#BehindtheIMC: Musa Kalenga - "Opting into leadership, putting yourself second in service of others"
Bizcommunity, together with the Nedbank IMC Conference, will present exclusive profiles of the speakers running up to the event.
Kalenga is a technologist, marketer, brand communicator and entrepreneur. He is also the author of Ladders and Trampolines.
His entrepreneurial journey began with Monatefellaz, a youth marketing consultancy, which formed a part of Ihop World (a brand leadership group subsidiary).
After serving as the managing director at Ihop World, Kalenga went on to become the group head of digital marketing at Nedbank. Currently, he acts as the chairperson of the University of Johannesburg's School of Consumer Intelligence and Information Science.
Kalenga is a former Meta client partner for Africa, the co-founder of Bridge Labs, and has been recognised as Mail & Guardian Top 200 Young South African. He was also a member of the World Economic Forum, Johannesburg Global Shapers.
How would you describe yourself in one word?
Purposeful.
Why/how does that word reflect who you are?
I have been very aware of the impact I can have in my many worlds.
So, I believe the one thing that will keep me motivated and energised, is being purposeful.
Leadership is an opt-in exercise, in the words of Dr Alistair Mokoena. And opting into leadership is choosing to put yourself second in service of others.
What excites you the most about your industry?
It is ripe for disruption.
There is an exciting opportunity to re-invent how we have been creating work over the years. I think that means we will be more open to new mental models, new tools and technologies, and new paradigms.
What trend, for you, is important for the industry and why?
Balance and well-being.
People are the greatest assets in our industry and the way we have historically managed these assets is not great.
I think that we have a massive opportunity to take care of people better, which will help retain them in the industry and make the industry more attractive.
What gives you the most satisfaction in your work?
Providing opportunities to young people and creating a platform for marginalised communities to flourish.
What excites you about the upcoming IMC and being a speaker at the event?
There is a fabulous collection of speakers who will all have phenomenal stories for me to learn from.
I am also looking at doing something different at this IMC, so that both excites me and frightens me.
What will you be talking about at the conference, without giving away too much?
It will be a reflection of the past to imagine the next 30 years of democracy, and the next 100 years of marketing and advertising.
What is the most important lesson you have learned in your career?
Always endeavour to add more value than you extract from any situation that you may find yourself in.
Given the above what advice do you have for a young person looking to enter the industry?
Dive in – and trust that you will figure it out. The sooner you are in, the sooner you will realise if it is for you (or not).
Nedbank IMC 2024
In-person tickets to the Nedbank IMC 2024 on 19 September are sold out. Book your virtual ticket and you will automatically be added to the in-person waiting list should you wish to be upgraded if a space becomes available.
Virtual tickets are priced at R1,499 excluding VAT. For more information and to book, visit IMC.
The annual Nedbank IMC Conference is Africa’s foremost integrated marketing conference. This conference has more CMOs, senior marketers and agency leaders attending than any other in Africa and is relevant to anyone in the business of communication.
The Nedbank IMC is presented in association with MASA, in collaboration with the ACA, in partnership with the DMASA and is endorsed by the IAB.
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