We Had a Wonderful Gathering at Our Monthly PSASA Cape Chapter Meeting and AGM!
As always, our evening kicked off with a vibrant networking session followed by a delightful dinner and drinks. Once refreshed, we transitioned to the main meeting room, where Cape Chapter President Mariette Visser officially started proceedings and set an inspiring tone for the night. Master of Ceremonies, Alex Pryor, then took over to ensure everything ran smoothly.
AGM: The Chapter President provided an overview of the 2024/2025 financial year at the meeting. She touched on membership, speaker themes, meeting sessions, and the mid-term convention. Marriet thanked the committee for their support, and a special word of thanks was extended to Bruce Wade for his unwavering support and guidance throughout her tenure.
The AGM continued with the nomination and vote for the incoming Cape Chapter President. Marlene McConnell was unanimously voted in as the Cape Chapter President. A word of welcome was extended to Marlene, whereafter she introduced the incoming committee comprising Immediate Past President Marriet Visser, Kyle Jantjies, Alex Pryor, Bryan Hattingh, and Brian Koga.
Member Showcase: We kicked off our member showcase with the incredible Marc Ryan Rees, a consulting philosopher who is also a practiced stand-up comedian. His talks are philosophical but accessible and he has a keen interest in the meaning of life, death, aesthetics, culture, reasoning, and everything to do with philosophy. Connect with Reese for some inspiring insights on www.consultantphilosopher.com!
Guest Speaker 1: Claudio Chisté captivated us with his talk on “Rise of the Warrior Leader – Ancient Principles for Modern Leadership Battles”. He shared invaluable insights, advice, and learnings from his life and career, making it an enriching experience for all. As a naval veteran, he revealed how battlefield principles from mental toughness and servant leadership can be transformed into unshakable authenticity to lead, influence, and inspire. Claudio demonstrated how these principles can help us navigate boardroom battles, lead high-performance teams, or simply strive to become a more resilient version of ourselves. We were equipped with practical tools and a warrior’s mindset to thrive in the face of uncertainty.
Inspiring Session from Guest Speaker 2: Bryan Hattingh energized the room with his reflection on the most important things business leaders should do to lead effectively during uncertain and turbulent times. He captivated the audience while exploring the essentials, starting from the premise that turbulent times are situations or relationships in which there is a lot of change, confusion, disruption, and disorder. They are simultaneously times of tremendous opportunity.
The highlight for us was the idea that highly effective leaders are first and foremost great leaders of self, which presupposes them to have an elevated level of self-awareness which they continually heighten. Bryan demonstrated by example how living a life as a self-actualized leader is not just about achieving professional success; it’s about embracing our authentic selves, nurturing our passions, and cultivating a deep connection with those around us. We were all inspired to imagine leading not merely through authority but through empathy and compassion – transforming the lives of others and our own.
Our evening concluded with more networking opportunities, enabling deeper connections and shared experiences.
Save the Date: Join us for our next meeting on 14 April 2025. Be sure to book your spot at PSASA Southern Africa.
We look forward to another amazing get-together filled with networking, learning, and inspiration!
