Style, intelligence, designer bags and business skills – that’s what women are made of!
The topic for the panel discussion was Addressing the Gender Balance Agenda and its Impact on the Global Economy, with a beautiful panel that read like the ‘Who’s Who’ of British business.
Confidence, style, power, brains and beauty all in one room. This set the tone for the South African Chamber of Commerce (SACC) Women’s Day event held at Standard Bank in London last week.
The elegant building in Gresham Street was the perfect venue for a collection of ladies who had all risen above life’s challenges.
SACC chairman Mary-Anne Anderson welcomed everyone and noted that apart from looking like a lovely audience she could spot a few beautiful handbags too.
Bulelwa Sompeta, CEO of the South African Achiever Awards, looked gorgeous in her striking red dress. ‘Bulz’ as she suggested the audience to refer to her, reminded us of the struggles South African women went through in 1956 and the reason for the South African national holiday.
The topic for the panel discussion was Addressing the Gender Balance Agenda and its impact on the global economy. Debbie Thomas (Senior Advisory Partner for Deloitte LLP as well as the Lead Partner of Deloitte’s Africa Services Group) chaired the beautiful panel that read like the ‘Who’s Who’ of British business; Fiona Hathorn (Managing Director of Women on Boards UK); Jenny Knott (CEO of Standard Bank PLC and CIB International); Frances Mensah Williams (CEO of Interims for Development as well as the publisher and editor of re-connect Africa); Pamela Nomvete (South African actress, writer, director and producer) and Lisa MacLeod (Head of Operations for FT.Com and associate editor of the Financial Times).
Fiona Hathorn started the discussion on the enormous challenge in the UK market for women to be part of boards. She said that companies are writing fantastic reports regarding this and it has been proved many times that having a woman on a Board leads to a successful company. The discussion, little pearls of wisdom and personal insight from the panel kept everyone captivated and inspired.
The dynamic Frances Mensah Williams was quite assertive in her approach. “I started in the corporate world and I was very visible as I would walk into a room and there were only white people. So I was the visible one. You need to find that difference about you and work it. How you work it is up to you. It’s about excellence.”
Her advice for women entrepreneurs relocating back to their country of origin was to “consider your business idea. Be sure it is an idea that would work and do your research. You can be very inspired by a business idea but make sure you understand it. Know your competition and be aware of your support system.”
Jenny Knott looked like she had stepped off the cover of Vogue rather than just off a long haul flight from Beijing. A force to be reckoned with, her aura and approach are certainly part of her unique charm. Knott’s advice was quirky, to the point and very intuitive. I asked Jenny to share some advice for women struggling to realise their potential. “Women should not depreciate their value. Just think how much of hard work you had put in to get to the position that you are in. We can all spend time being introspective. You have so much about you that is admirable. Respect who you are and move on. Introspection is a waste of energy and time.”
Recommended reading by Knott was a book called Brain Sex, which shows the difference between the female and male brain. In terms of the brain’s genetic programming, women are are reliant on their intuition while men use logic.
Jenny pointed out that child care facilities need to be made more affordable so that mothers can strive to be their best. Speaking from experience she said, “When it comes to my children needing me, I don’t departmentalise. I will focus on my child. Women need to not be polite and afraid if they need to attend to their children. Be assertive. I am also lucky that my husband is a fantastic father and has supported my career decisions.”
Pamela Nomvete, who lives between the United Kingdom and South Africa, offered her insight from the world of the arts. “It was interesting to hear the perspective of women from the financial industry. There are some similarities. Men are often given the meatier roles on television and women are typecast. We do need to address that as women make up the majority of television and theatre audiences.”
Lisa MacLeod is simply amazing. Being able to hold multiple roles as the Head of Operations for FT.Com, associate editor of the Financial Times and a fantastic mommy, she looked at ease and spoke frankly, sharing lots of advice from her personal experience. This personable woman captivated everyone with her charm and humility. Lisa’s two role models include Kate Adie (she was thrilled last year to have met this iconic lady who she described as ‘the original female journalist’) and her husband Bradley as he is “a kind and generous man and has supported me through all my decisions.”
Memorable quotes of the evening included:
“Now you have touched a woman, you have struck a rock!”
“Own your Swagger”
“If life was fair you would be picking berries in the Kalahari desert”
“Women can do it if they are given the balls to play with”
Drinks and canapés followed the panel discussion and I had a chance to chat to some of the attendees.
Stay at home mum and aspiring author Mantoe Salmon made her way over from Kent and was inspired.”I’m so happy I came to this event as I can now see everything is doable. I was feeling guilty to consider working and being a mother. I realised that from very strong successful woman I can go forth.”
Toni Michel has been living in the UK for the past eight years. Toni works for Unilever in Marketing . “My role model is a South African woman who works in Unilever in a senior management role. She is a businesswoman and a mother and balances family and business fantastically well.”
Amongst the attendees was our very own editor of TheSouthAfrican.com, Heather Walker. I asked Heather what her secret for success was in handling a job once dominated by men and being still quite young. “My parents have always been very encouraging – they never let traditional gender roles determine my path, they let me be whatever I wanted. As a kid I was a bit of a tomboy. There were no expectations holding me back. I was told that the sky is the limit. To be myself. Follow my passion. They also taught me that it’s okay to make mistakes. I don’t regret anything I’ve done in my life. That’s how I worked out what I didn’t like before I reached here so I now know what I like and want out of my career. Don’t let the fear of making a mistake stop you,” she said.
Dressed in a colourful African outfit was bubbly Nigerian princess ‘Deun Adedoyn-Solarin accompanied by the inspiring and feisty Betty Makoni from Zimbabwe. Betty started Girl Child Network from a small classroom in Zimbabwe and it has now grown internationally. The Princess thought the evening was “absolutely delightful. Out of the box. Not the regular Woman’s Day event. I liked the proactive energy and that the 21st century woman is getting out of the mould.” Princess ‘Deun is also a broadcaster and the Trustee Chair of Girl Child Network Worldwide.
Among the guests was Narelle Jacobs, a child occupational therapist, who has recently become involved in a fabulous project highlighting African women abroad. “My highlight was being in a room of powerful and influential women who I could learn from,” she said.
Ngukuran Ashibi, a risk management consultant from Nigeria, loves these types of events. “I’m passionate about women’s issues and supporting them. My role models range from my mum to Oprah.”
Beyond the serious questions and the giggles, the bottom line is women can do it all. They can cook, care, create, build an empire and still have time to dress well.
