Executive MBAs travel to South Africa for lessons in global management

The Freeman School’s Executive MBA class hit the road in May, traveling to Cape Town, South Africa, for the course Managing the Global Enterprise.

A core feature of the Executive MBA program, this international seminar explores international markets, leadership across cultures and global economic development. Over six days in Cape Town, the class gained insights on managing global businesses from meetings with executives in a wide range of companies.

• Hannes Nieuwoudt, managing director of Dole South Africa, discussed the company’s strategic approach to international growth and how it aligns operations across three global divisions. Students also learned about Dole’s commitment to innovation, sustainability and social responsibility — key elements of the company’s long-term success.

• Wesley Diphoko, editor-in-chief of Fast Company South Africa, met with EMBA students during a breakout session to detail his professional journey and offer his thoughts on innovation and the rapidly evolving media landscape.
• Dr. Shirley Zinn, chairperson of the Board of Directors for the V&A Waterfront, a mixed-use destination located in the Southern Hemisphere’s oldest working harbor, shared insights drawn from over 30 years in education and human resources management.
• Emile van der Merwe, winemaker with Vondeling Wines, shared his unique perspective on marketing, branding and growth strategy during a visit to the winery.
• Júlio César Do Monte, managing director for South & Sub-Sahara Africa for Kenvue, shared insights into the company’s strategic vision, leadership philosophy and innovation in the consumer healthcare space.
• Gareth Morgan, executive director of Future Planning and Resilience for the City of Cape Town, closed out the week with a keynote address to the class on urban resilience, sustainability and long-term strategy. Morgan, co-author of Becoming Good at Crises: A Field Guide for Leaders, helped lead Cape Town’s response to the pre-pandemic drought and Covid crises, and he highlighted the ways in which the city is preparing for the future while still addressing current challenges.

The students also delivered the final presentations of their Capstone Consulting Project to Peter Venn, CEO of Seriti Green, a large-scale clean energy company with operations across Africa. What began as virtual meetings and strategic planning sessions in New Orleans culminated in Cape Town, with students delivering actionable recommendations to company leadership on market positioning, financial strategy, technology innovation and business development.

“Our cohort’s time in Cape Town, South Africa was the perfect capstone to our program,” said Rob Pettit (MBA ’25), “It delivered exactly what I was looking to get out of my experience - gain a global perspective while understanding a country’s local culture. We had the opportunity to learn about local businesses and apply what we’ve learned over the past 17 months to a real-world problem with our consulting project with Seriti Green.”