Faizel Mansoor

Faizel Mansoor

Current title
Founder and Chief Executive Officer, FresherBreath Dental Group

Course at Wits Business School
Master of Business Administration, 2009

A defining moment in my career
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. 

Armed with an MBA, determination and pure ambition, I wrestled with the idea of expanding my successful student-born textile distribution business or, being a qualified dentist, focusing on and fulfilling a latter start-up ambition of building the continent’s first focused dental chain.

I was coincidentally faced with a defining moment when during exploratory negotiations with the partners to exit my distribution business, I discovered that the business was stripped of its assets without my knowledge.

In an effort by my partners to make amends, I was encouraged to withhold millions in supplier payments and share the spoils amongst ourselves. This abominable behaviour by my ‘mentors,’ whom I had prior to this trusted and admired, rattled my core and revolted my value system.

This insight into a superficiality of which I wanted no part, accelerated my personal development and brought me a greater self-awareness. In settling all creditors, I failed on a settlement with the partners but successfully walked out with my conscious clean and reputation intact.

Eight years later, my dental business is geared to become Africa’s first franchised dental chain, and I can proudly say this was driven by my “real reason”.