Tell us about growing up in Emjindini, Mpumalanga, and the influence of your parents on your decision to obtain a BA in maths and science? I was fortunate to be born to two teachers. This naturally meant that I grew up in a community of educators, the people with whom they associated. I also grew up at a time when neighbours and the community at large were always keeping their eyes and ears trained on the youngsters among them. In a small community like that, encouragement, nurturing, coaching, teaching and reprimands were constantly available. I therefore learnt to be responsible and accountable, whether someone’s looking over me or not. That’s remained a valuable lesson for me right up until today.
What made you decide to do your MBA at New York’s City University? I was very lucky to have the opportunity to work and earn much-needed sustenance while I was finishing my undergraduate studies at City University and immediately thereafter. This “internship” opportunity exposed me to the gaps between the very technical basic computing training I had and the skill and understanding I needed to be able to implement practical technological solutions in business environments. The decision to study an MBA was therefore a necessary and very logical one for me.
After returning to SA, you left Investec at the height of the dotcom boom, when analysts were commanding high salaries, to work as a Ministerial Advisor. What motivated that decision? I had a professionally fulfilling time at Investec Asset Management and in the asset management industry in general. Most of the asset management companies at that time were – and possibly still are – based in Cape Town. My exit coincided with significant changes in my personal life, including the loss of a loved one, which required me to move closer to my family. So the timing was appropriate.
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