Keynote
Dr Nicolaou has almost 34 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical industry, mainly in domestic and international general management.
Nicolaou has been recognized in the Global Top 100 Health Edition Honorees Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD) in
Healthcare, received Greece’s ARGO Public Service award from the President of Greece in 2023 and recently received the International
Federation of Pharmacists IPS Medal for 2024 for Outstanding Contributions in Industrial Pharmacy. He is a previous winner of the SA
Institute of Marketing Management (IMM) Health Care Marketer of the year Award, has been inducted as a fellow of the Pharmaceutical
Society of South Africa and was elected as an honorary member of the Southern African Society for Thrombosis and Haemostasis.
In 2019 he received an honorary doctorate in Medicine from Wits University and was awarded the Order of the Lion of St Mark by the Greek
Orthodox Pope Theodoros II and is a recipient of the Title of “High Commander of the Order of the Apostle & Evangelist Mark” of the
Patriarchate of Alexandria. He’s presently the Group Senior Executive for Strategic Trade for Aspen Pharmacare Holdings and is a member
of the Holdings Group executive which has oversight of the more than 60 countries Aspen operates in globally.
Presently serves on a number of industry boards and advisory councils including the President’s National Orders Advisory Council and also
presently chairs the Saudi-SA Business Council, and serves on the Board of Business Unity South Africa and the BRICS Business Council. He
has previously served as Chairman of the Interim Board and on the Board of Cricket South Africa and has served on the Boards of both
BrandSA and Proudly SA.
He has been a regular speaker at the Economist Roundtable, World Economic Forum (WEF), WTO and IFC.
Nicolaou is particularly passionate about diversity, transformation, championing localisation and building bridges between the private and
public sector in order to improve access to treatment for patients in emerging markets and improving healthcare outcomes in these markets
Speakers
Wendy Mahoney is a distinguished Innovation Behavioural Specialist and the Managing Director of Newmella & Associates (Pty) Ltd; a Change Intelligence Consultancy focused on empowering organisations to innovate and achieve sustainable success. As the driving force behind Newmella & Associates, Wendy has positioned the firm as a thought leader in change intelligence and inclusive innovation. The consultancy partners with organisational leaders to embed core values that support transformative initiatives and foster sustainable innovation. With a team of specialised associates, they have honed their methodologies, enabling prominent brands to effectively navigate evolving business environments, introduce innovative products and services, adapt operational models, and implement impactful organisational designs.
Wendy actively contributes to economic inclusion as the chair of the South African Chamber of Commerce UK and the 30% Club for KwaZulu-Natal. She is also a council member of the KZN National Business Initiative and serves on the Advisory Council for Dare Restoring Worth, a youth mentorship and coaching academy. Her expertise extends to the Advisory Council for TEDx and Vega Durban. In academia, Wendy has lectured on Business Innovation Management at Vega School, part of ADvTECH.
She holds a cum laude Bachelor of Business Administration and Marketing, a cum laude Master of Arts in Brand Innovation, and is currently pursuing a PhD in Leadership and Culture for Innovation. As a Master Practitioner in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and an internationally accredited Trainer of NLP, she is a sought-after trainer and executive coach, having presented at TEDx events. Wendy's extensive corporate background includes significant roles such as Executive Director at European Times, Director of Sales and Marketing at CNBC and Forbes Africa, Chief Revenue Officer at Trudon South Africa, and Director of TDS Namibia.
A seasoned business leader and entrepreneur with over 24 years of experience in strategic leadership, portfolio management, and operational excellence across the financial services and FMCG sectors, Mpume's career began through a prestigious banking learnership and advancing to Regional Head roles at Absa Private Bank, Bidvest Bank and Standard Banks, followed by a diversion to A Finance Director Role for Unilever Africa.
After a successful corporate journey, she pivoted to pursue her entrepreneurial aspirations, focusing on investment opportunities in mining, ICT, renewable energy, and manufacturing. Mpume remains actively engaged in women and youth empowerment initiatives across Africa. Mpume holds several board positions, including at Richards Bay Coal Terminal and Junior Achievement South Africa, where she supports youth entrepreneurship development at both high school and tertiary levels.
Her previous leadership roles include 1st Vice President and Board Member of the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Regional Chairperson of the Businesswomen's Association of South Africa. With qualifications in finance, marketing, and executive leadership from leading institutions, Mpume is also a distinguished fellow and Advisor and Coach at How Women Lead which is a Women Leaders global network based in San Francisco’s Silicon Valley. Beyond her professional achievements, Mpume values her role as a mother to two teenagers, from whom she continues to draw inspiration and life lessons.
Mpumelelo “Mpumi” Mhlongo is a South African Paralympic sprinter and long jumper whose story embodies the spirit of resilience, excellence, and boundless possibility. Born with Amniotic Band Syndrome (ABS) and a clubfoot, Mpumi defied medical expectations to become a two-time Paralympian, multiple world record holder, and global ambassador for hope and human potential.
Competing in the T44 classification, Mpumi has rewritten the history books of para-athletics. He holds world records in the 100m, 200m, and long jump, maintaining an unbeaten streak in major competitions for over a decade. At the 2024 Paris Paralympics, he made history once again — winning gold in the 100m T44 (South Africa’s first medal of the Games) and bronze in the 200m T64, shattering yet another world record. His achievements earned him the Shield of Jove, South Africa’s highest sporting honour, presented by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Beyond the Paralympic stage, Mpumi is the reigning world champion in the 100m T44 from both the 2023 Paris and 2024 Kobe World Para-Athletics Championships. His dominance in track and field has been recognised with numerous accolades, including being named South Africa’s Sportsman of the Year with a Disability for two consecutive years (2024 and 2025) at the African Union Sports Council Region 5 Annual Sports Awards.
But Mpumi’s brilliance extends beyond the track. He is a doctoral candidate in Chemical Engineering at the University of Cape Town, specialising in waste-to-energy conversion — a field that bridges science, sustainability, and innovation. In recognition of his academic and social leadership, he was listed among the Mail & Guardian’s Top 200 Young South Africans and News24’s 100 Young Mandelas in 2019. He also received the 2020 Western Cape Ministerial Commendation Award for outstanding contributions to sport and community upliftment.
In 2022, Mpumi became an Investec-sponsored athlete, a partnership that symbolises his alignment with Investec’s ethos of “out of the ordinary” performance and purpose. As he continues his journey of excellence, Mpumi represents more than athletic prowess — he stands as a beacon of African excellence, global innovation, and the transformative power of perseverance.
James Lonsdale plays an integral role within the SPAR Sustainability Team, bringing a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the organisation. He holds a master’s degree in agriculture from the University of Pretoria, in addition to a Diploma in Business Management. James currently resides in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, and began his professional journey in the agricultural sector in 1990.
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His early career saw him working for Westfalia in Limpopo, a global leader renowned for its proficiency in avocados and other fresh produce. After dedicating twelve years to primary agriculture, James transitioned into the Agri-processing industry, where he served as Managing Director of a fruit processing business based in Gauteng.
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James joined SPAR in 2004 and has since fulfilled several roles focused on fresh produce procurement. In 2018, he assumed the position of Group Sustainability Manager. In this capacity, James has been instrumental in the development and implementation of SPAR’s decarbonisation strategy. Furthermore, he has actively promoted the circular economy in packaging and food production, whilst ensuring the sustainable and responsible sourcing of SPAR products and ingredients.
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One of James’ most significant achievements has been his dedicated work on the SPAR Rural Hubs initiative. This programme tackles the considerable challenges faced by small-scale farmers seeking access to formal retail markets. Working in collaboration with GLOBALG.A.P, James and his team established and rolled out the SPAR localg.a.p capacity-building food safety programme. This initiative has successfully empowered small-scale farmers to participate in formal retail value chains, a space traditionally dominated by large-scale commercial operations.
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On a personal level, James has been married for thirty-six years and is the proud father of two children. His son is employed in the food and beverage industry in Pretoria, while his daughter works as a food safety auditor in the United Kingdom. Outside of work, James is an outdoor enthusiast who cherishes time spent with family, friends, and his two basset hounds. He is also an avid reader with a broad interest in various subjects and enjoys expressing his creativity as a home chef, finding relaxation in culinary pursuits.
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Dr Verhaeghe serves on various boards where innovation, tech start-up investment and entrepreneurship play an important role. She has co-founded the Research Institute for Innovation and Sustainability (RIIS), The SA Innovation Summit (SAIS) and ANZA Capital as well as Anza Fund Manager. She led a very successful Fund 1. She is an active angel investor. Anza Fund manager is actively raising a debt and an equity Fund and work with various HNWI clients interested in Venture Capital. She spearheaded the commercialisation of the SA Innovation Summit as a Southern African Institution and impacted the innovation eco system of South Africa. Her vision is to raise multiple formal funds to support scaling enterprises over the next 10-15 years across Africa.
Website: www.riis.co.za and www.innovationsummit.co.za and www.anza.com
Clive is the former Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Accenture South Africa, he has 28 years
management consulting experience. During his tenure at Accenture (formally Arthur Anderson and Anderson Consulting), he played numerous leadership roles, including Managing Director of Accenture’s Technology business as well as Managing Director of Accenture's Resources business. Since being promoted to partner in 1997, Clive led sales for various divisions including SAP, Resources and Accenture’s Technology business, cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset which helped grow Accenture into one of the top emerging markets globally.
In 2014, Clive founded and was the CEO of Kalon Venture Partners, a disruptive digital technology Venture Capital Fund (VCC). Clive recently resigned from Kalon Venture Partners to set up a new fund. Clive sat on all the boards of the VCC’s underlying companies including chairman of many of the companies. He also plays an active role as a trusted advisor to the venture capital industry in South Africa.
Clive also advises a number of other technology businesses and helped them grow into global businesses.
In January, 2024, Clive and another co-founder founded a new Venture Capital company, Conducive Capital. Conducive Capital aims to raise USD50 million to invest in growth and early stage capital in innovative technology startups in South Africa and Africa.
During his Accenture and subsequent entrepreneurial career, he modeled and studied
hundreds of successful businesses, both corporate and entrepreneurial, to understand and learn the skills and tools that differentiates successful people and businesses from the rest. He also learnt many of his teachings from being exposed to some of the top salespeople, entrepreneurs and business coaches across the globe.
Clive leverages these experiences, tools and best practices to mentor and support many start-ups, small and medium size entrepreneurial businesses do real transformation in; marketing, sales, communication, leadership, teaming, operations, etc. to achieve step change improvements in their business's performance. He is currently applying these principles and learnings to many incubators, accelerators and educational institutions across South Africa.
 
He is also supporting numerous organizations/companies with their Entrepreneurial
Development initiatives, including, Da Vinci Institute, Endeavor (assisting high growth South African entrepreneurs), various GIBS Enterprise Development initiatives, Microsoft Bizpark Enterprise Development programme, SAB Miller Kickstart Enterprise Development programme, SAB Miller Foundation Corporate Social Investment programmes; etc.
Clive also judges numerous entrepreneurial competitions including the PWC Vision to Reality Entrepreneurial competition, Accenture Innovation Awards, EY Global Entrepreneurial awards, Da Vinci Technology 100 awards, Liberty Life ORTJET entrepreneurial awards; University of Johannesburg MBA programme entrepreneurial awards; etc.
Clive was awarded the mentor of the year by OrtJet in November, 2024. Clive mentors many early stage businesses and helps them scale.
Clive is also an Angel investor investing in some of South Africa’s most disruptive digital technologies.
 
Clive joined Arthur Anderson in 1985 (now Accenture) after graduating from the University of the Witwatersrand with a B.Sc degree in Computer Science and Applied Mathematics