Charles Brewer, Managing Director of DHL Sub-Saharan Africa Express, has had an impressive career of 27 years with the company and has gathered a wealth of experience.

He has held a variety of leadership roles across different functions and geographic areas, including commercial and general management positions within DHL Express USA and management positions in Asia Pacific and the UK.

His enviable track record derives from a tight focus on business performance, organisational change programmes and above all else a focus on customer and employees.

"If you get the right people, motivated to do the right things, they will invariably provide a differentiated service to the customer; customer loyalty is key," says Brewer.

He sees Sub-Saharan Africa as a growth market for DHL; with expansion of its presence on the continent and development of its customer base.

DHL, as the market leader has made significant investments over the past 10 years in Sub-Saharan Africa. In the 49 countries of the region the company employs 3 500 people, has 280 service centres, 1 250 vehicles, 17 aircraft, 25 airside facilities and five distribution hubs.

Thebe Ikalafeng is arguably one of Africa's foremost brand authorities. He has been recognised as one of the Top 10 Thinkers in Marketing in an Ipsos survey among business decision makers in Southern Africa.

He is founder of the award winning Brand Leadership Group, Brand Leadership Academy, Brand Africa and Public Sector Excellence initiatives. A Global African Thought Leader, Advisor & Author in Branding and Related Matters. He has been recognised with the award Asia Brand Congress "Global Brand Leadership" award and the Marquette University/American Marketing Association "Award for Marketing Excellence". Ikalafeng's distinguished career is highlighted by his leadership of NIKE Africa to over 75 local and global awards, including the 10 Cannes Lions and the Institute of Marketing Management's "Marketing Company of the Year" Roll of Honour and leading Brand Leadership to the Fin Week "Marketing Services Agency of the Year, 2008" and the 2011 REBRAND 100 Global Award for Effective Brand Transformations.

Ikalafeng is vice-chairman of the Brand Council of South Africa and has served on leading corporate boards and all notable industry bodies. Ikalafeng holds a BSc (Business Administration) and MBA degrees from Marquette University in the USA, completed executive leadership education in Finance at Wits Business School and Harvard Business School and is a Chartered Marketer (SA). He advices, teaches and speaks globally in commercial, political, nation and personal branding and related matters.

John Tedstrom is President and CEO of GBCHealth. John joined GBCHealth in August, 2006, and since that time has steadily expanded the organization's reach, deepened relationships with key partners and initiated important organizational reforms to make operations more cost-effective and programs more impactful.

Since John took over as Executive Director of GBCHealth in August 2006, membership has continued to grow and now includes more than 230 companies and organizations across the globe. John also led the organization's growth from an exclusive focus on HIV/AIDS to an agenda that included strong programs on tuberculosis and malaria beginning in 2007. Under John's leadership, the organization unveiled a broader public health mandate in June 2011.

John has also led the expansion of GBCHealth's geographical reach through a merger with Transatlantic Partners Against AIDS (TPAA), an organization he founded and led prior to joining GBCHealth. TPAA operated in Russia and Ukraine, two countries at significant risk for HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis. TPAA developed several highly effective programs that continue today. One of the major programs, the Russian Media Partnership (RMP), reached millions with information about HIV/AIDS and has a high success rate in spurring people to take action to know their status and protect themselves. The Russian Parliamentary Working Group on HIV/AIDS advances policy reforms relevant to public health.

John served as director for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasian Affairs for the U.S. National Security Council from 1999-2000, where he provided policy advice and strategic planning for President Bill Clinton. He also managed inter-agency coordination on priority foreign policy issues in the region, with a focus on commercial, economic, and social policy toward the Newly Independent States.

John worked for nearly a decade at the RAND Corporation as economist and senior economist. In those positions, he focused on the intersection among economics, development, and international security and he led the policy analysis work of the first presidentially - mandated National Defence Panel.

John held the Jacyk Chair at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs in 2000-2001.

Ms Nobuzwe Mangcu is the Divisional Manager: Group Corporate Affairs at Mercedes-Benz South Africa and serves as a member of the Executive Board of Directors of the company. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Natal, a SAPICS diploma (Association of Operations Management of Southern Africa), and more recently a postgraduate diploma in marketing from the University of South Africa.

Nobuzwe Mangcu joined MBSA in 2001 and has gained considerable experience in the areas of market research, marketing, sales planning and distribution, exports, and supply chain and logistics. Before her appointment to the Executive Board of Directors, she headed up the company's Supply Chain and Sales Support Division.

Michael was appointed as Executive Head of Sales for Vodacom Service Provider Company in February 2001 and as Corporate Sales Director in 2004.

He is currently Managing Executive of Vodacom Business. Vodacom Business is Vodacom's total telecommunication offering to the business market which includes S.M.E, Large Enterprises, Strategic Accounts and the Public Sector.

Vodacom Business' offering includes a host of Converged Solutions, including Mobile applications, VPN Solutions, hosting, and international carrier services.

Michael holds an International Graduate Diploma in Marketing and AEDP from the University of SA. He was asked to join the Young Presidents Association in 2002.

Michael enjoys golf, reading, and is passionate about Karate and attends Martial Arts at least three times a week; he has black belt first Dan from the Japanese karate Association.

Michael is an active member of the business community and has keen interests in social responsibility programmes and the development of managerial talent.