Moreka Gomez

Position and company name: Financial Manager of LH Marthinusen (Denver Branch)
Main activity of company: Repairs and maintenance service of transformer, motors and fans
Date and place of birth: 3 July 1982, Johannesburg
Education: BCom Financial Management (Currently studying towards CIMA)
Management style: Collaborative - consistently working to bring teams together.
Personal best achievement: Gaining complete independence at a time in my life when I needed it most.
Person you would most like to meet: Michelle Obama, because she serves as a role model to other women by being true to who she is.
Philosophy of life: “I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day, and I believe in miracles.” Audrey Hepburn
Message for other women leaders in the South African business community: I truly believe that behind every successful woman is a tribe of other successful women who have her back! Being a successful leader is knowing how to empower other women to grow.

Hilary Castle-Hartnick

Position and company name: Design Manager at ACTOM Signalling, part of the EPC group
Main activity of company: ACTOM Signalling designs, manufactures, installs and maintains railway signalling equipment and turnkey systems covering train control.
Date and place of birth: 7 April in Witbank, Mpumalanga
Education: N.Dip in Electrical Engineering: Digital Technology from TUT (1998). Supervisory Management Certificate (2001). IRSE UK licensed Designer (2002 – 2007). Achievement Based Management Programme (2003)
Management style: Collaborative and inclusive management style, because I believe that the entire team can contribute to the best possible solution.
Personal best achievement: Raising my daughter, who is the light of my life and has taught me more than I could ever imagine.
Person you would most like to meet: Michelle Obama. She has always held a high level of self-respect and respect for others. She juggles numerous roles and always manages to remain calm and self-composed.
Philosophy of life: “Empowerment through innovation and collaboration.” Using technology as a tool to empower communities and create positive change through collaborative efforts and uplifting one another. Our collective strength will shape a brighter future for South Africa and beyond.
Message for other women leaders in the South African business community: To all the ladies, put yourself first. In this day and age we tend to be always chasing something and we never seem to get enough. Once we satisfy one craving, we start chasing the next and are rarely present in the now. We must be grateful for what we have and as long as you are okay with yourself, that’s enough. The only way you will be able to give your best is if you make yourself a priority. To give your best, you must be your best. Prioritise you.

Thando Nkosi

Position and company name: Commercial Executive at ACTOM High Voltage Equipment
Main activity of company: Responsible for commercial related matters on all HV equipment. Contracts management for all long-term frame contracts and once-off orders from receipt of customer purchase orders to trade sales and dispatch of equipment for various customers in different market segments.
Date and place of birth: 18 December, on the East Rand, Johannesburg
Education: Management Advancement Programme (Wits Business School), B. Sc Honours in Technology Management (UP), B Tech: Electrical Engineering (TUT)
Management style: Approachable - it’s important that my team can communicate with me openly without fear. Consultative management style - managing a team of professionals means valuing their inputs on ideas, suggestions and contributions.  
Personal best achievement: I always make the worst mistake of not celebrating my achievements, once acquired I look forward to the next challenge without taking in what I’ve achieved thus far.
Person you would most like to meet: I don’t have a personal favourite but I would like to meet men and women that inspire me in different ways i.e., Phumzile Mlambo Ngcuka, Maria Ramos (fierce women leaders), Thebe Ikalafeng (vast knowledge of Africa as a brand), etc.
Philosophy of life: ‘Nothing but consistent effort can unlock the potential buried beneath your fear.’  Brianna Wiest ‘Bad chapters can still create great stories. Wrong paths can still lead to right places. Failed dreams can still create successful people. Sometimes, it takes losing yourself to find yourself.’  Unknown
Message for other women leaders in the South African business community: There are still too few women in the engineering sector, let alone women leaders. As women, we need to break barriers and be assertive about where we want to go. Additionally, we need to be supportive of other women and refuse to be the the only woman at the table.

Shivani Ramnarain

Position and company name: Financial Manager, LH Marthinusen Durban
Main activity of company: I am responsible for the finance function and team. Ensuring compliance with prescribed financial processes and policies. Working with other departments to ensure smooth operations.
Date and place of birth: 1 November 1980, Durban
Education: Bachelor of Commerce, Financial Accounting & IT majors, currently busy with CIMA accreditation
Management style: I am a planner. I love to make lists and encourage my team to prioritise, tick the boxes, reflect and analyse mistakes, and then get the plan executed.
Personal best achievement: Being a well-balanced mother, which is by far the hardest job, impossible to quantify.
Person you would most like to meet: Any female president or prime minister.
Philosophy of life: Never give up, be resilient. The glass is half full.
Message for other women leaders in the South African business community: Not everyone you encounter will be your well-wisher, so you must motivate and believe in yourself, and stay true to your values and beliefs. Don’t be scared to change your pace to get things done, and always invest in yourself whether it’s a new skill, a new qualification, or self-care.