Millions, if not billions, of people around the world instantly related to Brené Brown when she stood on a stage and spoke about a subject very few leaders were comfortable talking about publicly at the time: vulnerability.
It’s one of the basic building blocks of being human. Vulnerability is an emotion that seems opposite to courage but which actually, when seen for the fuel it is, drives us to be brave.
As chief marketing officer of Bidvest Life, Zanele Ntulini knows a thing or two about the super-power of this emotion.
“I try to always reach out to friends and colleagues who are struggling,” the Soweto-born marketer tells Drum.
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“We’re all just human beings, with our own vulnerabilities. I use my vulnerability in my coaching: that way, you see me at my most authentic.”
She has been CMO of FMI Insurance, now Bidvest Life, for just under a year and a half.
FMI, which rebranded to Bidvest Life in March, has been operating under Bidvest since 2016. With Lulu Rasebotsa at the helm as CEO, Titi Ngubane as CIO and Zanele driving its marketing as the CMO, it’s one of the most diverse companies at a senior and executive management in SA. Something Zanele is very proud of.
“I’m privileged to sit on two excos within the Bidvest Group, where I report to two female CEOS who have inspired many other women. It’s fantastic to see all these women sitting at the top table, steering these ships in the financial services industry.
The marketer who has 20 years of experience says seeing strong female figures in her own life as a child made her realise the limitlessness of women’s courage.
“I grew up surrounded by strong women. My mother raised five kids while running a business. My elder sisters all had careers, and they were so brave and cool.
“One of my aunts was the first black gynaecologist in the country, with her sister being a specialist in her selected medical field, and I just thought: wow, these women!
“They showed me that women can be anything they want to be if they apply their minds to it.
“In the corporate world, my first mentor was Lerato Molebatsi, who headed corporate affairs at Old Mutual. She had such authority, and had a really influential effect on my career.”
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“I was born in Soweto, and grew up in Diepkloof,” the 42-year-old tells Drum, reflecting on how where she grew up shaped the person she is today.
“I was raised by a family of entrepreneurs. I started working in the family shop at the age of eight, so I quickly learned entrepreneurship and business acumen, and the value of hard work.
“My parents were hands-on in the business. My father unpacked vans, while my mother would help make vetkoek dough and cook fish and chips. It showed me that nothing comes easy, you have to work for success, and you should always stay connected to your team.”
The former senior manager in the customer and marketing practice of Deloitte SA’s digital customer team says she still sometimes experiences imposter syndrome.
It’s one of the reasons some women’s growth is limited in corporate.
Another barrier to growth, says Zanele, is a lack of role models to help show them the ropes.
“Women don’t always get enough support, mentorship or coaching to move forward in their careers, or role models to show them the path up the corporate ladder.”
This is why she urges women to support each other, and for those who have been invested in to invest in others. “When you get these jobs that you have been so brilliantly trained for,” to quote Toni Morrison, “just remember that your real job is that if you are free, you need to free somebody else.
“If you have some power, then your job is to empower somebody else.”
This is a sentiment Zanele expresses as eloquently, telling Drum: “I mentor many young women of all races, and I ask only one thing in return: pay it forward.
“If our interactions make a difference to you and your career, please do it for someone else as well.”
