Think Governance

IoDSA

Welcome to the Think Governance Podcast! Dive deep into the world of governance with us as we explore essential questions and insights tailored for directors. Our mission is to empower boards to become more effective and agile, ultimately driving better business outcomes. Join us for expert interviews, thought-provoking discussions, and practical advice that will help you navigate the complexities of governance with confidence.

  1. Sep 9

    Governance In Action: Ep 05 - From Cosec to NED Coach

    Join Vasili Yatracos and Sarita Martin as they explore the journey from advising the board to taking a seat at the boardroom table, unpacking the transition from Company Secretary to Non-Executive Director and the lessons learned along the way.Drawing on Sarita’s extensive experience working with and serving on boards, they discuss what makes boards effective, the mindset shifts required when becoming a director, and practical advice for governance professionals aspiring to secure their first board appointment.Sarita Martin Profile:Sarita has been an independent non-executive director since 2013. She is currently the Chairperson of UsPlus Limited and the Equities Express Securities Exchange. She serves as a director of JSE Listed entities, unlisted entities and NPCs. She was previously a member of the Litigation Committee of the Financial Services Board until it was disbanded. She has been declared a fit and proper person by the Financial Services Conduct Authority. She was previously a member of the Institute of Directors Certification Committee. She has chaired and been a member of Remuneration Committees as well as a member of Audit, Risk and Social and Ethics Committees, Governance and Nominations Committees.Sarita is an admitted attorney who holds various qualifications including but not limited to a B.Proc. LLB, MBA (GIBS), accredited mediator for South Africa and the Centre for Dispute Resolution in the UK. She is also a coach for aspiring and existing directors. Sarita also holds an international designation in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and an international designation in Climate.She is a fellow of the Institute of Directors as well as a panelist examiner for the Competent Boards (Canada) ESG programme and an examiner for the IoDSA Certified Director examinations.She has a strong passion for enhancing Board effectiveness having worked with Boards for more than 20 years and for assisting aspiring non-executive directors. She is currently on the core faculty of the Institute of Directors South Africa NPC as a governance specialist conducting training, facilitation, board evaluations, coaching and governance advisory services. Her skills and experience include inter alia directorship, ESG, Climate, company secretarial, risk, governance, legal, corporate affairs, strategy, sustainability, CSI, communication, human resources, mediation and facilitation.Sarita was a Public Defender and Prosecutor prior to joining the corporate world. She spent most of her corporate career in financial services.She is a regular speaker on corporate governance at conferences, seminars and in the media.Learn more about King V: https://www.iodsa.co.za/page/king-vLearn more about training courses the IoDSA has on offer: https://www.iodsa.co.za/page/training-individuals

    Governance In Action: Ep 05 - From Cosec to NED Coach
  2. Sep 9

    Governance In Action: Ep 04 - Practical Governance in Organisational Culture

    Join Vasili Yatracos and Advocate Fay Mukaddam as they unpack organisational culture as a critical governance responsibility and explore the role boards play in shaping, overseeing and strengthening culture.Drawing on Fay’s extensive experience in governance, leadership and board advisory, they explore the connection between culture, ethics, strategy and organisational performance; the warning signs boards should be watching for; and the practical actions directors can take to ensure that an organisation’s stated values are reflected in how people actually behave.Advocate Fay Mukaddam Profile:Fay brings extensive strategic leadership experience to the various executive and non-executive roles and positions she has occupied over the years.Fay was recognised as being the most influential businesswoman in the financial services sector, in South Africa in both 2016 and 2017, and has also been recognized through various awards both nationally and internationally. As a commercial lawyer, Fay has focused primarily on cross-border Mergers and Acquisitions and Transaction Advisory services, and consequently specialised in risk, governance and strategy advisory engagements.Fay has also been at the forefront of advice to numerous local and international entities on several transactions including some of the most prestigious published empowerment transactions in South Africa and has acted as lead transaction advisor on numerous multi-national transactions.Through her relationship with the IoDSA (as technical advisor and subject-matter expert), she has advised and assessed boards (in the private (listed and unlisted) and public sectors) on key business and governance areas through their respective different business phases, and also acts as mentor to individual directors.Fay is a guest lecturer at major universities and business schools (and on various other platforms) in South Africa and she has delivered papers at national and international conferences on governance, leadership in Africa and development economics. She is a skilled public speaker, panellist and sought after opinionista on matters pertaining to leadership, governance and the role of directors in a time of disruption.Fay currently acts as special advisor to several entities and as an independent board/board committee member and independent trustee, of entities in both the public and private sectors. Learn more about training courses the IoDSA has on offer: https://www.iodsa.co.za/page/training-individuals

    Governance In Action: Ep 04 - Practical Governance in Organisational Culture
  3. Sep 9

    Governance In Action: Ep 03 - Practical Governance in applying the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) Focus

    Join Vasili Yatracos and Joe Lesejane as they discuss the practical application of governance through the lens of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) and its implications for the public sector.Joe Lesejane Profile:Joe Lesejane is an independent consultant on risk management and corporate governance, with specific interest in training. He has a financial management and internal audit background.He was on the King III Committee on the internal audit stream, which focused on the role of internal audit in assisting the Board, Management and the Audit Committee in fulfilling their governance responsibilities. His main area of expertise is on the King Code on Corporate Governance, the Companies Act, Public Finance Management Act and the Municipal Finance Management Act.He was previously a Director: Corporate Governance at professional services firm Sizwe Ntsaluba vsp till February 2008, where he advised a number of clients, both private and public sector on risk management and corporate governance services. Joe got his interest in corporate governance when he took the position of Group Audit Manager at Eskom Holdings Limited, where he advised senior management, the main Audit & Risk Committee, as well as the boards of subsidiaries on risk management and governance matters. He spent 8 years on the board of the Institute of Internal Auditors South Africa, including the position of President, driving risk management and corporate governance awareness mainly in the public sector. Joe has been extensively involved in delivering corporate governance services, having held a number of audit committees and boards both private sector and public sector.Learn more about King V: https://www.iodsa.co.za/page/king-vLearn more about training courses the IoDSA has on offer: https://www.iodsa.co.za/page/training-individuals

    Governance In Action: Ep 03 - Practical Governance in applying the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) Focus
  4. Sep 9

    Governance In Action: Ep 02 - Practical Governance When Ethics Get Complicated

    Join Vasili Yatracos and Liezl Groenewald as they explore what happens when ethics get complicated, discussing practical approaches to navigating ethical dilemmas in governance and leadership.Dr Liezl Groenewald Profile:Dr Liezl Groenewald is the Chief Executive Officer of The Ethics Institute (TEI), former President of the Business Ethics Network of Africa (BEN-Africa), and co-founding Director of The Whistleblower House. She holds a Master’s degree and a Doctorate in Applied Ethics.A recognised thought leader in organisational ethics, she facilitates training for TEI and the Institute of Directors in South Africa (IoDSA) and has been lecturing at the Management Center Innsbruck (Austria) since 2016. She is a regular international speaker and media commentator on ethics, ethical leadership and whistleblowing, and has authored key publications including the Whistleblowing Non-Retaliation Toolkit, Whistleblowing First Responder Guide, Whistleblowing Management Handbook as well as book chapters on whistleblowing related topics.Dr Groenewald serves on several governance bodies in South Africa, including the Council of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) and the King Committee, chairs multiple ethics committees, and represents South Africa on ISO global technical working groups focusing on organisational governance and governance maturity, as well as whistleblowing and AI governance.Learn more about King V: https://www.iodsa.co.za/page/king-vLearn more about training courses the IoDSA has on offer: https://www.iodsa.co.za/page/training-individuals

    Governance In Action: Ep 02 - Practical Governance When Ethics Get Complicated
  5. Jul 20

    Governance In Action: Ep 01 - Practical Governance in the application of King V

    Join Vasili Yatracos and Sikkie Kajee as they unpack the practical application of King V, exploring how its principles can be effectively implemented to strengthen governance in practice.Sikkie Kajee Profile:Sikkie served his articles with BDO Spencer Steward in Durban, where he spent seven years before joining the internal audit profession at two parastatals, Agricor and Agribank in the North West province.He spent four years in Mahikeng before returning to Durban to head the Transnet Group Audit Services in KwaZulu Natal. During his tenure at Transnet, Sikkie also worked as a risk manager for Spoornet (now Transnet Freight Rail).Sikkie was lured back to the consulting profession to establish Ernst and Young’s Business Risk Consulting (Internal Audit) division in the Western Cape, prior to joining Gobodo Inc. Sikkie established Gobodo’s Risk Management Division and was responsible for growing it from 3 staff and R1 million pa in fees to 42 staff and R18 million pa in billings over a period of 5 years.He left Gobodo in 2004 to join KPMG in order to meet new challenges. At KPMG, Sikkie was a partner for approximately 5½ years in the internal audit unit, before moving to the management consulting unit for 3 years.Sikkie currently serves on a number of boards as non-executive director and specialises as a corporate governance consultant, providing board appraisal services and director development via the Institute of Directors.Learn more about King V: https://www.iodsa.co.za/page/king-vLearn more about training courses the IoDSA has on offer: https://www.iodsa.co.za/page/training-individuals

    Governance In Action: Ep 01 - Practical Governance in the application of King V

About

Welcome to the Think Governance Podcast! Dive deep into the world of governance with us as we explore essential questions and insights tailored for directors. Our mission is to empower boards to become more effective and agile, ultimately driving better business outcomes. Join us for expert interviews, thought-provoking discussions, and practical advice that will help you navigate the complexities of governance with confidence.