Strategies for Creating Sustainability During Economic Turbulence Explored at Business Breakfast

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As part of its goal of shaping future business leaders, the Graduate School of Business and Leadership (GSB&L) in partnership with Nedbank recently hosted a business breakfast at which banking industry expert Dr David Schwegmann spoke on leadership and management in economic turbulence.

Through his talk titled: “Creating Sustainability in Economic Turbulence through Flawless Execution”, Schwegmann - the Managing Executive of Nedbank’s Retail Branch Network, South Africa - highlighted the need for skilled business leaders who could ensure that businesses thrived by constantly executing strategies that guaranteed survival amid economic turbulences.

‘The flawless execution framework ensures there are solid standards in place while every employee understands and strives towards achieving a common goal,’ said Schwegmann.

‘The flawless execution model can be used to change the way a person develops a future picture, plans, briefs, executes and debriefs. It applies with equal relevance to individual execution for a small business as much as it does to large corporations,’ he added.

A UKZN alumnus, Schwegmann understands the importance of sharing his expertise with students having delivered a lecture on the same topic to MBA students the day before the breakfast.

In his speech on managing in turbulent environments, GSB&L academic Dr Shammin Bodhanya said the industry needed critical thinkers with skills to manage in dynamic and turbulent environments. He further emphasised that it was up to business schools to produce quality graduates fully equipped to perform in the industry.

Speaking from a student’s perspective, MBA students Ms Nomalungelo Simelane praised the School for hosting the event which she said created a platform for them to network with business professionals.

‘The session was highly beneficial to me as an MBA student; the practical discussions touched on are the elements that we engage on in class,’ said Ms Simelane. ‘It also offered me an opportunity to engage with industry players on the business methodologies we have been learning.’

In his welcome speech, the Dean and Head of School, Professor Stephen Migiro, said, the event was one of the many activities undertaken by the GSB&L in line with its vision of producing well informed graduates through the involvement of practitioners and experts in business management and leadership fields, thus blending theory with practice.

Mongezi Mhlongo and Thandiwe Jumo