Before a star can shoot, it first must rise

Laura Barker, MD of BlackBark Productions, organisers of the Rising Star Programme, says there is much excitement about the wealth of talent in South Africa and the African continent as a whole. "Over the last three years, we've seen a surge in organisations recognising the value of their employees, both internally and externally. This has boosted our confidence in local business, and we believe more than ever that we have an incredibly talented workforce."

Rising Stars are polished, brilliant talent with tremendous promise and who excel for reasons that go far beyond their technical abilities alone. "They are go-getters who are committed to achieving their goals. They are innovators who create real value for the organisations they work for."

There are twelve categories that can be entered for the Standard Bank Rising Star Awards, covering a broad spectrum of different professions within business specific sectors. These include banking & financial services; energy & chemicals; construction & engineering; entrepreneurship; ICT; transport, logistics & supply chain; media & advertising; mining & minerals; professional services; manufacturing, retail & FMCG; public & private services; as well as tourism, leisure & hospitality.

The awards are part of a greater initiative that aim to establish a living community of young South African talent that will be developed, mentored and provided with necessary platforms for development and communication. This will enable them to become role models, opinion leaders and the inspiration for future South African talent.

As title sponsor of the awards, Standard Bank's Amelia Muller (Head of Resourcing) says that their collaboration with industry icons such as the Rising Stars has always been the objective of sustainable engagement, a way to express Standard Bank's long-term commitment to the youth of the African continent.

"This inspirational platform allows for our young stars to shine and be recognised, reflecting the legacy of skills development and leadership progress that represents the core of Standard Bank's ambitions in Africa," she adds.

Summit and network offered

The initiative of the Rising Star Programme further includes the ArcelorMittal Rising Star Summit, and the Rising Star Network. Barker says the Summit gives the stars the chance to speak out - speaking to employers about what they really want in these changing times, what is important to them and how they choose future employers. It is their platform to speak to the employers and tell them the challenges they face in corporate life, such as managing older people, achieving work and life balance, ethical choices and suchlike, from the self-titled 'McDonalds' generation.

The network, made of all the Rising Star finalists since 2012 from South Africa and Kenya, is designed to connect the Rising Stars, giving them access to each other's wealth of knowledge and experience. This is achieved through an online portal, face-to-face social events and regular newsletters. The finalists are also invited to complimentary business seminars and learning events, and receive 12 months complimentary access to over 600 online learning courses.

The Standard Bank Rising Star Awards finalists will be announced in June, followed by the gala dinner on 24 July 2015 (Sandton Hilton in Johannesburg).

Judges

A stringent assessment process is followed for the Rising Star Awards, culminating in a panel interview with CEOs, HR Directors and leading talent and industry specialists.

The panel of judges for the Awards includes:

• Busi Mashiane, executive: HR, African Rainbow Minerals
  
• David Conradie, executive head: TTS Leadership Academy
  
• Hennie Heymans, MD South Africa, DHL Express
  
• Ivan Moroke, CEO & MD, TBWA
  
• Dr Michael Glensor, group HR executive, Liviero Group
  
• Busi Mashiane, executive: Human Resources at African Rainbow Minerals
  
• Princess Thwala, group executive: Compliance and Stakeholder Relations at African Rainbow Minerals
  
• Rre Elijah Litheko, CEO & executive director, IPM
  
• Scott Gibson, group CEO, Britehouse
  
• Shaun Rozyn, executive director: Corporate Education, GIBS
  
• Wikus Jansen Van Vuuren, business development director, Henley Business School

Standard Bank, USB, Sasol, ArcelorMittal, Technology Innovation Agency, MERSETA, SITA, Hilton Worldwide, ASTD and Who's Who support the Standard Bank Rising Star Awards. For more information, go to www.risingstar.co.za.