Fifty years is a long time and the School has seen thousands and thousands of students pass through its doorways… copious numbers of proud graduates who’ve gone on to do interesting things in their careers! So many syndicate groups that have worked through the night, so many friends made and businesses started!
We set up this wall to provide an opportunity for students, alumni, staff and friends of WBS to share their messages or memories of WBS. We hope you enjoy them.
If you would like to be part of our 50th celebrations and “write on the wall” we would love to hear from you. Whether you are a student or alumnus, a current or past staff member or lecturer – why not add your name, an anecdote and/or a photograph? Or even just a simple message.
Go to the ‘Share your Memory’ page and send your contribution.
The day I handed-in my final Phd thesis at 12:12pm… WBS holds many dear memories for me. There were many days of toil, tentativeness, and …
The most defining moment in my life was when I realised that black women could own a bank that focuses on entrepreneurs, but most importantly it was having my own people affirming my dream by supporting it financially.
“The MBA was indeed an occasion in my life!” I remember Buzz, the resident cat, who often adopted interesting poses at the front of …
It is my fundamental belief that social entrepreneurship is the future of doing business. Shared value equates to shared growth – across industries and communities.
I had no idea how prominent the Wits and WBS brand was when I joined the institution. What was initially supposed to be a short …
The defining moment of my career was when I left a successful career in the corporate world to join a few ex-colleagues and friends in starting a new bank. This was a daunting move after having spent most of my career in a world where complex challenges were sheltered by the relative security of size, then moving to another world of complex challenges with no security.
There are many moments that felt important in my career, such as when I conducted my first leadership development course for the Chief Justices of the Southern African Development Community countries.
Connecting the dots of a career with the benefit of hindsight, the pivotal elements quickly become apparent. One of these was my Wits Business School MBA
I recall the second day of my MBA when my first child was born and then while in China completing my final elective, I received the news of the birth of my second child and had to fly back immediately…. An amazing two years of learning and personal growth.
The beginning of a mind transformational journey with world class lecturers…!
J.R. Morgan said, “A man always has two reasons for doing anything – a good reason and the real reason.” At the end of 2009, I found myself at a crossroad in my entrepreneurial journey.
I work for the Department of Home Affairs and our Learning Academy awarded me an opportunity to study at WBS in 2012. I was a …
My MBA totally changed my life. Prior to my studies at the Business School, I had been a technical manager for a chemical company. After …
Honoured to be part of this prestigious institution
During the summer of 2003, a lifelong dream materialised that resulted in an inspired trip to Paris, which put into motion a plan that would forever shape my career path.
The day I gave birth to my son, who is five years old now, was the day my career focus changed. That day I realised that I not only need to talk the talk but also walk it in order to be the example that I want my son to follow.
The MBA was truly a defining moment in my career!
I was a second-year Bachelor student of economics, working as the public relations manager of the largest world student-run organisation for youth leadership development and international mobility, AIESEC.
I do not know how to begin but I would not be where I am today without the Wits Business School Education. I am actually …
One of my best moments was doing a syndicate assignment video presentation for the Organisational Design and Development module, under the topic “Design of an Agile Organisation”, …
I had just started working for M-Net where I took my marketing knowledge to the entertainment and content-creation space.
Tony Norton, MD of Standard Merchant Bank addressed our MBA class. He talked about merchant banking and corporate finance- stock exchanges, raising capital, mergers, acquisitions …
Being sculptured into a global leader!!!
After spending about ten years in corporate South Africa from 1981 to 1991, I was overlooked for a marketing position that became available. The marketing manager would not even allow me to be interviewed.
In 1975 I was one of the first participants in what was called the HDPM (Higher Diploma in Personnel Management) programme at the Wits Business …
Having always had a deep interest in science, I first qualified as a chemist, and thereafter at a later stage as an engineer. In order to broaden my capabilities, I started to lecture evening classes at the Vaal Triangle Technikon, now the Vaal Institute of Technology.
How fabulous to be treated like my opinions mattered and to be exposed to fascinating classroom discussion with a whole bunch of really sharp people. …
WB Yeats said, “Things fall apart, the centre cannot hold,” which holds a harsh lesson for me. I took my radio broadcasting talent for granted. Because it came so easily, I began not to pay it attention and focused on what others considered important.
Congratulations, WBS, on your 50th year celebrations! In 1992, events exposed our class to very exciting political events. We had two superb politics teachers. Prof Schlemmer and Prof van Zyl Slabbert!
Precious memories came flooding back to me as I walked through the grounds of our Business School for the first time since I graduated in …
Reflecting on leadership…
My appointment as managing director, Sasol Oil, in December 2006 was a defining moment in my career. Prior to this appointment, we had spent close to four years managing merger processes.
My abiding memories of Wits Business School were late nights, early mornings, the tough task of managing syndicates as well as the balancing of family, …
Looking back, two defining moments stand out for me. The first was enrolling for a Wits MBA as a result of the encouragement from my late dad. At the time it was very unusual for a medical doctor to do an MBA and I am indebted to the then dean, Prof Andy Andrews, for putting his faith in me and accepting me onto the course.
Syndicate Group Work was central in fostering positive students peer influence to learning from and supporting one another. It has been the source of my …
For the first time in my life, in 2015, I ascended the graduation stage and I was fortunate to embrace the Vice Chancellor of Wits, …
What an awesome adventure… changed my life forever!
I have fond memories of the Australian professor Gary Stockport who taught us Strategic Management. Anyone who was in that class would remember how he …
What Wits Business School did for me was to spark an interest in creativity and invention. The highlight of my studies was Marketing. I had …
The defining moment of my career happened when I was 12 years old. My father was the managing director of Glenton & Mitchell in the Eastern Cape, the company that launched Joko Tea during the first half of the 20th century.
The MBA program was a pivotal learning experience in my life, and I still draw on insights and tools that I learned.
The HDPM gave me a very good background into the world of business, thanks WBS. I was in the HDPM (as it was known …
Late one Thursday night, as I walked past my library, an epiphany struck me. I realised, just then, in that moment, what the purpose of my life was.
I was in the hot seat in the M-Net boardroom packed with suits. At the end of the presentation, he asked me two simple questions – if we did this, what would be different the day after, and what is our right to win?
“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, and one man in his …
Most people will think back on their days at WBS and will reminisce about the stimulating academic challenges and the inspiring interesting social interactions. Many …
Herbert Sichel made maths and statistics come alive!