E+I empowers women in leadership roles

Paul Middleton, director of E+I explain: “When we formed this partnership with Nombini Mehlomakulu we recognised that we were making the right decision. Not only has her commitment to excellence given the agency a new boost but our clients are enjoying her diverse insights and a wealth of expertise.”

According to Middleton, the agency gains great value from Mehlomakulu’ leadership finesse, which she applies in a firsthand approach. “She engages in all aspects of the business and is a familiar face to clients and a mentor to the agency’s growing talent,” adding that “E+I has a diverse team of women in various roles from junior to executive leadership; all of whom look up to Nombini for guidance, experience, and knowledge of how to the best they can be, unafraid of achieving their goals and fulfilling their aspirations.”

As MD of E+I, Mehlomakulu emphasised that, prior to joining E+I, she had acquired extensive experience in senior and leadership roles in corporates and one of the things she is passionate about and prides herself in is the empowerment and mentorship of other women imparting and sharing knowledge. “Each of the women working for E+I contribute to its continued success as they spearhead internal and external services. I am so proud of the calibre of women that we have been able to attract,” she says.

“As the head of an integrated agency, I am responsible for strategy and the future of the agency, which means that I am constantly looking for what we need to evolve towards, develop more of, and what pivots may be required. And that is quite a task in our turbulent environment,” says Mehlomakulu.

We cannot deny that the workplace is highly unequal, a reflection of the society we live in. There is gender, race, and many other disparities. As a leader, I have a responsibility to ensure that we create fair and equitable opportunities for our women colleagues and leaders. As women we need to develop the confidence and belief in ourselves and each other, build and strengthen our networks because it is these networks that will ensure we are able to navigate the sometime unsteady terrain of corporates and business. It does sound cliched, we do need to keep leaning and supporting each other. We are not able to thrive as isolated individuals - my support of women and I call it the committee that sense checks you.”

As women we have multiple roles that we are constantly having to juggle the many hats we wear, our minds are never quiet, we must find way to navigate through it all. Is it challenging? Yes, of course it is. And we daily encounter the structural obstacles that are ever present in our societies, communities, and business… my motto is ‘though at all times, one needs to be able to find a way to win.’ And we need to relentless in this pursuit of achievement, commitment, and excellence.

I must also be honest, I love what I do. I enjoy and derive pleasure from it. And let us not forget the sense of achievement that we also derive from our work, that does give us a sense of purpose. and the other roles we identify as. These opportunities were not always available to women, however we are now living in a time where with a whole lot of grit, determination, support from one’s team, and an enabling environment the proverbial glass ceiling can be shattered - goals can be achieved! I hope that we can all develop an environment that supports and assist women to thrive and excel in the workplace. That is what we are trying to create and promote at E+I,” says Mehlomakulu.

Nombini Mehlomakulu

Nombini Mehlomakulu is the managing director of Ebony+Ivory, the oldest independent, specialist services agency with the rare privilege of a history that spans more than half a century. We have all the services of a traditional agency married neatly together with the digital age.