The Future of Leadership Awards

As a marketing leader, your leadership, both in your industry and beyond, many times determines the success of your business and your career. That is why it is important to acknowledge and share your leadership insights into the Future of Marketing, and here are some pointers from the recent Future of Leadership Awards that might inspire to reach for the stars in the world of Marketing Leadership.

As the 2024 Future of Leadership Summit? is drawing closer (16 & 17 May 2024), let us take a moment to remember the leaders who were honored at the Inaugural Future of Leadership Awards for making a difference in their community, their industry and the world at large.

The Criteria for Nominations

To keep the nomination and selection process as equitable and transparent as possible, all members of The Future Leader Forum (250+ by now, over the 6 Interview Seasons from 2017 to date) were invited to nominate up to three future-minded leaders.

These were the Criteria for Nominations to the 2023 Future of Leadership Awards (plus a written motivation, all submitted online).

• Have demonstrated a Willingness to share their Insights with the Next Generation;
• Have achieved significant Accomplishments in their Leadership Category;
• Have become Role-models to guide the Next Generation of Future Leaders.

Following the highly acclaimed Leadership Q&A Session with Rugby World Cup Champion Ashwin Willemse, and introduced by the award winning radio & TV personality Relebogile Mabotja, the 2023 Future of Leadership Awards were held in front of 150 prominent leaders, both from the public and private sector.

Here are the Inaugural Future of Leadership Award Winners:

• Ahmed Ismael - Smiley (Founder Siyafunda Community Technology Centre) - Voted Community Leader of the Year
• Prudence Mathebula (Managing Director Dynamic DNA) - Voted Business Leader of the Year
• Dumi Senda (Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Expert) - Voted Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion
• Margaret Hirsch ( (Cofounder & COO at Hirsch's) - Voted Entrepreneurial Leader of the Year
• Bernice Samuels (MTN Group Executive: Marketing) - Voted Marketing Leader of the Year
• Sean Naidoo (Executive Head: Enablement and Change - Insurance at Absa Group) - Voted Financial Inclusion Leader
• Warren Hero (CTO Webber Wentzel) - Voted Innovation Leader
• Dr Sheena Geness (Medical Doctor, Founder Geness Foundation, Winner Loréal Paris Woman of Worth, Visionary Woman of Wonder) - Voted Philanthropic Leader
• Gugulethu Ndebele (Executive Director at Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls (OWLAG) - Voted for Lifetime Leadership Award
• Nollie Maoto (Chief Data and Analytics Officer FNB South Africa) - Voted Inspirational Leader of the Year
• Dr Kershen Pillay (CEO of Graduate Institute of Financial Sciences (GIFS) - Voted Future of Work Visionary
• Zunaid Vanker (Chief Information Security Officer Standard Bank) - Voted Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Leader
• Selby Gumede (Wear Your Brand Foundation President) - Voted Social Impact Leader
• December Joseph Ndhlovu (Regenerative farmer) - Voted for Environmental Sustainability Leade

Join the LIVE Award Highlights

To meet the award winners and learn about the difference they are making in their industry, their communities, the country and the world at large, please join us (and the 463 LinkedIn members who have registered to date)on

• Thursday, 18th April 2024
• 15h00-16h00 SAST (GMT+2)
• Register Your Seat on https://www.dhirubhai.net/events/7165228276712521728/about

Looking forward to seeing you there