Ogilvy Johannesburg has announced Lebo Madiba as the new Managing Partner: Public Relations & Influence at the agency.
Madiba is taking over from Joanna Oosthuizen, who was promoted to Chief Operating Officer for Ogilvy South Africa in 2018.
Madiba joins Ogilvy from Etion Limited, a JSE Altx-listed, digital technology provider, where she was Group Chief Marketing Officer. In the role, she led the amalgamation of Ansys, its business unit Ansys Rail, and subsidiaries Parsec, Tedaka Network Solutions and LawTrust, under the Etion brand.
She has 20 years of experience in the communications and brand-building field. Prior to Etion, Madiba was Managing Director of PR Powerhouse, a communications and brand agency she founded in 2011 and ran until 2017, when it was in-sourced by Etion.
During her career, Madiba led three other public relations agencies – Redline, a division of FCB Africa; Chillibush PR; and GGi Communications. Her corporate experience includes the role of media specialist for FNB Internet Banking.
“I am beyond thrilled about the new role,” said Madiba. “Ogilvy is among the most respected PR agencies in the country, with an impressive client list that requires sophisticated levels of service. I can’t wait to get started, particularly now when digital transformation is driving much desired change in the industry. I’m looking forward to the challenge and to making a real difference for our clients.”
Madiba’s impressive CV includes being named among Avance Media’s 100 Most Influential Young South Africans in 2018, judging the Standard Bank Top Women Awards, and placing in the top 15 in the South African chapter of the Goldman Sachs 10 000 Women Certificate Programme for female entrepreneurs at the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS).
Madiba is passionate about the power of communications and branding to solve complex business challenges. She believes in “paying it forward” and actively mentors promising young people.
Oosthuizen said that Madiba would bring impressive industry experience, passion and proven ability to the agency. “We searched long and hard for the right person to fill this critical role, but Lebo was the stand-out among some incredibly strong candidates. I’m looking forward to working with her, and I know she will take the agency to new heights.”