As a would-be chemical engineer, Aneshree Naidoo is obsessed with understanding how things work across all dimensions. Consequently, in every role she has held, she asks plenty of questions to understand why things are the way they are and analyses impact of options and decisions in detail. This approach has its dangers; at a previous employer, she kept questioning suspicious activities and behaviours, which led to death threats—an experience she counts as one of the lows of her career.
Ashona Kooblall has been appointed CFO of Natura &Co’s Africa division effective June 2024. Based in Johannesburg, she will oversee the financial strategies of a company renowned for its award-winning global beauty brands like Avon, which spans across make-up, skincare, fragrance, personal care, hair care, fashion, and home products.
‘Daddy, I think you should get a job at this building so that you can walk across the street and come watch me play sports at school,’ Bright Amisi’s six-year-old daughter said as he dropped her off at her school, sometime in 2008. The building she was referring to was the headquarters of the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) in Pretoria.
When Boipelo Lekubo joined Harmony Gold Company Limited as a CFO in June 2017, she was head-hunted for the position. She would work under Financial Director Frank Abbott. ‘What won me over was the opportunity to be mentored by Abbott, who is a seasoned financial leader in the gold mining industry.’
Merusha Govender is not a lawyer and she doesn’t own a Ferrari. She is however a chartered accountant who parted ways with a high-end car in a manner similar to that of Julius Mantle.
‘Today marks the 3-year anniversary of being car-less,’ Merusha wrote in a LinkedIn post titled Don’t judge me for the car I don’t have in January 2019. ‘I remember that faithful day when I handed over the keys of my shiny white BMW Convertible. I was heart-broken as I watched the new owner rev the engine so hard that I was worried it will set off all the dogs in the neighbourhood.’
