Leader's Angle: Value, Values and Valuations - Rethinking Natural and Innovation Ecosystem Services in Africa

Dr Mamphela Ramphele has had a celebrated career as an activist, medical doctor, academic, businesswoman and political thinker.  She has a PhD in Social Anthropology, a B Com degree, a Diploma in Tropical Hygiene and a Diploma in Public Health. In 1996 she was appointed Vice-Chancellor of UCT.  In 2000 she became a managing director of the World Bank, based in Washington, DC. Dr Ramphele has served as chairperson and non-executive director on many boards and was a founding trustee of the Nelson Mandela Foundation. She was a founder of the Open Society Foundation for South Africa and the Citizens Movement and is Co-Founder of ReimagineSA. In October 2018 Dr Ramphele was appointed co-president of The Club of Rome.

Dr Morne Mostert is the Director of the Institute for Futures Research at Stellenbosch University and a full member of the Club of Rome. He is a senior C-suite strategy specialist and advises globally on foresight for executive decision-making. He has worked in Geneva, Paris, London, Dubai, Madrid and several African countries. Subsequent to his PhD in the Management of Technology and Innovation, his areas of specialisation include Futures Thinking, Strategic Thinking, Systems Thinking and Creative Innovation. He was the founding Chairman of media tech start-up Africa Business Radio and is a member of the ILO international panel of experts on the Future of Work. Dr Mostert is a regular keynote speaker and frequent guest on radio and television in the business media. He is the author of the influential book Systemic Leadership Learning – Leadership Development in the Era of Complexity, which has been the prescribed text for several international programmes on strategic leadership.

McKevin Ayaba is an Ecosystem Builder and a Serial Entrepreneur. He is very passionate about entrepreneurship especially the development of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Ecosystem in Africa. He enjoys assisting and supporting startup founders/owners to understand, grow, and advance their businesses. He is the CEO of Setup A Startup. Setup A Startup is a non for profit organisation that works with communities that support entrepreneurship with a mission to support startups and foster a better and sustainable entrepreneurship ecosystem across Africa.

Dr. Tobias de Coning teaches Human Resources Management in the IMBA program and Managing Small and Medium Sized Entreprises in the DBA and PhD programs at ISM. Dr. de Coning is an academic from Stellenbosch University, South Africa, where he also holds a senior management position as Chief Director: Strategic Initiatives and Human Resources. His academic focus and background are in the fields of Strategic and General Management; Entrepreneurship – with a special focus on Entrepreneurship in small and medium sized enterprises as well as in Corporate Entrepreneurship (Intrapreneurship); and, in Human Resources Management.

Dr Njeri Mwagiru is a Senior Futurist at the Institute for Futures Research (IFR), Stellenbosch University. She leads the African Futures portfolio, and is editor of the IFR monthly, quarterly and annual subscription publications on African Business Futures. She is also co-founder of a research and business development organisation SCEZONS that has facilitated long-term institutional partnership building between United Nations (UN) bodies and universities in South Africa. Njeri has a Masters in International Relations from the University of the Witswatersand and holds a PhD in Business Administration from the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business. Her research and professional interests include leadership, organisational performance, knowledge, gender and diversity, inclusivity and transformation.