Partnership with ‘The Chosen’, 2010 MTN Business Leading CEO Council
Brightest Young Minds is pleased to announce that we will be partnering with ‘The Chosen’, 2010 MTN Business Leading CEO Council. This is a unique annual event where South Africa’s top businessmen and women unite to discuss leadership issues and to mentor those who will succeed them.
The four-day Initiative features seminars, workshops and debates where 24 of today’s top leaders will help to mould 24 Protégés – those who are the leaders of tomorrow. The Protégés will be handpicked from the delegates who are chosen to attend this year’s Brightest Young Minds summit. The Protégés will gain invaluable exposure to those indefinable qualities that turn a good manager into a great leader. They will join debates about morality and ethics, honesty and compassion, and will network with the cream of business society in an invaluable step along their career paths.
Ranked by The Sunday Times as the top event on the business calendar for five consecutive years, the 2010 event is spearheaded by MTN Business as The Headline Partner, supported by further local and global Partner brands – such as Peotona, Badimo Gas, Pam Golding Properties, Hewlett-Packard, Jameson, The Hyatt Regency Oubaai, Heidrick & Struggles, MoneyWeb, GQ, Business Report, SuperSport International, Carte Blanche, Avis, Avis Chauffeur Drive, Clarins, Southern Right, Toast & Co – to mention just a few.
This is the only platform that allows future leaders to engage in constructive dialogue with the current leaders, and to forge invaluable relationships and associations.
For more information on the ‘The Chosen’, 2010 MTN Business Leading CEO Council, click here.
To apply now for BYM 2010, click here.
New application deadline – 22 July 2010
Due to our partnership with ‘The Chosen’, 2010 MTN Business Leading CEO Council, the application deadline has now been extended to 22 July 2010!
‘The Chosen’, 2010 MTN Business Leading CEO Council is a unique annual event where South Africa’s top businessmen and women unite to discuss leadership issues and to mentor those who will succeed them. The four-day Initiative features seminars, workshops and debates where 24 of today’s top leaders will help to mould 24 Protégés – those who are the leaders of tomorrow. The Protégés will be handpicked from the delegates who are chosen to attend this year’s Brightest Young Minds summit.
For an opportunity you can’t miss out on, apply here.
For more information about ‘The Chosen’, 2010 MTN Business Leading CEO Council, click here.
Alumni 2002: Mphokolo interviewed
In celebration of Brightest Young Mind’s tenth year of existence, we’ll be showcasing two of each year’s alumni from May till September (when BYM Summit 2010 will be taking place). From the alumni group of 2002, we interviewed Mphokolo Makara .
Name: Mphokolo Makara
Current occupation (study/working; which field; social organization involvements etc.etc): Manager: Structured Asset Finance, Standard Bank Corporate and Investment Banking
BYM Class of (year): 2002
Occupation during the alumni year (study/working; which field; social organization involvements etc.etc): final year studies. BCom Business Finance, Economics & Marketing. University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg.
What made you decide to apply for BYM? I was in my final year of university and had to make career decisions. Given the profile of BYM, the selection process and the corporate sponsors behind BYM, I thought participating in BYM would give me an opportunity to meet with my peers – given that we were probably in the same situation and had to make decisions with possible limited information. The exposure to the corporate sponsors definitely put us in good stead as it gave us an idea of what is required in the corporate environment and what would be required from you as an individual to make that transition. As final year students, we often have an idea of what career path to follow which is informed by our perceptions of the world versus the reality of the corporate world. It always helps to have a perspective on both these worlds before making a decision that is cast in stone and will affect the rest of your life. Although it may be that you are not completely off track, given that you have been on this “journey” for 3-4 years already, there is a whole world out there that we only begin to discover once we embark on our working lives and the real world.
How has BYM made a difference in your life? Some of the individuals I met during my year, are people I have kept in touch with since, some I have run into and met throughout my working life. In an environment where relationships are important and open doors for opportunities – professional and personal, it’s never a disadvantage to be able to relate with a person on the other side of the table. In addition, I would like to think over and above the basic requirements that I had to meet to be considered for employment, having been part of BYM must have made a difference in the eyes of perspective employers relative to my peers in being considered for “the job”.
Who (what type of person), in your opinion, would find most benefit in the BYM summit and its goals? Young people who are driven and ambitious to know more about their fields of study or work. The ability to engage with people outside your area of interest is always an opportunity to learn and expose you to new and different perspectives. being at a stage where you are leaving your academic field and looking to enter the professional field can be daunting especially when you do not know the various disciplines in your general area of interest, more so for people who have not had the opportunity, through career guidance or access to information, to explore before making a final career decision.
Introducing BYM Summit OC 2010
In line with its belief that young people have the power to bring about change, the day-to-day organising of Brightest Young Minds’ activity has always been implemented by students. This year’s committee consists of 11 Stellenbosch University students, undergrad and post-grad, and from a diversity of backgrounds and fields.
Introducing the Brightest Young Minds Summit Organizing Committee 2010!
Alumni 2003: Pride and Meggan interviewed
In celebration of Brightest Young Mind’s tenth year of existence, we’ll be showcasing two of each year’s alumni from May till September (when BYM Summit 2010 will be taking place). From the alumni group of 2007, we interviewed Pride Maunatlala and Meggan Anderson.
Name: Pride Maunatlala
Current occupation: Marketer, thought leader in personal branding, inspirational speaker, mentor and blogger (www.pridem.webs.com). I am a Senior Brand Manager at Cadbury South Africa. I also consult in Marketing and Personal Branding. I work with various groups and individual brands in Entertainment, Corporate and Sports to define their brands. I do public speaking on my work and inspirational seminars for young aspiring marketers.
BYM Class of: 2003
Occupation during the alumni year: I was a final year student in BCom Marketing at the University of Pretoria. I worked as a promoter for Red Bull – for the love of the brand. I ran a health deli in Brooklyn on weekends to pay for my university fees. I also worked at Q-Photo with the rest of the hours I had – this, for the love of photography.
What made you decide to apply for BYM? I was walking through campus with worry on the brain about 2 things: 1 – I had trouble deciding what I wanted to be when I grow up (the following year) even in these final stages of school. The problem was not that I was not sure what I was capable of. The problem was that I wanted to do everything and I wanted to do it all at the same time.
2 – Everyone I approached about my thinking and plans (or lack thereof) thought I was a mad hatter. The most advice I received was to slow down and be a normal student. I couldn’t find someone like me to bounce ideas off.
I finally read the BYM poster I had walked past so many times. All I could see between the lines was ‘here you will find many who think just like you…’.
How has BYM made a difference in your life? BYM proved to me that the life of a maverick does not have to be a lonely one. Meeting all those like minded people blew me away. I went from wondering ‘why do I think this way?’ to ‘what am I was going to do about my great thoughts?’.
We did a lot of brainstorming and idea generation at the conference. The tasks we were given were challenging. I learned to think and react on the spot.
I learned the value of a mentor – having one and becoming one. We met powerful men and women in business. All of them spoke about how their mentors guided their path. I have had a mentor by my side throughout my career. It’s important to be to give to others what was given to me.
The lesson I value the most from my BYM experience is that PASSION comes first in everything. You are likely to be more successful in something you are passionate about. My life is proof of that. I have never settled for a JOB since, I have only worked on brands that I love and admire.
Who (what type of person), in your opinion, would find most benefit in the BYM summit and its goals?
A total Ninja! Someone who is looking to infiltrate the status quo in business and life, sabotage the mandate state of thinking and assassinate all mediocre form of living
You have to be hungry for success in business and have the discipline to make your dreams happen. You have to be a big thinker and be ready to be challenged by others for it. Most of all, you have to have a PASSION for the world and a vision of a better version.
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Name: Meggan Anderson
Current occupation: After BYM I went teaching in the UK for a few years and also did a heap of travelling. I then moved across to Australia to do my Masters in Social Work, which I completed at the end of 2008. I have been working in the community and social services sector since graduating and am currently a Children’s Education Project Officer at an NGO called Relationships Australia. I am also trying to complete my Honours in Psychology part-time. I practise yoga and I’m an avid scuba diver and environmentalist, currently I am on the executive for the Flinders University Underwater Club, it takes up a lot of my free time but I love the people and being involved with the ocean.
BYM Class of: 2003
Occupation during the alumni year: At that time I was completing my Postgraduate Certificate in Education at UCT after having completed a BA at Stellenbosch. I had been quite involved during my years at Stellenbosch in leadership and other activities, particularly with my residence (Lydia). I was only at UCT for a year and I am embarrassed to say I spent most of that year working as a promo girl, I was really broke.
What made you decide to apply for BYM? My sister Mya attended in 2002 and it sounded like a great experience, I didn’t know what I’d get out of it, I just wanted to go for fun. I didn’t expect to be selected, my grades were not exactly super high, I preferred spending my time socialising or getting involved in campus and leadership activities. I also did not expect to be picked because I wasn’t studying something like engineering, commerce, law or the sciences.
How has BYM made a difference in your life? It has always looked good on my resume and it gave me a confidence boost at a time of my life where I was really lost and worried about whether I had what it takes. The presenters and other attendees got me thinking about a lot of things and even the moments of frustration were good for me because they allowed me to identify gaps I needed to work on.
It also reaffirmed that I did not want to end up in a soulless corporate world. I remember some guy who attended the 2002 conference came to speak to us and started singing “If you want to be somebody and you want to go somewhere, you gotta wake up and pay attention.” He was talking about the life experience he gained from travelling and that appealed to me more, it set him apart from the rest. I think it’s easy to get sucked in by focusing on what you are (i.e. your job title, the car you drive, the house you live in etc) and what society wants rather than about who you are (i.e. someone with integrity, who helps others etc).
Who (what type of person), in your opinion, would find most benefit in the BYM summit and its goals?
I don’t think you have to be a high achiever, just someone who has good social skills, insight and is involved in a wide range of activities and interests. I’ve met plenty of so-called booksmart people in my life who are really clueless. My biggest regret was that I felt like a fraud most of the conference, I was young and naive back then and I guess the selectors saw potential in me that I did not recognise at the time. I guess being surrounded by all those intimidating people paid off because it motivated me to get my ass into gear and start living my dreams! I think you also need to be able to stay true to yourself, some bits of BYM are confronting and challenging, you don’t have to buy into everything you hear, just go, listen and take in what fits with you and a few years down the track all the other stuff will make more sense.
Alumni 2004: Jacques and Jacqui interviewed
In celebration of Brightest Young Mind’s tenth year of existence, we’ll be showcasing two of each year’s alumni from May till September (when BYM Summit 2010 will be taking place). From the alumni group of 2007, we interviewed Jacques Conradie and Jacqui Cochran (nee Cockerill).
Name: Jacques Conradie
Current occupation: Executive Director at Peregrine Capital. Peregrine Capital is South Africa’s largest Hedge Fund and invests in both the local and offshore equity markets. I’m a fund manager and analyst covering a variety of sectors on the JSE.
BYM Class of: 2004
BYM Class of: 2004
Occupation during the alumni year: I was in my 3rd year of B. Comm (Actuarial Science) at Stellenbosch, and I was studying like crazy to do well at my degree.
What made you decide to apply for BYM? The idea of attending a conference with 100 of the Brightest Young African’s was definitely intriguing. I was heavily focussed on the work required to succeed at my studies and thought that BYM would give me a great opportunity to free up my thoughts and think about the future of our country and my own career.
How has BYM made a difference in your life? Engaging with others at the conference opened my eyes to the potential of the youth of our continent. It made me realise that you have to really go for your dreams and grab opportunities when they arise which helped me to not settle for a standard Actuarial career, but find something that I really love doing. After attending BYM, you won’t be willing to settle for being average, you’ll want to win at whatever you do.
Who (what type of person), in your opinion, would find most benefit in the BYM summit and its goals?
Anyone that is young, BRIGHT, and motivated. If you feel like you want to change the world, this is the place to meet other like minded people. Even if you don’t feel that you are ready to change the world yet, this week that you will spend with 99 other inspired and driven African’s will definitely open your eyes and motivate you to succeed.
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Name: Jacqui Cochran (nee Cockerill)
Current occupation: Self-employed event organiser. I am currently the MTN-appointed Venue Manager at the FIFA Fan Fest in Durban and being an integral part of the Soccer World Cup 2010 has been an exhausting and exhilarating experience. Seeing locals and internationals all come together in an amazing spirit of Ubuntu on Durban’s beautiful New Beach is an experience I will treasure always. Let’s hope the Ayoba-ness of the World Cup will endure long into South Africa’s future.
Occupation during the alumni year: My Master of Arts (French Translation & Zulu Second Language Teaching) full time.
What made you decide to apply for BYM? I jumped at the opportunity to network with other like-minded individuals, be addressed on inspiring topics and current affairs, and meet potential employers. Of course I also thought it would be a nice embellishment on my CV!
How has BYM made a difference in your life? BYM was a turning point for me as it gave me the nudge I needed to start my own eventing business with my cousin in 2004. It exposed me to some incredibly gifted individuals who had already started on their path of making a difference and I was inspired to go and do likewise.
Who (what type of person), in your opinion, would find most benefit in the BYM summit and its goals?
Someone who has vision for their own life and also vision for our country on a greater, more global scale. Someone who will take the wealth of knowledge imparted to them and use it to make a difference. Thank you, BYM, for some amazing memories and for giving me a glimpse of the future that I wanted to build for myself.
