria&#8217;s Harvard-educated finance minister produced a 6.5% increase in GDP from 2011 to 2012. Nigeria is the third largest economy in Africa with nearly $50 billion in foreign reserves.
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<h4>Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf</h4>
Johnson-Sirleaf is an African icon. She is the  continent&#8217;s first female head of state, a 2011 Nobel Prize winner for her work  n the global women&#8217;s empowerment circuit.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-5690" src="/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/FWA-2013-Oct-012-019-MOU-Top-100-002-208x300.jpg" alt="" width="208" height="300" />
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Tag: CEOs