EICN Africa in-person event: Always Look On The Dark Side Of Life

Event Details

The world of the past three years has been characterised by risk, disruption and challenging times. Looking back over a decade, one would have struggled to predict the Great Financial Crisis, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the current geopolitical risk seen today. Looking ahead, South Africa faces a potential new dawn with new political parties at the helm, some with vastly differing ideologies. At the same time, business leaders need to be able to possess the requisite ability to navigate these crises with agility and foresight, undoubtedly a difficult task.

In this informative session, we invite you to join us as we interact with fellow C-suites and collaborate to develop dark scenarios, and then plan for business contingency planning, and develop strategies that will ensure business survives and thrives when dark times hit. Learn from fellow business leaders and expert moderators, who will guide and shape the discussion to help prepare you and your team for eventualities outside the norm. This engaging event is critical for any C-suite looking to plan ahead and ensure that they have the necessary tools to maximise the situation at hand.

Please note that this event is limited to senior-level executives and per invitation only. If you are not an existing member of The Economist Intelligence Corporate Network, but would like to learn how you can attend our events, please contact us.

Speakers

Dr. Randall Carolissen
Dean at Johannesburg Business School
Dr. Randall Carolissen, a distinguished academic and leader, began his career at Firestone after completing his B.Sc. at the University of the Western Cape in 1981. He swiftly progressed in academia, achieving an MSc and Ph.D. while holding various positions at UWC and conducting groundbreaking research. Dr. Carolissen's expertise extends beyond physics, with postgraduate qualifications in finance and taxation. Notably, his tenure as Managing Director of the South African Bureau of Standards led to a significant turnaround. At SARS, he spearheaded initiatives to enhance revenue forecasting, contributing to South Africa's fiscal stability. In addition to his professional achievements, Dr. Carolissen is deeply committed to social activism, founding initiatives to support marginalized communities. Appointed as the Administrator of NSFAS in 2018, he successfully stabilized the system, earning recognition from President Cyril Ramaphosa. Currently serving as Dean of the Johannesburg Business School, Dr. Carolissen continues to lead in academia and fiscal governance.
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Sam Rolland
Director, Sub-Saharan Africa of EICN
Sam Rolland is the Network Director for Sub-Saharan Africa at EICN. He is a trained economist specialising in understanding the complexities of the global economy, and how regional issues affect domestic business. Sam advises global teams on appropriate strategies to navigate a complex world by driving agility and future-readiness.

Prior to joining the EICN, Sam spent time in both the public and private sector, first as an economist within the Economic Policy division of the National Treasury, and then as a consulting economist at Econometrix and Deloitte. During his time in the private sector, Sam specialised in analysing events and government policies to dilute these into constructing business strategies. Sam also spent time in Switzerland as an economist for airline industry body IATA.

Sam holds a masters degree in economics from Stellenbosch University, and has studied further at the Institute for Social Studies in The Hague, the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and the Levy Economics Institute of Bard College in New York state. Sam also sits on the board of the Western Cape Primary Science Programme, a non-profit organisation focusing on the improving educational outcomes in under-resourced schools in Africa.
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