Zipho Sikhakhane is a globally recognized business strategist, keynote speaker, and thought leader whose transformative insights have inspired audiences across six continents. As the first black South African woman to earn an MBA from Stanford University, she brings a unique blend of academic excellence, corporate experience, and entrepreneurial spirit to her engagements. Raised in a township in KwaZulu-Natal, Zipho’s journey from humble beginnings to international acclaim exemplifies resilience, authenticity, and visionary leadership.
Her keynotes delve into themes of authentic leadership, organizational transformation, and Africa’s economic potential. Drawing from her roles at global firms like McKinsey & Company and Inditex (ZARA), as well as her leadership at EMZ Advisory, Zipho offers actionable strategies that resonate with diverse audiences. Her storytelling captivates, her insights challenge the status quo, and her presence energizes any event.
Zipho Sikhakhane’s professional trajectory is marked by a series of pioneering achievements and impactful roles. After completing her MBA at Stanford University on a full scholarship, she embarked on a career that spanned continents and industries. At McKinsey & Company, she contributed to strategic initiatives across Sub-Saharan Africa, including establishing the firm’s presence in Nigeria. Her tenure at Inditex (ZARA) as International Project Director saw her managing projects across five continents, enhancing operational efficiencies and customer experiences.
In 2015, Zipho founded EMZ Advisory, a management consulting firm dedicated to enhancing organizational effectiveness and productivity. Under her leadership, EMZ Advisory has delivered customized solutions in leadership development, change management, and strategic execution to clients across Africa. Her commitment to fostering inclusive growth is evident in her investments in early-stage ventures throughout East, West, and Southern Africa.
Beyond her corporate endeavors, Zipho is a published author and former weekly business columnist for South Africa’s Sunday Times. Her thought leadership extends to board roles, including positions at Allan Gray Group and E Squared Investments, where she influences decisions on asset management and impact investing. Her TEDx talk, “The Poetry of My Africa,” delivered in the USA, reflects her passion for redefining Africa’s narrative and potential.
Zipho’s academic credentials are equally impressive. She holds a Bachelor of Business Science with first-class honors from the University of Cape Town and has completed leadership programs in Austria, China, the Czech Republic, Russia, and South Africa. Her educational background equips her with a global perspective and a deep understanding of diverse business environments.
Her accolades include the Outstanding Young Achiever Award from the UNESCO Center for Global Education and recognition by the Independent Pan-African Youth Parliament. These honors underscore her influence as a leader committed to driving positive change and empowering the next generation.
Zipho Sikhakhane embodies the qualities of a transformative leader: resilience, authenticity, and a commitment to empowering others. Her journey from a township in South Africa to global stages exemplifies the power of vision and determination. As a speaker, she offers more than insights; she provides a roadmap for individuals and organizations to unlock their potential and drive meaningful change. Booking Zipho ensures an event marked by inspiration, engagement, and lasting impact.
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Nicola Tyler is a renowned expert in the field of Lateral Thinking and she has been a strategist and leadership development trainer for over twenty years.
During this time, she worked with, and was trained by, Dr Edward de Bono, in his creative and lateral thinking methods. As CEO of Business Results Group, she heads up the official distributorship of Dr Edward de Bono’s Thinking Methods, Official Tom Peters Training, iOpener Institute’s Science of Happiness at Work and Liz Wiseman’s Multipliers Leadership Development in Southern Africa.
BRG also owns the prestigious brand, ‘The Progress Conference’; host to the annual Happiness @ Work conference and numerous thought leadership programs in South Africa.
Nicola Tyler has shared the stage with a number of world renowned speakers such as Martin Seligman, Dave Ulrich, Tom Peters, Martin Lindstrom, Robert Kaplan, Ricardo Semler and more. She has personally addressed audiences in Argentina, Bahrain, Bangkok, Brussels, Cambodia, Paris, Prague, Mauritius, Switzerland and London, as well as having done extensive work in Africa and in the Middle East.
She is a Professional Associate at GIBS (Gordon Institute of Business Science), which has been ranked as the number one Business School in Africa (Financial Times, UK), where, for several years
Nicola presented an MBA elective on Creative and Innovative Thinking. Today, she presents on a number of company specific programs for the business school on both Innovative and Strategic Thinking.
Nicola Tyler is a professional, insightful and engaging speaker who is passionate about making a difference and delivering results.
She brings a deep respect and appreciation for business needs into their sessions by engaging people at all levels and encouraging the process of thinking in such a way, that it stimulates commitment and buy-in to decisions.
She is widely considered a master at applying de Bono’s techniques in live business situations. Nicola Tyler is an erudite presenter and master facilitator with business experience way beyond the field of Creative Thinking.
Nicola Tyler unique and pragmatic style of working has earned her a reputation for being able to ‘turn strategy into action’ and personal passion for thinking, innovation and results, is realized through a process that she has coined as ‘Operative Strategy’.
Drawing on Nicola Tyler twenty years of experience in the fields of strategy and innovation, Nicola facilitates strategic planning, strategic thinking and innovation processes and workshops across a variety of industries.
She regularly consults to organisations on strategic innovation, she coaches executives on the implementation of strategy and she facilitates partnering innovation workshops for clients.
Nicola has been interviewed on radio, television, and Nicola Tyler – Strategic Lateral Leadership has frequently contributed to articles on management journals, both locally and internationally.
Thinking Differently ™ About ….
It’s not often that you can book a speaker to present on any topic but quite literally, that’s what you can do with Nicola.
Nicola Tyler will bring to your subject the topic of thinking and in an engaging and high impact presentation, she will get your team thinking differently about … just about … ANYTHING!
The trick is the thinking part. She’s done in mining, sales, financial services, health care, human resources, manufacturing, marketing, branding, finance, risk management and more! And, even if she hasn’t done one in your field, she will be up for the challenge for sure!
Think – discover how your brain processes information and what goes right and wrong when you begin to think.
Differently – discover the power of perception and how learning to change perceptions can change, just about, anything. It’s the key to innovation success and it will unlock new thinking in the room, in an instant!
About – pick your topic and that will become the theme of Nicola Tyler presentation. She will research your industry and get to know your needs to ensure that she hits the relevant nail on the head! Your wish, is Nicola’s command!
Our company has quite a few different products in our stable. Nicola Tyler is a master certified trainer in de Bono courses (Six Thinking Hats, Lateral Thinking, Power of Perception, Six Value Medals and Simplicity). The most favoured course is Lateral Thinking.
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Helen Nicholson has a BCom degree from Wits University where she studied to be an accountant.
After working in the financial industry in South Africa, Helen lived in the Middle East for 5 years where she developed and sold her own successful business in Dubai before returning to South Africa.
She gained international corporate experience in the IT industry, coordinating the marketing Middle East operation for Novell.
On her return to South Africa, Helen Nicholson consulted and lectured at Wits Business School where she still guest lectures on the MBA programme and on various in-company programs. She also lectures at GIBS and the UCT Graduate School of Business.
Helen has a bi-monthly regular column in the Star Newspaper on the power of networking. She is the Director of The Networking Company, specialising in educating people to ‘Grow your Network, Grow your Business’.
Helen Nicholson recently published the business best-seller, ‘Networking – How to get Your Black Belt in Business Success’.
Helen Nicholson is a passionate South African who thrives on the meaningful work she does as a consultant in the area of ‘leadership development’.
Helen is a mentor at Shanduka Black Umbrellas for aspiring African entrepreneurs and she is a founding member of the Professional Speakers Association of South Africa.
She currently offers two presentations; ‘Mindfulness – a Business Game-Changer’ and ‘Grow Your Network, Grow Your Business’:
The ‘Grow Your Network, Grow Your Business ‘presentation will enable you to:
Linkedin Course
The Beginner/Intermediate module is a stand-alone course. There is a 10% discount if you attend all three modules.
The Opposite to Advertising
Basically, content marketing is the art of communicating with your customers and prospects without selling. It is non-interruption marketing. Instead of pitching your products or services, you are delivering information that makes your buyer more intelligent.
The essence of this content strategy is the belief that if we, as businesses, deliver consistent, ongoing valuable information to buyers, they ultimately reward us with their business and loyalty. According to Roper Public Affairs,
• 80 percent of business decision makers prefer to get company information in a series of articles versus an advertisement.
• 70 percent say content marketing makes them feel closer to the sponsoring company, while
• 60 percent say that company content helps them make better product decisions.
Think of this – what if your customers looked forward to receiving your marketing? What if when they received it, via print, email, website, they spent 15, 30, 45 minutes with it?
Why LinkedIn?
Other than Facebook and Twitter, LinkedIn is strictly business – and has become a “secret weapon for B2B activities” for Helen Nicholson and such as:
1. Replacing Cold Calling
2. Generating New Leads
3. Finding the Decision Maker
Networking
How to get your black belt is business success
Do you want to build a network of useful contacts in order to kick-start your career but don’t know how?
Are you aware of the crucial importance of networking but lack the know-how to get started?
Or do you think networking entails just pitching up at a cocktail party and handing out your business cards?
If any of the above, this book is for you!
The Connected Leader Book
“The Connected Leader” sees two leading best-selling authors, Helen Nicholson – Business Networking Specialist and Dr Nik join forces to give insights into what being truly connected means, both face-to-face and digitally in the new world of work and working mothers
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Professor Shirley Zinn is the former Group Head of Human Resources at Woolworths Holdings Limited. Prior to this, she was the Head of Human Resources of Standard Bank South Africa and Deputy Global Head of Human Resources for the Standard Bank Group.
Prior to this she was the Group Executive HR at Nedbank. Before this, she was the General Manager for Human Resources at the South African Revenue Service (SARS).
She is also an Extraordinary Professor at the University of Pretoria’s Department of Human Resource Management, and recently been appointed as Adjunct Professor at the University of Cape Town.
Shirley is the Past President of the Institute for People Management South Africa and registered as Master HR Professional with South Africa Board for People Practice.
Professor Shirley Zinn hails from the Cape Flats in Cape Town, and started her career as a secondary school teacher of English, then moved to the University of the Western Cape where she lectured in Teacher Education.
After this, Professor Shirley Zinn served at Southern Life as Training Manager and then moved to the Department of Public Service and Administrations’: South African Management Development Institute, in Pretoria as Director.
She held the position of Executive Employment Equity at Computer Configurations Holdings. Before her appointment at SARS, she filled the role of Regional Human Resources Director for Middle East and Africa for Reckitt Benckiser, a global company listed on the London Stock Exchange.
Professor Shirley Zinn is the former Chairman of DHL: Global Forwarding SA, and currently a Non-Executive Director on the Boards of JSE listed AdvTech (Lead Independent and Chair of Remco) and Sygnia Asset Management (Lead Independent, and Chair of Remco and Social and Ethics Committee).
She also serves as a director on the Boards of Tuesday Consulting, Empowerment Capital, Knowledge Resources, Business Engage, Community Chest, and the Boston Consulting Group SA. In addition, she is the HR Advisor to the Board of Silvertree Internet Holdings.
Professor Shirley Zinn also serves on the Takeover Regulation Panel Board and on the Council of the University of Cape Town. She is a Trustee on the Nedbank Eyethu Community Trust, Ambassador for the Orbis Africa Charity, and the former Chairman of Starfish Greathearts Foundation.
She also serves on the Advisory Boards of Monash South Africa, and the University of Pretoria’s Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Shirley is the past President for the Harvard Alumni Association South Africa and a Fellow of the Institute of Directors SA.
She also previously served as the Chair of the Institute of Bankers. She was recently appointed as the Patron for South Africa Council of Business Women.
She is a coach and mentor to several women across multiple industries She has presented at numerous national and international conferences as a keynote speaker.
In 2015, she wrote her autobiography entitled “Swimming Upstream” which focuses on her personal and professional journey. It has officially been announced as a best-seller.
In 2016, she presented several “Swimming Upstream” talks nationally at corporates, schools, universities and charities, with the hope of motivating and inspiring especially youth and women that they can achieve despite adversity, and to never give up.
She holds a BA (University of the Western Cape); Post Graduate Higher Diploma in Education (University of the Western Cape); B.Ed. Honours (UNISA); M.Ed. (University of the Western Cape); Ed.M. (Harvard); and Doctorate in Education (Harvard).
Professor Shirley Zinn was awarded the Top Woman in Business and Government and Top Executive in Corporate South Africa by Topco Media in 2008. Professor Zinn also was recognized by the Black Business Quarterly and received the Award for Top Woman in Business and Government and most Visionary Woman in 2008.
She also received an award from the World Human resources Congress in Mumbai in 2007 and 2013 respectively for Excellence in Global HR Leadership. In 2012, was listed in the Top 30 Wonder Women in South Africa by the Wits Business Journal.
Professor Shirley Zinn was awarded Africa’s Most Influential Women in Business and Government for 2016 in the SME Sector by CEO Global.
She also completed her ninth Two Oceans Half Marathon in March 2018.
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Yael Geffen, the dynamic CEO and shareholder of Sotheby’s International Realty, South Africa, stands at the forefront of the country’s real estate landscape. Born into a legacy of property excellence established by her grandmother, Aida, Yael has redefined leadership in the industry with her innovative strategies and global expertise.
Combining the wisdom of a storied family business with cutting-edge marketing and brand-building techniques, Yael is celebrated for her ability to transform challenges into opportunities, making her a sought-after keynote speaker and thought leader.
Before joining the family business in 2009, Yael honed her craft in the United States, gaining invaluable experience in real estate marketing, brand development, and business innovation. Her international perspective and deep understanding of market dynamics make her insights compelling and actionable for audiences seeking inspiration and guidance in navigating today’s complex business environment.
Yael Geffen’s professional journey is a testament to resilience, vision, and adaptability. Raised in a family renowned for its contributions to South Africa’s property market, she inherited a passion for real estate and a commitment to excellence. Her grandmother, Aida, laid the foundation of the Geffen dynasty, instilling values that continue to guide Yael’s approach to business and leadership.
Her career began with a global outlook. In the United States, Yael immersed herself in the nuances of real estate marketing, mastering techniques that would later shape her transformative leadership style. From brand building to business development, she acquired a wealth of knowledge that she seamlessly integrated into the South African market upon her return. Joining Sotheby’s International Realty in 2009, Yael quickly distinguished herself as a forward-thinking leader, driving innovation and setting new benchmarks for excellence.
Under her stewardship, Sotheby’s International Realty, South Africa, has flourished, earning accolades for its unparalleled service and market expertise. Yael’s commitment to fostering a culture of trust and collaboration has not only enhanced the company’s reputation but also solidified its position as a market leader. Beyond her corporate achievements, she is a vocal advocate for women in leadership, frequently addressing topics such as resilience, innovation, and the importance of fostering diverse, inclusive workplaces.
A captivating storyteller, Yael shares lessons from her journey—from the challenges of sustaining a family legacy to the opportunities of embracing change in a rapidly evolving industry. Her insights resonate across sectors, inspiring entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, and professionals to rethink their strategies and unlock their potential.
Why Event Planners Should Book Yael Geffen
Yael Geffen is not just a speaker; she is a catalyst for transformation. Her unique blend of personal history, professional expertise, and global perspective equips her to deliver presentations that are as inspiring as they are practical. Event planners seeking a speaker who can connect with diverse audiences will find Yael’s authenticity and relatability invaluable.
Yael’s ability to distill complex concepts into actionable insights ensures that her presentations leave a lasting impact. Whether addressing the intricacies of leadership, the dynamics of real estate markets, or the power of innovation, she engages audiences with clarity and conviction. Her emphasis on storytelling, drawn from her rich personal and professional experiences, makes her talks memorable and impactful.
Additionally, Yael’s commitment to empowering women in business adds a compelling dimension to her presentations. She speaks candidly about the challenges and triumphs of her journey, offering practical advice and inspiration to aspiring leaders. Her passion for cultivating inclusive, progressive workplaces resonates with audiences, making her a standout choice for events focused on leadership, diversity, and professional growth.
Summary
Yael Geffen embodies the qualities of a transformative leader—visionary, resilient, and deeply connected to her roots. As the CEO and shareholder of Sotheby’s International Realty, South Africa, she has redefined excellence in the real estate industry while championing the values of innovation and inclusion. Her global experience and familial legacy offer a unique perspective that enriches her insights and inspires audiences worldwide.
With a reputation for delivering engaging, actionable presentations, Yael is an ideal choice for conferences, corporate events, and industry summits. Her passion for leadership, dedication to empowering others, and ability to connect with audiences ensure that every event she graces is elevated to new heights.
Hashtags
#YaelGeffen #Leadership #WomenInBusiness #RealEstateExpert #Innovation #KeynoteSpeaker #DiversityAndInclusion
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Nolo Mokoena is a Creative Solutionist, Nolo Mokoena is the co-founder of several innovative start-ups such as Storage Wards Solutions and South Africa’s first online house music publication, The Set Magazine.
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