Fire and food at the first ever CHRO Cookout

HR LEADERS FIND A WINNING RECIPE

A select group of CHROs were the pièce de résistance at a memorable morning of mouth-watering food, good company and new experiences during the first ever CHRO SA cookout.

You would have been forgiven for thinking that the HR executives who attended CHRO South Africa’s first ever members-only cookout held at The Cookery in Craighall, Johannesburg, were in an episode of The Final Table or on one of Gordon Ramsay’s cooking shows.

The stakes were very high and each participant – including CHRO team members – brought out their best culinary skills in an attempt to outdo each other on the 13 courses that the witty, friendly and energetic chef Emilio (Milo) Coccia assisted them in preparing. Solly Mathebula, head of HR at Heineken, said he had a great experience at the cookout. “It was nice for us as HR leaders to come and unwind and get away from all the hustle and bustle. I loved this event and I’m looking forward to the next. The event was well organised. I loved our chef Milo. He led the teams to cook beautiful meals.”

Happy place

Dolores Mashishi, managing director at DSM Advisory, said the event was “interesting” as they as HR leaders were able to step back and enjoy being outside the confines of their jobs. “As HR leaders we always advise our staff members to relax, but we never do it. CHRO today gave us that opportunity. When I walked in, there was music playing and the ambience that welcomed me, immediately turned up my mood.” “We got into cooking, which cuts off the work talk and it became about us. Personally, cooking has become therapy for me, so I was in my happy place.” The event for her was “liberating” as she was able to share her own experiences with the participants and listen to others’ stories. “The model that CHRO SA uses to bring CHROs together is a winning model. The key thing they do is to get the HR community to learn from each other and know each other,” Dolores said.

Penny Hlubi, HR director at Bosch at the time, said the event was “sterling. It was a lovely buzz, which is one of the things I miss about South Africa. There was so much a sense of family. Yes, we do get together, and CHRO organises the best events. It was good to let our guard down and do something that not only we enjoyed, but learnt a lot from – particularly because I get teased on the webinars because I’m always cooking by the time I dial into them! To actually experience chef-like cuisine was a stepping stone for me.”

Lethabo Tshakuma, head of people and organisational development at Heineken, said the event was refreshing. “I have received a lot of invitations from CHRO before, but I never had time. However, our boss said we should go and play with other kids. I was expecting to be in a boardroom, but when I came here it was a relaxed environment. I was happy it was not formal and we were not talking about strategies,” she said.

Finding inspiration & a sense of community

I joined the CHRO South Africa team, as a marketing manager, in April 2022. Now, a few months into the job, I can tell you that my role has no limits – and I have had the amazing opportunity to work closely with all our communities and meet our amazing CHROs at the many events that have already taken place.

The timing has been great, as we have been able to get back to hosting fantastic in-person events this year, including the Women’s Dinner, CHRO Day, the CHRO Summit in Cape Town and many others which I have had the privilege to work on.

With a background in public relations and media studies, it will come as no surprise that I love working with people, telling stories and providing memorable community experiences. This is where you, the community, and the amazing team here at CHRO South Africa have given me absolute freedom to wave my magic wand.

One of the reasons why I joined this amazing organisation is because of the business model. They provide a comfortable and safe platform for executives that are in the loneliest positions (at the top) to engage and empower one another.

I am inspired by the work we do here at CHRO South Africa. Who would have thought that human resource executives would be so fun, open and engaging?

During a corporate membership cookout session at The Cookery in Craighall Park I got the opportunity to cook with Lethabo Tshakuma, head of people and organisational development at Heineken. She is not only career driven but she is also family orientated, the special Sunday home cooked meals she prepares for her family are very important. My take from this session is that we are “all individuals before our work titles”.

I also enjoyed working on the production of the Women's Dinner video. Everyone has a story to tell and the ladies shared their different journeys to inspire and empower other women.

I was raised by a single mother, that is why I am inspired by independent and career-driven women. Working with women who hold executive and director positions creates a sense of hope for young women like myself that the world is evolving, women are given a chance to sit in boardrooms where decisions are made.

I am very passionate about women who inspire and empower others, and joining CHRO South Africa has been one of the best decisions I’ve made as I get to interact with inspirational women on a daily basis.

I look forward to seeing you at our next event!

MAHLATSE MOLEKANA

mmolekana@chro.co.za +27 84 647 9877