You're Invited - Leadership Conversation with Yolanda Cuba

In the early 2010s it was considered revolutionary to say that every business will become a digital business. If you had gone further and said that every business would become a technology business, you may have been looked at as a flat earth-er. For decades, the technology division was a supporting function that just needed to make sure that payroll, finance and HR systems were working. The shift to smart, digital, mobile technologies - followed years later by deep tech becoming every business’ business - turned the world of business on its axis (it may have even flattened it, to a degree). Every business is therefore a technology business and by extension we all either lead, work in or are building technology businesses in tech.

Today, a business strategy that doesn’t integrate or centre the role of technology in a business is unthinkable. More than 90% of Leadership Teams at the helm of listed organisations have drastically increased their technology budgets since the early 10s and a range of businesses now have all or several tech-focused CxO roles like Chief Information Officers (CIOs), Chief Technology Officers (CTOs), Chief Digital Officers (CDOs), Chief Data Officers (CDOs) and, increasingly, Chief AI Officers (CAIO). An aside: You’ll note that the acronyms are starting to become a problem;-)

This illustrates the centrality as well as the depth and breath of the technology capabilities found in organisations today. It also shows just how much tech has become the CEO’s business. This is the backdrop to why I am thrilled about the upcoming Inno Yolo Leadership Conversation with Yolanda Cuba (CA) SA, the Group Regional Vice President - Southern and East Africa at MTN (More about Yolanda below).

The conversation titled, Unlocking Growth Through Tech: Leveraging New Technologies for Business Strategy in the Age of Digital & AI, will take place on 25 April 2024 (19:00 PM SAST | 19:00 PM CET | 13:00 PM EDT)

About Yolanda Cuba

At MTN, Yolanda looks after Southern and East Africa. On behalf of the largest mobile network operator on the continent (ranked 7th in the world). She oversees the strategic, commercial and operational success of the countries that form part of her region. Yolanda is a strategy and vision driven leader that can be counted amongst the first to recognise and openly speak about the centrality of technology in business strategy and growth. A trailblazer, she:

• is playing a leadership role in rolling-out of 5G on the African continent;

• Pushed for and realized key digital transformation milestones, exemplified by her leadership role in moving MTN from a mainly telecoms focused business to a connectivity and platform business;

• Introduced and made a success of the Ayoba Super-App; and

• Has repeatedly broken the glass ceiling, including being one of the youngest CEOs to herald a company listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.

Yolanda is passionate about driving change on the African continent. She does this by expanding connectivity as well as leveraging commerce, technology and education to positively impact the socio-economic conditions faced by people on the continent and in the diaspora. In this way, she lives her passion of expanding our capacity for local and global impact, helping Africa become the next economic power house. In addition to the impactful work that she does as part of the roles described above, Yolanda is the founder of the Cuba Mtyi Foundation, Brighter Lives Africa as well as The Mentorship Boardroom.

She has held several roles where she successfully balanced achieving commercial results and driving social impact in South Africa and in the rest of Africa. These include:

• Group Chief Digital and FinTech Officer at MTN;

• Group Chief Officer: Strategy, Mergers and Acquisitions at Vodacom;

• CEO of Telecel - Vodafone Ghana;

• Executive Director: Strategy and Business Support at South African Breweries; and

• Group CEO at Mvelaphanda Group.

Yolanda is a Chartered Accountant. She holds a Master of Commerce in Finance and Financial Management Services from the University of Pretoria; a Bachelor of Honors, Accounting from the University of KwaZulu-Natal as well as several qualifications and certifications from Havard University, INSEAD, Havard Business School and the University of Cape Town, amongst others.

I had the pleasure of engaging with Yolanda for the first time when we were both at South African Breweries many years ago. Her energy, openness, sharp business acumen and the ease with which she engaged across all levels drew me in. Her willingness to share of herself and her wisdom has continued to impress me over the years as exemplified by the vision and insights she shared on a conversation we had in 2020.

I am delighted to invite you to engage with her brilliance at the Inno Yolo Leadership Conversation with Yolanda Cuba on Thursday, 25 April at 19:00 SAST / CET and 13:00 EDT.

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