A spontaneous applause that seemed to go on for much longer at this week’s Bidvest results presentation marked an epic moment for Sebokeng-bred Mpumi Madisa.
Towards the end of Bidvest’s results presentation, CEO Lindsay Ralphs announced the company’s decision to appoint Madisa as its next CEO, which would make her the only woman leading a Top40 company. Ralphs will remain CEO until the 2021 financial year.
“It was an amazing moment in time ... probably the most amazing moment in my life. You never know how people will take the announcement. It was a wonderful moment to see the shareholders in the room acknowledge and support the news,” Madisa said.
As she rises to one of the country’s leading business roles, Madisa is mindful that she has a huge legacy to sustain. Founded in 1988 by Brian Joffe, Bidvest has grown into one of SA’s largest trading, services and distribution firms, employing more than 130,000 people in more than 200 businesses.
“[Brian] Joffe was phenomenal. I have been very fortunate to have worked with him. Lindsay [Ralphs] has been an excellent leader over the many years that I have worked with him. He has carried the Bidvest mantle forward with professionalism and has done a sterling job in continuing to grow the asset and profit base, as well as Bidvest’s legacy. I want to strive to do better. That is a big task. But I am up for it,” she says.
Madisa has been with the company for 12 years and is accustomed to the conglomerate’s culture, which she describes as highly competitive and results-driven, while simultaneously offering a homely environment.
“I have been able to stay here for 12 years because it has become my home. That is because we are also able to have a lot of fun. It is a wonderful organisation to work for,” she says.
Madisa, whose qualifications include a masters in finance and investment (Wits Business School) and a BCom honours in economics (Wits University), prefers to lead by example. Rising through the ranks requires a leader with the ability to inspire; one who is able to work through other people, she says. She says she also prefers leaders who are transparent and succinct about the end goal.
“That enables me to find my way and apply my skills. I will get the job done, trust me,” she says.
Madisa says modern businesses should take diversity seriously. The case for diversity in terms of, among others, race, gender, age and culture is compelling as it enriches teams, she believes.
“It is easy for corporates and businesses in general to prefer people who are the same. That is very dangerous because you make no provision for different thinking. You do not allow for another generational viewpoint. You need someone in the room who is going to think differently,” Madisa says.
South African companies have lagged behind in this regard, she says.
Bidvest has so far been led by two white males, Joffe and Ralphs. Much younger than the two men, black and a woman, Madisa says she would be naive not to expect a degree of culture shock from certain quarters.
“I am different to what has been seen in the last 30 years. I do not look the same and I am not the same. That is just the truth,” the married mother of two says.
She says more should be done to empower women. And this should not be a box-ticking exercise.
“I think women are great leaders. But also I think it is wrong to have leadership from one gender,” she says.
It is, however, unfortunate that for women to rise, they have to work 10 times harder and overcome doubt and numerous obstacles. That is why, at a personal level, she has mentored a number of young people.
“I hope I will be able to help them navigate the space. I mentor young people at university as well as young professionals in the first five years of their working life. I am helping them avoid the landmines,” she says.
Madisa, who matriculated from Mondeor High in the south of Johannesburg, still has mentors. In fact, she prefers to have more than one mentor at a time “because different people give you different perspectives. You do not need to make mistakes if somebody has walked that path”.
She advises younger professionals to be true to themselves and to have the courage to express their views.
“The modern-day business environment requires firmness and assertion. Do not beat yourself up. We all make decisions based on the information we have.”
In addition to her demanding corporate life, Madisa must also accommodate her family life. Being a wife and a mother is her other job, she says.
“Women need mentors who will help them navigate that. It does not have to be either or. You do not have to build a career at the expense of your family,” she says.
That is why she spends as much time as possible with her family, and that includes making time for family holidays and frequent outings to Spur, her seven-year-old son’s favourite eating spot.
“My favourite restaurant is Spur. I have no choice,” she says, with a burst of laughter.
Madisa’s childhood dream was to be a doctor. Her dream was on track until, in her first year of BSc studies at Wits, she had to dissect a rat.
“I could not touch the rat. When I did open it up, I did everything so quickly,” she says.
Not surprisingly, the “patient” did not survive the “operation”. That put her off medicine for good. Up to this day, she does not regret the decision to change course.
“I cannot do blood. I cannot do needles,” she says.
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