In conversation with …
Abdullah Verachia
With year two of COVID-19 still disrupting our lives , we asked renowned speaker , disruptor , strategist and PPS member , Abdullah Verachia , a few questions .
You are a global strategist , speaker and disruptor . How did you get here ?
As a youngster I watched television series about the law and thought the legal profession was sexy , cool and interesting . So , I decided to study law largely because of what I saw on television . I even practiced law for a while but soon realised that it is not me . I approached a mentor of mine who connected me with Dr Martyn Davies . The two of us started a corporate advisory and research firm that grew so significantly that in 2013 it was bought by Deloitte . In effect it was going into law , realising it is not for me and having the guts to take a different path that led me to start my own strategy consulting firm and teaching at the Gordon Institute for Business Science ( GIBS ).
What is the one life experience that has made a significant influence on you ?
I was at a week-long leadership camp in the bush when I was in Grade 11 , just outside Nelspruit where I went to school . During the camp our principal told us about a United Nations debating competition that would be held per region , then per province with the national champions going to New York . We did not have debating at school but I decided to go for it . And that decision was transformative because of what followed . I ended up at nationals and was selected to represent Mpumalanga internationally where I won a global speaker award . Two things happened : I realised that I have a capability for speaking in public and debating , and secondly I became politically and socially active because I became aware . The mentor I met during this was the person that recommended me to Martyn Davies . And Martyn introduced me to the founding dean of GIBS Business School , Professor Nick Binedell . I am now a senior faculty member there . I also met a business partner – Nwabisa Mayema ( who represented the Eastern Cape ) — and together we started The Collective Genius that has done award-winning CSI work for hundreds and thousands of kids . All from a single decision made in the bush when I was in grade 11 .
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