Business networking keynote speaker, leadership development consultant, and author
Business leaders, entrepreneurs, sales teams, professionals, MBA audiences, and organizations focused on growth through relationships.
Helen Nicholson is a South African business networking specialist, leadership development consultant, and sought-after keynote speaker with a career that spans finance, entrepreneurship, academia, and international corporate environments. She holds a BCom degree from the University of the Witwatersrand, where she trained as an accountant before beginning her career in the financial services industry.
Helen spent five years in the Middle East, where she founded, built, and successfully sold her own business in Dubai. She later gained international corporate experience in the IT sector, coordinating marketing operations for the Middle East region at Novell. These experiences shaped her practical understanding of global business, entrepreneurship, and relationship-driven growth.
On returning to South Africa, Helen moved into consulting and academia. She lectured at Wits Business School and continues to guest lecture on the MBA programme and in-company courses. She also lectures at GIBS and the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business.
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’:
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Keynote speeches typically range from 30 to 90 minutes, with the duration determined by the speaker’s expertise, the event’s agenda, and audience preferences. Keynote speeches often include a combination of inspirational stories, practical insights, and actionable advice tailored to the event’s theme or objectives.
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