#Newsmaker: Engage Joe Public's Reatile Tekateka

Reatile Tekateka

“Nurturing of this type of team will ensure that we remain at the forefront of what is a dynamic and fast-changing industry,” said Tekateka.

“Our focus will be on ensuring that PR remains a relevant and necessary part of any brand’s arsenal by delivering responsive and authentic strategies.

"The landscape is shifting. The future of PR will build on the legacy and lessons of the past, but will not look like the past,” she continues.

What does your role as managing partner entail?

My role involves defining and driving the strategy of Engage Joe Public. This requires a diverse set of skills and is as much a general management role in that I am leading the agency in all respects, but also as a specialist because I am still very much a PR and reputation management consultant.

What’s at the top of your to-do list?

A great many things, but chiefly it’s my team and establishing cohesion and a strong vision. As a new leader, you always face the challenge of getting people to believe in your vision. I’m a firm believer in co-creating the way forward and of teams working together towards the achievement of the overall objectives of the agency.

What do you hope to achieve there?

I’m looking forward to building on the foundation built by my predecessor and the proud legacy Engage has as a leading small PR agency. I have a clear vision for its future and I see immense potential in this business, which I think has the capacity to up its game and make a name for itself as an agency to watch. I recognise that this is a long game and I look forward to achieving and celebrating various milestones with my team along the way.

#Prisms2017 winners: Engage Joe Public

Juanita Pienaar  18 May 2017

Comment on your previous experience and how it has equipped you for your new position.

I’ve had an atypical career in the sense that I’ve held various roles on both the agency and client side. Most professionals fit into either category and find their niche after trying out life on either side. In my case, I enjoy both and I’ve found my diverse experience gives me perspective and insights on understanding how to add value as a consultant. It has given me the ability to understand my clients’ needs in a way that I may not have done had I never held the position across the table.

What do you love most about your career in PR?

Harnessing the power of communication to drive business objectives. There’s a magical moment when you see a strategy delivering for a client, which is extremely rewarding.

What industry trends do you predict for the year? I think we’ll continue to see consolidation both in terms of specialisms from an offering perspective and the number of small agencies in the industry.We’re starting to see this during pitches with shortlisted agencies representing a more diverse grouping than the usual suspects we’ve become used to in the past. It makes for an exciting time to be in the marketing communications space.

What are you currently reading/watching/listening to for work?

I don’t make nearly enough time to read and my stack of holiday books grows by the week! Time constraints have me listening to podcasts quite a lot. I try to keep my library as diverse as possible. My grasp of current affairs is critical to my role. I listen to everything from the BBC’s World Service Africa Today, Freakonomics Radio, The Economist Radio and The Thought Show to name a few.

Tell us something about yourself not generally known.

If I wasn’t doing this I would be in music. I grew up as part of a very musical and creative family. I love to sing and I’m not bad ;)