"Effective leaders are visionary, principled, inspirational and of critical importance, they have mastered the skill of execution. They get the job done!"
Brand Pretorius
Introduction
Brand is the retired chief executive of McCarthy Limited, the leading motor retail group in South Africa.
He doesn't describe his stepping down on 1 March 2011 from his full-time executive position as "retirement", but rather as "changing gear". In this current phase of his life he is determined to continue to make a difference to his country and all its people.
The key activities in which he is investing his time, include the following :
- Serving on boards of companies in a non-executive capacity.
- Mentoring and coaching up and coming young business leaders.
- Lecturing at some of South Africa's leading business schools and universities.
- Professional speaking on a variety of subjects relating to leadership and business.
- Promoting literacy in South Africa through his directorship of the READ Educational Trust and his ambassadorship of the acclaimed national Rally to Read programme.
- Teaching primary school children in disadvantaged schools about the right principles and values through his involvement in the Valued Citizens program.
- Establishing structured partnerships between business leaders and school principals through his role as a member of the board of trustees of the acclaimed Partners for Possibility program.