Professor Thuli Madonsela
Advocate Thuli Madonsela is an Advocate of the High Court of South Africa and a lifelong activist on social justice, constitutionalism, human rights, good governance and the rule of law. Named one of TIME100 influential people, in 2014 and Forbes Africa Person of the Year 2016, Thuli Madonsela is one of the drafters of South Africa’s Constitution and co-architect of several laws that have sought to illuminate South Africa’s democracy.
Thuli Madonsela was South Africa’s Public Protector for 7 years and Coarchitect and Founding Chairperson of the African Ombudsman Research Centre. She has a global reputation for integrity and fearlessness in enforcing accountability and justice in the exercise of public power and use of public resources.
She has a history of highlighting the importance of social justice and general inclusive enjoyment of the fruits of democracy in the pursuit of peace.
Currently resident at Harvard University as an Advanced Leadership Fellow, Thuli Madonsela has accepted the Chair of Social Justice at Stellenbosch University with effect from January 2018. She is a Paul Harris Fellow, Tallberg Global Leader, and the recipient of Transparency International’s Integrity Award, the German Africa Prize and the Commonwealth Lawyers Truth and Justice Award, among her innumerable accolades.
Simon Susman
Simon Susman was born in Tel Aviv, Israel in 1950 and spent his childhood in South Africa. He matriculated from St Andrew’s College in Grahamstown and in 1969 went on to the University of Cape Town where, due to “much anti -apartheid politics”, he did not obtain his degree.
Simon moved to London in 1971 and worked in various positions for Marks & Spencer, eventually becoming personal assistant to Lord Sieff, the Chairman.
In 1982, Simon returned to Woolworths in South Africa where he architected and built the Woolies’ Food business. He further held a number of top executive positions in the group before becoming Chief Executive in 2000. In 2003 Simon took over the chairmanship of Woolies’ Australian subsidiary, Country Road.
Woolworths is a $6bn group operating in Southern Africa and in Australia where it owns both the Country Road Group and now David Jones, the 176 year old department store group. The businesses are bywords for quality and sustainability.
Within Woolworths, Simon instigated and drove a comprehensive programme entitled the
“Good business journey”. Through this programme, the Group continually strives to do business in a way that is deeply sustainable both socially and environmentally.
During Simon’s 10 year period as CEO, the share price rose from R2.60 to over R26.00, strongly reinforcing his view that a business, deeply rooted in values and passionately delivering on sustainability, can bring real value to all stakeholders.
Simon is currently Chairman of; the Woolworths Group; the London based Virgin Active fitness business; and the Dubai based Al Tayer Retail Board.
Bruce Whitfield
Bruce is a multi-platform award-winning financial journalist. His work on radio, television and in print gives him unique access to South Africa’s biggest power brokers in business and money.
Bruce has been named Financial Journalist of the Year three times in the past decade by independent judges in the annual Sanlam Awards and has received recognition for his work on the economy, companies and personal finance.
Bruce has developed the ability to tell compelling stories about the political economy in a way that is creative and engaging.
He has worked in the highly competitive London radio market and has worked as a foreign correspondent for various global news organizations. He graduated top of his class with a Bachelor of Journalism degree from Rhodes University and has been practicing as a journalist for over two decades. One day he hopes to turn it into a career.
Bruce presents The Money Show on 702 and CapeTalk, hosts Taking Stock, a weekly TV show on eNCA, and is a columnist and writer for Business Insider.
He is also a sought-after public speaker, MC and conference facilitator.
Kieno Kammies
At the age of 43, Kieno is a media veteran, having been part of the commercial media landscape for the past 25 years. Kieno is the host of the Kieno Kammies Show on Cape Talk and has worked on a number of other commercial radio stations across South Africa, this includes hosting the top independent commercial music breakfast show on Jacaranda FM. His international media work includes commentary for the BBC as well as having been contracted as a consultant correspondent for NBC TV News New York and London, with his highlight being the privilege of having worked with US news legend Tom Brokaw.
Kieno is also a businessman, heading up KKStrategic, which assists disruptive technology businesses develop value propositions while assisting them with market entry in strategies and executions. The businesses Kieno currently works with include a disruptive alarm app invested in by Alan Gray’s E Squared, a med tech business driven by artificial intelligence, as well as a blockchain technology business aiming to disrupt a number of industries, with his partner being a Brazilian start up already doing millions of dollars worth of digital asset trading.
Siki Mgabadeli
The South African daily anchor of the ‘The SAFM Market Update with Moneyweb and the nightly business show ‘Moneyline on eNCA’ from Monday to Thursday. Siki also hosted eNCA’s “The Big Debate”.
This acclaimed TV and radio personality has also been the ‘Sanlam Financial Journalist of the Year – TV’ twice, and was included in the ‘Mail & Guardian Book of South African Women.
She also won the acclaimed ‘Telkom ICT Journalist (TV) of the Year’ Award’. She’s been listed on YouTube as ‘one of the Top 10 African journalists to watch, and her alma mater Rhodes University presented her with the Emerging Old Rhodian award for 2015 in recognition of her role as one of the leading public voices on finance in South African media.
ICCO Immediate Past President
Maxim Behar
Maxim Behar is a leading Public Relations expert, Founder, Chief Executive and Chairman of the Board of Directors of M3 Communications Group, Inc. – a leading company in the field of Public and Media relations in Bulgaria, part of Hill+Knowlton Strategies.
He was also President of ICCO (International Communications Consultancy Organization) – the largest and most influential global organization of Public Relations professionals and practitioners until the end of 2017. In 2016 he was appointed to the Advisory Board of the first Museum of Public Relations – in New York and became the first Bulgarian ever included in the prominent annual Global Power Book of the renowned British weekly PR Week. Same year African Public Relations Association appointed Mr. Behar as Ambassador for Europe and Honorary Fellow of the Association.
Maxim Behar is also Honorary Consul General of Republic of Seychelles to Bulgaria.
Maxim Behar uses his wide experience and strong presence in many countries all over the world in his daily PR and international business activities.
He is currently Chairman of the Board of World Communications Forum in Switzerland, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of For Our Children Foundation, Vice-President of The Atlantic Club in Bulgaria, Member of the executive Committee of James Michel Foundation in Seychelles and many more.
Maxim Behar is a dreamer and a hard worker with a dynamic personality. He was part of many Distinguished Lectures like World Communications Forum, Davos, Switzerland; Northwestern University, Chicago, USA; John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, University of Milan, Yerevan State University, Moscow Economic University, MIRBIS Business School in Moscow; American University in Bulgaria; South-West University “Neofit Rilski”, Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria and others.
Mr. Behar is engaged in the social and cultural life of the country. Maxim is also a practitioner and a believer in the idea of a more ethical world. He serves on the Board of several organisations including Junior Achievement Bulgaria (2001 – 2012). Before that he served as Chairman of the Board of the Bulgarian Association of PR agencies (2009-2011), and is now a Member of the Board.
Maxim’s latest book “Generation F” reached #4 of sales on Amazon and his previous books “111 Rules on Facebook” and “Secondary Instinct” were also considered best sellers in the country.
Maxim graduated in Engineering Economics and earned an Advanced degree in International Economic Relations from the Prague Economics University. After that he has completed other prestigious courses as “Thought Patterns for High Performance”, trained personally by legendary Lou Tice at Pacific Institute in Seattle. He graduated also full practitioners program in Public Relations in many PR companies all over US, organized by US Agency for International Development and “Full Corporate Program of Japanese Style of Management” in Yokohama Kenshu Center. While he was studying he began his career as a journalist in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, and Poland and this shaped his future career. He remained active in journalism until 1995 ending as Managing Editor of Standard Daily in Sofia.
Mr. Behar is a polyglot fluent in Bulgarian, English, Czech, Polish and Russian.
One of his favorite rules in life is: If your dreams don’t scare you, they aren’t big enough! He play drums, golf, jumps with parachute and adores rock music.
Rashid Toefy
Rashid Toefy is currently the Deputy Director General: Economic Operations in the Department of Economic Development and Tourism.
Before joining the department, Rashid was the Managing Director of MCI in Africa. The MCI Group is world’s largest conference and association management company, and brings people together through innovative meetings, events andb congresses and provides strategic association management consultancy in 60 cities around the world.
He served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), the leading convention centre in Africa from 2008 to 2014, positioning it as a global leader in sustainability.
He has worked extensively in the travel and tourism industry, both in South Africa and abroad. He spent three years based in Amsterdam, developing business and marketing strategies for travel companies and tourism businesses in over 30 countries, working extensively in Central Europe and Latin America.
Rashid is a member of the United Nations Global Compact Advisory Board in South Africa.
He has a degree in Economics and Environmental Science, as well an MBA from the University of Cape Town with his Masters Dissertation focusing on Collaborative Leadership, balancing discipline and diversity in effective decision making.
Rashid has become a thought leader on sustainability and implementation of triple bottom line principles within an organisation. He has spoken at several conferences, both in South Africa and abroad, about the importance and value of establishing social and environmental consciousness in businesses.
Rashid hates settling for mediocrity, and wants to do profound things that impact positively on all those around him.
He says:
“we all need to make the following two ancient philosophies part of our lives….the first is the Japanese concept of Kaizen – “continuous improvement” and the second is the uniquely African concept of Ubuntu meaning “I am because we are”.
Palesa Morudu
Palesa is director Clarity Editorial, a strategic communications agency and MD of Cover2Cover Books, a publisher of teen fiction in Cape Town.
Palesa also writes a regular column for Business Day.
Mteto Nyati
Mteto Nyati was born in the Eastern Cape town of Mthatha where he completed his first years of schooling. Upon completion of his studies, he was offered a scholarship to do a BSc in Mechanical Engineering, which he completed in 1995.
He started off his career in the gases and welding products industry where he served in various roles. He later joined an FMGC where he was instrumental in consolidating the company’s plants in one central operation. He left the industry and joined a JSE-listed packaging manufacturer and later left to pursue a career in ICT at IBM South Africa. He served IBM South Africa in various capacities before he joined Microsoft South Africa in 2008 as Managing Director, a position he served for six years.
In October 2014 he joined MTN as Group Chief Enterprise Officer and in July the following year he was appointed as Chief Executive Officer of MTN South Africa. In April 2017 he joined Altron as Chief Executive.
He has won a number of accolades in his illustrious career, including being named as one of Yale University’s World Fellows on Global Leadership. He was also named Male Business Personality of the Year which was conferred by the Oliver Transformation and Empowerment Awards.
He was also recognised as the 2014 IT Personality of the Year by the Institute of Information Technology Professionals South Africa.
Duke Malan
Managing Partner of HilburgMalan, Duke is a communications strategist who understands the barriers and opportunities facing Asian business going global and African entities doing business in Asia. He has served as a trusted advisor to global CEOs and senior Government officials.
Formerly Vice President: Corporate Affairs at FleishmanHillard in Hong Kong, Duke’s expertise spans resolving complex reputation management challenges, China-Africa market access and is a thought leader in Creating Shared Value initiatives. He has worked with leadership teams at Discovery, Burberry, the Ethiopian Investment Commission, Alibaba and Prudential.
Before joining FleishmanHillard Duke was Head of Reputation Management at, Johannesburg listed Discovery Limited – recognized by Fortune magazine as one of the leading Companies Changing the World. Duke’s impact in leading his team and enhancing Discovery’s corporate reputation saw him receive a Marketing Leadership Award.
Duke has held key communications roles at Barclays Africa, The South African Nuclear Energy Corporation as well a consultancy where clients included BMW and South Africa’s finance and mining ministries.
He is passionate about youth empowerment and served as a board member of Young Business South Africa and worked in Washington D.C at a leading youth development organization – Presidential Classroom.
Based in Hong Kong, Duke is a graduate of GIBS (Gordon Institute of Business Science) and the Tshwane University of Technology.
Sean Lewis
Sean Lewis is an ordinary South African citizen with a diverse professional background, having worked in and between Education, Information Technology and Public Relations. He currently works in Information Technology in the telecommunications industry.
He is also a Guest Lecturer on the Executive MBA program at the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business, and has been actively involved for most of his life in civil society and sporting organisations. He is one of the Founding Members of, and still active in the South Africa 1st Forum. He is 55 and married with children, living in Cape Town.