#Newsmaker: Molebogeng Mogotsi, Brave Group's first-ever female MD

Molebogeng Mogotsi, Brave Group's first ever female MD

Congratulations on your new appointment, how are you feeling about it?

I am genuinely very excited and thrilled at the opportunity and can’t wait to kickstart this part of my career journey.

What will your new role entail?

Apart from having to manage all functions of operations in House of Brave and giving strategic guidance, one of the most important functions in this role is to build partnerships between House of Brave and our clients. I specifically refer to a partnership and not a relationship because I am committed to an ongoing relationship with our clients.

How and when did this come about?

It all came as a huge surprise as I was not really in the market looking but when the opportunity presented itself I knew this was fate. Brave Group was doing a restructuring of their group companies internally as well as looking to strengthen Black female leadership in the group and my role (managing director – House of Brave) didn’t exist before as we had Andrew Shutterworth as the group MD and group operations director. So while the team was looking for an individual to fill this role, my name got mentioned at the table which I didn’t have a seat at and the rest is history.

When do you take up this position?

My official start date was 1 September 2021.

What excites you most about taking on this role?

Firstly it’s amazing to be back in the industry I know and love, I cannot wait to produce work that will have a positive impact for generations to come. Secondly, the advertising industry is constantly changing, we listen to the consumers and watch what channels they consume. I am all about customer-centricity therefore I am at the core of how we show this in the market.

What do you love most about your career, the industry and what you do?

Being able to give customers solutions to better their current situations and realities

What are your biggest career highlights?

At the risk of sounding like a one-trick pony, I have enjoyed a few milestones in product and campaign offering in the following areas in my past roles:

• Launching FNB Connect SIM and Fusion Gold Account
  
• Pricing Programme Lead at FNB
  
• Rewards Programme Lead at FNB
  
• Account Management Working on the Steve Campaign at DDB

Do you think Covid-19 has impacted the quality of creative work in South Africa? If so, how?

Having come from client side working with agencies of all expertise, I think it has allowed creativity to have a better human connection and empathy putting customers at the centre of the work being produced.

What approach will you take in your role as MD going forward?

Prioritize identification of female talent and the upskilling of the individuals to add quality to the pool in the industry.

Apply my semi-extensive financial services experience to help clients navigate current dynamics in an output-driven way for the stage of evolution we are at.

Build a great internal agency culture and become a key asset in House of Brave which is still a single part of the growing Brave Group.

How will the restructuring process currently taking place at Brave Group impact on the overall business' vision and goals?

The restructuring of Brave Group is making the business fit for purposes and going deeper in making sure that all its new large group clients are well serviced. The group has almost doubled in size since Covid and needs to manage that growth carefully.

Can we see any bold moves being made by Brave Group in the near future?

We are #LionsofHydePark – there definitely will be bold moves. Watch the space!