Corporate Aff airs Director | Stockbroker

CORPORATE STORYTELLING

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE CORPORATE AFFAIRS?

From a very young age, I’ve had a strong passion for storytelling and the written word. That, coupled with my penchant for engaging with people, made choosing a career in corporate aff airs an easy decision.

WHERE DID YOU TRAIN TO BECOME A DIRECTOR?

I have a BA (Hons) Degree in Organisational Communication from the University of South Africa. I am also an accredited Chartered Public Relations Practitioner with PRISA.

WHAT TYPE OF PERSONALITY IS BEST SUITED TO THIS WORK?

Corporate aff airs work is fastpaced and highly pressurised, and no two days are ever the same. If you really want to succeed in this industry, it’s about the hunger to learn, the willingness to get your hands dirty, possessing curiosity and passion, and always testing that what you do is aligned to the organisation’s strategic goals.

EXPERIENCE VERSUS FORMAL TRAINING?

Formal training is important because it gives you the foundation of what the career is about and the theory aids understanding of how things come together. Having said that, the experience is what catapults one to the next level. I mean, if we look at M-Net alone, my time here has allowed me to learn so much about the broadcasting industry. The knowledge and experience I’ve gained from past positions has assisted in my growing and positioning the M-Net brand.

DESCRIBE A TYPICAL DAY AT WORK

I oversee the following functions: corporate marketing, corporate communication, corporate social investment and corporate events. By managing these disciplines, the M-Net corporate brand is positioned through sponsorship a nd advertising opportunities, socio-economic development programmes, corporate communication messaging to all stakeholders, and relationshipbuilding eff orts via eventing.

ANY HIGHLIGHTS IN YOUR CAREER TO SHARE?

As a fi rebrand of youth development and transformation, I was behind the launch of the M-Net Magic in Motion initiative, with one of the initiatives being the M-Net Magic in Motion Academy. The academy off ers high-achieving graduate students from disadvantaged backgrounds an opportunity to fast track their experience in the industry to secure gainful employment. The campaign has seen stakeholders from all corners of the industry rallying behind it and lending their support to the initiative, which is just growing KERSHNEE GOVENDER

CORPORATE AFFAIRS DIRECTOR M-NET

in leaps and bounds! However, what is most rewarding for us as a team is observing the tangible diff erence we are making to 12 of the country’s best fi lm and television students.

YOUR JOB IN THREE WORDS

Professional, creative and strategic.

PLAY THE MARKET

HOW DID YOU END UP BEING A STOCKBROKER?

After spending the whole of 2010 without a job, I decided to apply for the Financial Markets Honours programme at the University of Fort Hare – a programme that is sponsored by BANKSETA. I was highly intrigued by how the stock market functions. I was then fortunate enough to be off ered employment at Legae Securities.

WHAT TRAINING DID YOU UNDERGO?

The Bachelor of Commerce Honours Financial Markets programme included four of the crucial industries of the fi nancial system: Equity Markets, Bond Markets, Derivatives Markets and Foreign Exchange Markets. BANKSETA fully sponsored my Financial Markets Honours.

IS THERE A PERSONALITY BEST SUITED?

I do requires someone who is honest and trustworthy, dedicated and focused. Most importantly you have to be able to establish and maintain longterm relationships with clients.

EXPERIENCE VS TRAINING?

Experience plays a pivotal role. Of course, training builds one’s mental capacity, but experience exposes one to real life situations, and how to deal with them.

DESCRIBE A TYPICAL DAY AS A STOCKBROKER

My day starts off with reading current news to prepare for the morning meeting. We discuss the previous trading day, and how we think the South African stock market will perform. Every day I ensure that my trading system and other systems are up and running before the market opens at 9am. I then receive and execute buy or sell orders on the system for clients – I communicate with clients to provide advice, resolve any queries they may have, and update them on their holdings.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE THE MOST OVERALL ABOUT YOUR WORK?

The various challenges that come with the job are what fascinate me the most. You are required to be quick and consistently accurate. Every day is diff erent from the previous day.

WHAT DON’T YOU LIKE?

Dealing with diffi cult clients that do not understand that we are required to follow procedures.

WHAT’S BEEN THE HIGHLIGHT TO DATE?

Purchasing shares for a client worth R14 million.

YOUR FUTURE GOALS?

I want to obtain a PhD, CFA Level 3 and Stockbroking Licence, open a consulting company, be a lecturer at the University of Fort Hare in the BANKSETA Financial Markets Honours programme, and be a motivational speaker, playing a role in South Africa’s youth development initiative.

LUZUKO MRWEBO

GRADUATE STOCKBROKER TRAINEE LEGAE SECURITIES

ADVICE FOR NEWCOMERS?

Work hard, be willing to learn, avoid arguments, don’t compromise your values, be humble and don’t undermine other people’s views.