Speakers
Arie Fabian
WE ARE EGG
Co-Founder
Topic: Agility: It Rhymes with Stability
Biography
Arie Fabian one of South Africa’s leading retail brains and the man behind retail brands including FABIANI and GSTAR, has joined forces with Paul Simon to birth the innovative EGG retail concept. With 20 years of retail experience, an MBA and long list of brands he has guided and consulted for, he felt that the retail landscape was ripe for a return to revolutionise the way brands and malls interact and collaborate.
Arthur Goldstruck
WORLD WIDE WORX
Founder
Topic: Overview of SA Retail Market
Biography
Arthur Goldstuck is founder of World Wide Worx, South Africa’s leading independent technology market research organisation. He is an award-winning writer, analyst and technology commentator and has been presented with the Distinguished Service in ICT Award by the Institute of IT Professionals of South Africa, for his contribution to the industry. He is author of 19 books, editor-in-chief of SA’s oldest consumer technology magazine, and writes a weekly trends column for Business Times in the Sunday Times, Africa’s largest-circulation newspaper. He has given talks to audiences globally and, in 2021, was inducted into the Southern African Speakers Hall of Fame. He has been a judge in the Vodacom Journalist of the Year awards since 2011.
Cornus Strydom
BENTEL ASSOCIATES INTERNATIONAL
Design Director
Topic: Retail Design in a Post Pandemic World
Biography
Cornus’ career began with the completion of a Fine Arts Diploma which was received with distinction at the Open Window Art Academy in 1995. In 2000 Cornus won the PIA design prize and in 2001 he was the recipient of the prestigious Holm Jordaan Theory prize. In 2003, he completed his post-graduate Master’s Professional Degree in Architecture with distinction (M- Arch Professional), at the University of Pretoria. Cornus’ previous experience includes his time spent at Boogertman + Partners as well as DBM Architects in the capacity of Head Designer. Coupled with more than 15 years of experience and strong conceptual skills Cornus has joined the Bentel team in the role of Design Director. Playing a fundamental role Cornus oversees and is involved in many of the projects from their inception phase to completion. Cornus is a member of the South African Council for the Architectural Profession (SACAP)
Darren Katz
Excellerate Brand Management
Founder and Managing Director
Topic: Digital Transformation in Retail Real Estate (Panel Discussion)
Biography
With experience and expertise in the retail and advertising field, comes excellence and an extraordinary vision. Darren Katz, an entrepreneur with exceptional insight into the ever-changing dynamics of the retail sector, has 20 years of experience in the industry and is the former Director and Founding Partner of Primall Media, a subsidiary of Primedia Unlimited, who formed EBM in 2015. EBM is a pioneering Strategic Property Marketing company where challenge and change are the words that drive it. EBM explores and creates success around the unexpected and calls its work process Brand Disruption: an approach to brand creations that allows the company to immerse itself in the brand of its clients, South African leaders in retail and owners of the most iconic shopping centres in the country, Liberty Two Degrees and Old Mutual Properties. Katz’ vision leads the unparalleled and innovative marketing solutions that come out of EBM on a daily basis, and is what sets the company and its identity apart from its competitors and closer to its audiences. At EBM, the standards are to Be Unexpected. Be Unparalleled. Be Unforgettable.
Dustin Garis
Brand Innovator, Customer Experience Pioneer
Topic: The Next Frontier is Experience Innovation
Biography
Dustin Garis is a world-renowned brand innovator. Throughout his disruptive career at some of the world’s most breakthrough companies, such as The Coca-Cola Company, Procter & Gamble, and Ericsson, Garis was known as “Chief Troublemaker” for his ability to push the boundaries of innovation, customer experience, and change leadership. Garis brings the same no-holds-barred approach to his keynotes that helped him blaze trails in the world’s largest companies and entrepreneurial startups. With a particular focus on how brands can enrich lives, Garis offers examples of brands that are getting it right by “revolting against routine,” and creating memorable experiences to drive engagement among Gen X/Y/Z consumers and employees. Garis earned the title of “Indiana Jones of Marketing” when he embarked on a global expedition to over 50 countries across six continents, to uncover the secret to building life-changing brands.
Femi Adebanji
Business Speaker
Topic: Leading the Charge
Biography
Femi Adebanji is a sought-after international customer service speaker and organisational excellence speaker (Leadership, Change, and Motivation) with a passion for helping organisations transform their service excellence levels, build truly customer centric cultures, create high-performance business cultures and evolve into brands of distinction. With over 15 years of business leadership and customer strategy experience, he has consulted on numerous critical business performance improvement initiatives for companies in South Africa and internationally. He is Senior Customer Experience Strategist at Baines & Partners, a firm that specialises in Customer Experience consulting and Customer Service turnaround strategies. He is also Research Director at Pinnacle Consulting, a corporate learning consultancy that provides customised and off-the-shelf customer service training, and diverse skills development training solutions to organisations of diverse sizes across all industries. His expertise, knowledge and insights will not only transform the customer experience within your organisation.
Francois Bredenkamp
TJ Architects
Design Director and Partner
Topic: Retail Design in a Post Pandemic World
Biography
Francois Bredenkamp is an urban designer and architect with 20 years’ experience in the commercial architectural field. He is currently a Design Director and Partner at TJ Architects with a directive to focus on new retail opportunities and the integration of mixed-use precincts into the urban fabric. Notable projects that he has been involved in are the recently completed Castle Gate Lifestyle Centre, the Bo Vallon Mall in Mauritius and the new Irene Link Retail Lifestyle Centre that recently broke ground. He believes every retail project should challenge the design norm, be adaptable to new user expectations and evolve into a unique product solution for every project. Elements of the theatrical and the creation of social cohesion drive the building design aesthetic to produce a memorable shopper experience.
Gugulethu Mfuphi (MC)
Broadcaster / Global Moderator / Conversationalist / Financial Journalist / Orator - Kaya FM (KAYABIZZ)
Biography
Gugulethu Mfuphi, an award-winning broadcaster, is a well-versed orator, with experience in front of the camera, behind the microphone and addressing an audience. This skill, together with her sound grasp of financial markets, economic data and current affairs issues and the impact that this has on the business community, makes her the perfect candidate to speak to industry analysts, political leaders and C-suite executives from across the globe. This forms the basis of her tasks and responsibilities as a Presenter on Kaya FM’s prime time, award winning business show - Kaya Bizz, and her experience as a Senior Anchor on CNBC Africa.
James Beattie
Xanita
Founder and CEO
Topic: The Future of Retail Décor, Refurbishments and Beyond
Biography
Years of involvement within the digital print sector has given James a unique insight into all facets of the industry spanning geographic borders from South Africa, to New Zealand, to Australia, to India. With this knowledge, and with insights into forthcoming consumer trends and technology, James founded Xanita in 2008 with the vision of building a South African made global benchmark in sustainable and robust architectural features with a wealth of applications. By combining the latest technologies with unique design capabilities, James aims to leave the world a better place than he found it – one sustainable board at a time.
James Lappeman
UCT Liberty Institute of Strategic Marketing
Head of Projects
Biography
James has a PhD in Business Science (specializing in marketing and consumer behaviour) and also holds a Bachelor of Business Science and Masters in Religious Studies. James has taught and consulted for a number of institutions and companies, and has published articles in the news as well as in both local and international academic journals. Recently he co-edited a book, Marketing in South Africa, which was published by Van Schaik Publishers. James has a deep interest in marketing, business strategy and South African consumer behaviour. He has built curricula, supervised research, consulted to business and taught on the above topics to corporate strategy teams as well as to undergraduate and postgraduate students at UCT, UCT’s GSB, Henley Business School, Vega, Red & Yellow, GetSmarter and Educate24.
Jeremy Gardiner
NINETY ONE
Marketing Director, Communications
Topic: The Ultimate Winter of Discontent
Biography
Jeremy is a regular voice in the media, at conferences and to the investment-related world at large, responsible for commenting on current affairs, economics and investment markets. In his position, Jeremy is inundated with information from the world’s top analysts, on everything from politics to petrol. Jeremy’s challenge is consolidating all this information and bringing it to you in an understandable format that you will find interesting and informative. Jeremy has been with the firm for 29 years, during which time the business grew from a small Cape Town Asset Management firm to a significant global business managing clients assets of approximately R2.7 trillion*. Jeremy also served on the board of Western Province/Stormers rugby from 2003 to 2005, a period in which their performance was particularly poor! Although he studied accounting at the University of Cape Town and Economics at the University of Witwatersrand, Jeremy is neither an accountant nor an economist, but uses these skills to demystify what the accountants and economists are saying.
John Ghermezian
MALL OF AMERICA
Chief Business Officer
Topic: Digital Transformation in Retail Real Estate (Panel Discussion)
Biography
As Chief Business Officer at Mall of America®, John Ghermezian is responsible for oversight of the business. As well, he is focused on strategic initiatives, data analytics and new technologies. The Mall is the largest retail entertainment destination in the nation attracting more than 40 million annual visitors. With more than 520 stores, 60 places to dine and several world-class attractions it is imperative to provide the highest level of guest experience. Ghermezian works with key team members and technology partners to enhance the customer experience and NOI. Ghermezian is also Vice-Chairman of Triple Five Corporation which has a footprint in various industries including real estate, banking, manufacturing, technology and has developed many of the largest shopping destinations in the world.
Kani Rajuili
Foshizi
Research Director
Topic: How to Leverage the Use of Community Members as Brand Ambassadors in Peri-urban and Rural Areas
Biography
Foshizi are research insights specialists into the black consumer market. Born eKasi in 2004 the company established a niche in the market as being amongst the few consumer insights companies that’s in touch and in the forefront. Their ground-breaking work can be summarised by the strategic output work they have done for clients like Nando’s, MultiChoice, Nestle, MassMart, Mr Price, Toyota, Shoprite, Flash Mobile, Virgin Active, Power Fashion, Nedbank and lots more. At Foshizi Kani is their specialists on Retail, FMCG and Banking sector and her responsibilities cut through designing of solutions for clients to delivery of the research. She graduated with a degree in Political Science and International Relations from the University of Witwatersrand.
Kundayi Munzara
SESFIKILE CAPITAL
Co-founder
Topic: SA Economy and Consumer Outlook
Biography
He is a co-founder of Sesfikile Capital, an asset manager focussed on listed property investments on behalf of SA pension funds and retail investors with over R18 billion in AUM. Kundayi holds a BSc. (Hons) in Property Studies from the University of Cape Town (UCT) and CFA designation. He recently completed his Private Equity and Venture Capital course and Program for Leadership Development (PLD) at Harvard Business School. Prior to co-founding Sesfikile Capital, he was at Investec Bank based in Johannesburg and London and began his career as an intern at Old Mutual Properties.
Liesel Scott
OPEN CIRCLES
Co-founder & Facilitator
Topic: A great place to work, is a great place to shop – personal leadership tools to cultivate a resilient and positive perspective and work environment amidst adversity.
Biography
Insightful and experienced, Liesel brings both professional ability and personal authenticity to her work. Liesel has partnered with a wide range of clients for over 15 years, in South Africa and across Africa, the UK and Europe. She is a strategic Leadership and Inclusive Culture consultant and an internationally accredited facilitator and coach. In 2015 Liesel trained with Dr Brené Brown in London, and she is part of a small cohort of certified Dare to Lead™ facilitators globally. As a co-founder of Open Circles, Liesel is especially passionate about the way in which courage-building, vulnerability, empathy and shame resilience (key skillsets of this work), can provide the leadership “muscle” for building more inclusive cultures. Liesel holds an MPhil in Applied Ethics (Cum Laude) from the University of Stellenbosch. She also has a Diploma in Personal Transformational Coaching from the Animas Centre for Coaching in London and is certified as an Associate Coachwith the International Coach Federation.
Maria Petousis
ASK AFRICA
Executive: TGI, Media & Finance
Topic: The Retail Evolution: How Have Consumers Changed?
Biography
Maria’s business exposure lies across a range of research topics and across numerous business industries. Her passion is to empower clients, to problem solve, to navigate client pain points, to understand their context and to support decisions through factual insights, with her flair. She is also responsible to define and implement strategy, to lead the team to meet strategic objectives as well as to secure new sales revenue to manage growth markets effectively. Her business acumen and understanding into fit for purpose solutions and strategies, spearheads projects with a plethora of knowhow.
Matthew Brown
ECHOCHAMBER
Retail Futurist
Topic: Creativity in Crisis: The Innovative Future of Retail
Biography
Matthew is the owner and founder of Echochamber; a London based creative retail intelligence agency, which travels the world tracking retail innovation and evolving consumer trends. Matthew has run Echochamber since 1999, developing it over the past 22 years into a specialist trend consultancy with a global client base of retailers, developers and FMCG brands. A regular keynote speaker at global retail conferences, in the days BC (Before Corona) Matthew could be found pounding the shopping streets of the world with his camera in hand! Echochamber provides global best practice and creative insight to clients across all retail sectors, in order to help them benchmark best practice and improve their businesses, by harnessing evolving global consumer and retail trends.
Michael Ellis
5+design
Co-founder and Principal
Topic: Retail Design in a Post Pandemic World
Biography
Michael Ellis plans and implements overall business strategy for 5+design, a creative architecture and planning studio based in Hollywood, California. As co-founder and managing principal, Mike represents the firm around the world, and helps identify new trends and opportunities that allow the company to continue exploring novel, creative approaches to design. Michael believes that an emphasis on teamwork and collaboration is fundamental to everything 5+ does. He sees the world through this lens and sets a vision for the company’s future based on strong relationships with like-minded clients. Michael received a bachelor’s degree in music from Occidental College in Los Angeles and a master’s degree in architecture from the University of California at Los Angeles. He is an architect licensed in California and was a senior designer at Daniel Mann Johnson & Mendenhall and a senior vice president at The Jerde Partnership before co-founding 5+design.
Michelle Buxton
TOOLBOX GROUP
Founder and CEO
Topic: Digital Transformation in Retail Real Estate (Panel Discussion)
Biography
Michelle Buxton, is founder and CEO of proptech trailblazer Toolbox Group - the creators of award-winning real estate community engagement and management technology Mallcomm. With more than 20 years’ expertise in engaging real estate users in the changing ways they live, work, shop and play, Michelle is a leading expert, innovator and influencer in the proptech arena.She spent her early career in retail real estate in South Africa, voted Cape Times Business Person of the Year, before setting up her innovation agency in the UK in 2000. Since then she has been providing visionary strategic insight and advice, innovative marketing services and leading technology solutions to real estate across Europe, and now the USA. The company is working in 22 countries with 300 retail, office and mixed-use locations.
Paul Simon
WE ARE EGG
Founder & CEO
Topic: Agility: It Rhymes with Stability
Biography
Paul Simon a serial entrepreneur and creator, first wowed South Africa with his concept store Young Designers Emporium. YDE started as an innovative fashion idea that rocketed to fame as a successful South African brand. It was birthed in 1995 when Cape Town born Paul Simon was a dynamic yet inexperienced 21 year old about to set the South African business world ablaze with business flare. Ten years later and with a chain of 12 stores he sold to listed retailer Truworths. Paul Simon is now crafting another innovative business model with the EGG concept, building a department store to showcase SME’s and online brands, and this too will revolutionise the retail landscape in South Africa with a new and fresh business model that is sure to disrupt the retail landscape. “As a businessman, brand innovator and creative thinker. I constantly spot trends and love birthing new business concepts. The common thread is that I love to put a creative spin on the traditional way of doing things making me a serial entrepreneur.”
Stephen McGown
Motivational Speaker
Topic: It's all About the Journey
Biography
Stephen obtained his degree in Finance and worked in some of the large South African banks. In order to expand his career, he went across to the UK and worked in London for 7 years. He returned to SA to manage his family's farming business. His love for the outdoors grew. The freedom he felt from riding a motorcycle in the eastern Free State, near Lesotho, ignited his desire to ride a motorcycle through Africa, with home being the final destination. An unexpected turn of events interrupted his life-long dream. En route home, Stephen was abducted by Al Qaeda and held hostage in Mali for almost 6 years. He is currently the longest held surviving Al Qaeda hostage in the world. Stephen continues to claim back his life with a fresh and positive outlook, using the skills he acquired in the desert during his extreme experience. He shares his story to inspire others with hope and a way to overcome any situation that challenges or tests them.
Warrick Kernes
Insaka eCommerce Academy
CEO
Topic: Embracing eCommerce - How Brick & Mortar Retailers Can Grow their Sales through Online
Biography
With 15 years of eCommerce experience Warrick Kernes is recognized as South Africa's leading eCommerce expert. He's won multiple business awards across Europe and Africa and has built his own online sales from zero to over R100m. In 2010 he founded the award winning online store Action Gear which he grew to R20m in annual revenue before he exited the business in 2017 to start the Insaka eCommerce Academy through which he has now trained thousands of South Africa business owners to achieve more success through eCommerce. Warrick is a board member of the eCommerce Forum of Africa, he is a guest lecturer on eCommerce for the MBA class at WITS Business School and he is a guest author for the Entrepreneur Magazine. He is one of a handful of educators worldwide to be accredited by Shopify as Approved Educators and his eCommerce community has grown to be the largest of it's kind in Africa with over 26,000 members.
William P. Kistler
Urban Ovation
Founder and Managing Partner
Topic: Digital Transformation in Retail Real Estate (Panel Discussion)
Biography
Bill is an urban visionary and strategist. Leading roles in development, advisory and non-profit organisations have given him a unique perspective and global network. Urban Ovation is a community of diverse professionals provide insights and innovative solutions for corporate and government clients. He started his career at IBM in Silicon Valley, moved to New York and then Paris as Director of Real Estate. Leading diverse projects in 20 countries sparked a lifelong interest in intersection of technology and the built environment. Senior advisory and asset management roles followed at Cushman & Wakefield and JMB Properties. As Managing Director of Development at Disneyland Paris, Bill led the launch of the mixed-use community of Val d’Europe. He then founded Equinox Partners a real estate consultancy with offices in Paris, London and New York. He joined Korn Ferry as Senior Partner for real estate executive search in EMEA, providing clients with leadership and organizational solutions. As Chief Executive of industry organisations ICSC and ULI in EMEA, Bill worked with industry leaders to understand the trends reshaping cities and the real estate industry, delivering thought leadership through events, research and advocacy. Bill is a Trustee of the Urban Land Institute and a member of the International Advisory Council University of Lisbon, School of Economics & Management. He graduated from the University of Southern California with a BSc in Architecture.