Leadership changes and updates from the Marketing Association of South Africa (MASA)

MASA closed off another impactful year at its recent thirteenth Annual General Meeting, detailing important contributions to the marketing profession and industry. These include the completely overhauled Professional Marketing Designations South Africa programme, the introduction of the MAPs Products and Brands research initiative to replace AMPS, and helping to safeguard marketing self-regulation through the establishment of the new Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB). 

MASA also announced a leadership change. Current CEO, Greg Garden, who has contributed significantly to MASA and its achievements, announced that at the end of his three-year term he would be handing over the baton. Greg assured MASA of his unwavering and ongoing commitment to the association and his full support to achieve a smooth change of executive leadership.

Greg will give increased focus to leading the Marketing Research Foundation (MRF) and the MAPS project, whilst continuing to work closely with MASA into the future in full support of its purpose and goals.

To ensure continuity and business as usual, MASA announced that its current Chairman, Sechaba Motsieloa, had accepted its request to serve at an Executive level as Interim CEO to bridge any gap until the appointment of a long-term CEO. The recruitment process for a new permanent CEO will commence immediately under the guidance of Sechaba.

“MASA has grown in strength over the past three years,” says Greg. “We have a heavy-hitter Board of top marketers made up of highly recognised individual members and corporate CMO’s – the strongest in our history. As a Professional Body and Association, we have made several significant strides in terms of key deliverables to our members and the broader marketing industry.” Amongst others these include:

• The repositioning of MASA as the only SAQA recognized and approved Marketing Industry Professional Body, with Marketing Designations registered at the Strategic, Operational, and Tactical levels. MASA has established itself, based on strong governance structures, processes, and content, as one of the most credible non-statutory Professional Bodies within the South African business landscape.
• MAPS, the new marketers Brands and Products Survey has been developed by the Marketing Research Foundation (MRF) with strong direction and guidance from MASA. Subscriber funding has been raised to enable MAPS to launch at the start of 2020.  Moreover, MASA has established very positive co-operation with the Broadcast Research Council (BRC) and the Publishing and Outdoor media bodies to work towards the delivery of joint collaborative research in the interests of better and aligned and integrated data for all marketing and media stakeholders.
• MASA was foundational in protecting the critical principle of Self-Regulation in advertising and communication for the Marketing Industry.  With the regrettable demise of the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), MASA worked closely with the Association of Communications Agencies (ACA), the IAB, and other key role players to rapidly establish the new Advertising Regulations Board (ARB) which has ensured the continuity of marketer’s Self-Regulation.
• MASA continues to work on the development of a more sustainable industry funding model to support self-regulation, media, products and Brands marketing Research, and other critical and future proofing industry initiatives.

“MASA exists to elevate the professionalism of marketing and represent and protect the business interests of marketers” says Sechaba. “It has a strong and clear strategy with well-defined goals and priorities for 2020 and beyond. It is well placed to increase its impact and enhance its contribution to the marketing profession, and I call on marketers at both individual and corporate levels to become members and give MASA greater support”.

The Board of MASA comprises Sechaba Motsieloa, CMSA, Chairman, Independent Marketing Consultant | Immaculata Segooa, Deputy Chair, Head of IMC Discovery Group | Sydney Mbhele, CMSA, CE Brand, Sanlam Group | Brenda Koornneef, CMSA, Immediate past CMO Tiger Brands/Independent Marketing & Strategy Consultant | Greg Garden, CMSA, CEO | Themba ‘TK’ Khumalo, CMO South African Tourism | Martin Neethling, Business Executive Groceries, Pioneer Foods | Lethepu Matshaba, Home Care Cluster Category Vice President Africa, Unilever | Abey Mokgwatsane, Managing Executive: Brand & Sponsorships, Vodacom | Phumelela Dhlomo, CMSA, CMO GEMS | Andrea Quaye, Vice President Africa Marketing, ABInBev | Kim Thipe, Immediate past CMO SAA/Doctoral student | Celeste Burger, CMSA, Owner: Angelcy Brand Messengers | Cholofelo Obasi, CMSA, Independent Marketing Strategist – African Markets | Momin Hukamdad, Executive Director Commercial Marketing, Avon Justine SA.