New “wings” for Net#work

Chief creative officer Mike Schalit, who announced the addition of the creative heavy weight this week at a staff gathering, was reported to have looked like the “cat that got the cream”. And Mdlulwa was all smiles as Schalit used his usual banter and wit to welcome him into the Net#work family.

Mdlulwa has spent the past ten years adding value to brands such as Vodacom, Toyota, Chicken Licken, True Love and most recently the Johannesburg Tourism Company. His titles and accolades include Chairman of The Loerie Awards in 2007 and being honoured by the Financial Mail with the New Broom Award for “being a young person making a significant contribution to the industry”.

He has also been named in the Top 25 Most Influential People in the advertising industry according to a Financial Mail survey. Plus he has been running his own agency Twist, since 2004.

So why go from running your own show back to employee status? A clearly enthusiastic Mdlulwa said it's not every day you get an offer to work with Schalit: “Working at Net#work will give me opportunities that will step up my game. I also get to work closely with people I have admired and respected from a distance for a long time. What struck me most in my initial discussions with Mike and Keith Shipley [his partner] is our shared value that creativity can change the world.”