As the sun dipped below the Sandton skyline on 6 August, The Maslow Hotel transformed into a hive of activity with women filling up the Optima Ballroom for the Annual Executive Communities Women’s Dinner.
Over 150 women arrived for the Women’s Dinner, ready to unpack the theme of the evening: Mastering the art of impact in times of change.
Phuthi Mahanyele-Dabengwa, CEO of Naspers, opened the evening with a powerful keynote address reflecting on her leadership journey and the challenges and lessons along the way.
“Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to sit on the boards of amazing companies and what I’ve learnt is that leadership isn’t about asking for permission. It’s about your ability to guide, share about who you are and influence, because at the end of the day we’re all human,” she said.
She highlighted the impact of AI on leadership and the evolving workplace. “In this era of AI-driven change, the leaders who will thrive aren’t the loudest, but those who lead collaboratively. These are the leaders who will survive the next decade and evolve with it.”
A panel discussion featuring Sandra LaBella, independent IT executive, Njabulo Mashigo, executive HR director at Vodacom and Rebecca Pole, CFO at NTT Data followed. The discussion delved into the intersections between talent, technology and capital, and how each plays a role in building organisations fit for the future.
Sandra made it clear that IT cannot remain on the sidelines as the fifth industrial revolution gains momentum. “We were warned a decade ago that the future of work was going to change fundamentally, but many organisations stayed focused on solving yesterday’s problems. Now, as we enter the AI revolution, where humans work side by side with bots, our data remains fragmented and career paths undefined.”
She noted the shift in how IT is positioned within organisations. “When I started my career, IT sat in the dungeon, but today we see CIOs sitting in boardrooms.” Sandra predicted more CIOs will step into CEO roles as the role of technology in business continues to grow.
“The role between business and technology is also evolving, with business including technology more in the decisions. We are also being brought into the change management process, particularly in the AI and automation era, and I believe this is something IT leaders must prepare themselves for,” she said.
The panel concluded that finance, HR and technology functions will need to collaborate more closely to successfully navigate ongoing change.
Sam Cowen, consciousness and recovery coach, followed with an interactive session encouraging attendees to own their voice, presence and power.
A standout addition to this year’s programme was the ‘Ask a Man’ segment. Dr Stanley Mpofu, CIO at Wits University, Joseph Rock, chief people and performance officer at Exxaro and Paul Stedall, CFO at King Price Insurance took the hot seat to answer the women’s unfiltered questions about navigating gender dynamics in leadership.
Dr Mpofu spoke about competence as the key factor in leadership. “If you’re a leader, it’s not about you, it’s about the people working with you. You have to be courageous. I think it’s important to give people opportunities based on their competence and not their gender. That being said, I have prioritised transformation in my own space because I wholeheartedly believe in it. Leaders need to bring authenticity to their roles, be yourself and you’ll be recognised for your characteristics and diligence.”
While attendees commended the men for their bravery and honesty in tackling their questions, they also noted that boardrooms still have a long way to go in achieving true inclusion.
The night also marked a moment of giving on behalf of the women in the room. In celebration of Women’s Month, the CIO, CFO and CHRO South Africa communities made a donation to IT graduate Gugu, via Feenix, to support her graduation and entry into the world of work.
As the evening drew to a close, attendees left with new connections, shared insight and a deeper alignment between IT, finance and HR leadership.
The dinner was made possible through the support of Executive Communities’ principal partners: Cassava Technologies, Entelect, iOCO, Huawei, MakwaIT, Marsh, Old Mutual Corporate and Regenesys Corporate Education; alongside executive partners: Anchor, BDO South Africa, Coupa, Discovery, HCLTech, LRMG, Stanlib and Workday.
