Leading into the future

Aptly themed “Owning our Future”, the Leadership Conference comprehensively addressed four key areas, being:

• The Sanlam integration
• Stakeholder relationships
• Client service excellence
• Innovation

Speakers included AfroCentric CEO Gerald van Wyk; Sanlam Corporate CEO Kanyisa Mkhize, who addressed the delegates via video; Sanlam economist Arthur Kamp; and Sanlam Fintech’s Johan Moolman, CEO at Sanlam Group Rewards. Transformation and innovation expert and author Mushambi Mutuma was the keynote speaker. Prof Nick Binedell, the founding dean of the Gordon Institute of Business Science, spoke on Leadership and Culture, and the founder of Abundance@Work, Dr Roze Phillips, wrapped up the day. The mammoth task of driving and MC-ing the two-day session was led by Dr Ayanda Mbuli, General Manager for GEMS Fund Management.

High-level topics encompassed a range of pertinent themes including macro-material market drivers; the cultivation and advancement of the next generation of innovators, entrepreneurs and businesses as well as investments in the Fintech space that will be of benefit to the AfroCentric ecosystem, as well as a motivational address on unleashing Africa’s abundance in shaping the future of the workplace.

Strategic areas deliberated upon by the delegates anchored around initial objectives outlined by Gerald for the business, emphasising the pursuit of client service excellence by inspiring and motivating our people, as well as innovation and improving stakeholder relationships.

“Most importantly, we also unpacked how to integrate and leverage the opportunities presented by the scale of being part of Sanlam as we are now a majority-owned subsidiary of the Sanlam Group,” Gerald said.

“We have the people, we have the businesses, and we have the leaders to boldly transform our business and own our future, where the AfroCentric Group becomes the healthcare centre of expertise for the largest non-banking financial services group in Africa.”