Affiong Williams

ByWBSComms

Affiong Williams

Current title
Founder and Chief Executive Officer, ReelFruit

Course at Wits Business School
Postgraduate Diploma in Management, 2007

A defining moment in my career

A defining moment in my career has been the realisation that my purpose as an entrepreneur is far reaching, not just to create jobs and wealth, but also be a leading example of charting a path others can follow, especially women.

I realise that through this privileged position of being a CEO, I can act as an activist for women in business and leadership by ensuring that my voice and actions are used for their development.

With my company employing 81% women, I feel confident that ReelFruit is developing and nurturing strong female leaders who will go on to succeed in their own right. There are many examples in my own company where, given the room to lead, I have seen women rise through the ranks.

The most inspiring for me is one of my employees who started with the company nearly five years ago working on the production floor. I gave her the flexibility to go to school while working, supported her with loans for education, and she has since graduated and been promoted to a role in operations.

This encapsulates the promise of enterprise to help women achieve their own goals and dreams, which for me is success.

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