Schneider Electric, the global leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation and Enactus, the world’s largest global business and higher education network have partnered for a mentorship programme that will see 75 university student leaders mentored by Schneider Electric employees including key leadership team members across the Anglophone Africa region.
Launched during Schneider Electric’s GivingTuesday event, hosted at the company’s Anglophone Africa head office in Midrand, Gauteng in South Africa, the mentorship programme aligns with the Schneider Electric Foundation’s strategy to empower youth and aims to support university students to become entrepreneurial leaders, using innovation and business principles to create a better world.
Schneider Electric’s Anglophone Africa leadership team has shown their commitment to the mentorship programme with, for example, Devan Pillay, Cluster President, Ajibola Akindele, Country Manager for West Africa, and Carol Koech, Country Manager for East Africa to mentor a student each.
Speaking at the event, Pillay commented: “Mentorship holds a special place in my heart as I am a product of multiple mentorships throughout my life. Being privileged to mentor others, I’ve come to appreciate the bidirectional nature of mentorship, including the concept of reverse mentoring.
“It’s crucial to approach mentorship with purpose and intentionality. The impact you can have on someone’s life is significant, so treat it with the seriousness it deserves. Recognise the golden opportunity to make a positive impact and manage the process with diligence,” he noted.
Enactus currently operates in 33 countries which include South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Nigeria, Egypt, Ghana, Senegal, Morocco, Eswatini and Tunisia. Said Letitia de Wet, CEO of Enactus South Africa at the launch: “To make a difference in their world, our students aspire to create real change through innovation and entrepreneurship. In South Africa, for example, we are committed to fostering ownership. We look forward to our partnership with Schneider Electric and the positive impact it will make on our students.”
The Schneider Electric Enactus mentorship programme launch comes in time for International Volunteering Day which is supported by the Schneider Electric Foundation globally.
From left to right are: Carina van Zyl, Schneider Electric Foundation Delegate for Anglophone Africa, Letitia de Wet, CEO of Enactus South Africa, Devan Pillay, Cluster President, Anglophone Africa, Quintin McCutcheon, Global Marketing Director, Anglophone Africa and Nimmita Maharaj, Diversity and Transformation Director, Anglophone Africa at Schneider Electric.
