PROF BENNIE ANDERSON

Ben has delivered lectures and workshops at National and International conferences regarding the following topics: learning development needs of working adults; the relevance of indigenous knowledge systems (IKS); the scholarship role of business leaders; change management; leadership development; continuous business improvement (CBI); the Assessment and Recognition of Prior Learning (ARPL); experiences of working adult learners, the changing roles for human resource professionals and women development in emerging economies.

Ben was also involved in benchmark visits to The Czech Republic, Hungary, Brazil, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Singapore, India, China, Malaysia and Australia since 2004, regarding amongst other, banking best practices, leadership development, workforce development, building relationships with labour movements and mergers between multi-national companies.

He designed, developed and implemented the Bachelor in Management Leadership (BML) Degree Programme during 1998 in South Africa and established an inter-institutional partnership agreement with the School for New Learning at the University of De Paul (USA) and the University of the Free State (South Africa).  Since 2005, he also designed and developed a Certificate in the Management of Technology and Innovation, a BCom (Business Management), a Masters in the Management of Technology and Innovation and a PhD in the Management of Technology and Innovation, as part of the educational offerings of The Da Vinci Institute.  He also designed, developed and established a fully accredited learning business unit within the FirstRand Group during the period 2001 -2005.

He has been engaged with the Global Leadership Forum since March 2004 – and has established linkages with international companies who are interested in building business partnerships with South African companies, these include Alcan, ING, ABN Amro, Pan Asia Paper and Honeywell.

He participated in the development of management and leadership exchange programmes for the financial services industry since 2001. These included visits to France (2004), Australia (2004), China (2007), Korea (2008), India (2008), South America (2008) and China (2009).

He chaired the design and implementation of the first two International Banking Conferences offered by the Financial Services Sector (BankSeta) in South Africa during 2003 and 2005. He participated in the 2002 International Banking Summer School in Scotland – June/July 2002.

He also established a business-to-business leadership exchange programme for IAG (Australia) and FNB (South Africa) during 2004, involving the development of a team of high potential candidates over a 12-month period and facilitated an international leadership exchange consortium for FNB executives during 2004/2005, including the participation of representatives from Alcan, PanAsia Paper, Honeywell and Allied Domecq.

Since the latter part of 2005, he has been involved with The Da Vinci Institute, as a shareholder and Chief Executive Officer.  Apart from offering systemic learning solutions in the management of technology, people and innovation, to corporate clients, he has also managed to secure the registration and accreditation of The Da Vinci Institute as a private higher education provider and business school in South Africa.

He has also been involved in development work with the United Nations (UNDP) regarding the development of a service excellence culture in South Africa, engaging expertise in Singapore and Malaysia since 2006, as well as research related to women development in Africa since 2008.

His involvement in establishing the corporate learning programmes for amongst others, JP Morgan, Investec, FNB, Eskom, Telkom, Altech, Altron, GMA, Gold Fields, Anglo Gold Ashanti, MTN and Frazer Alexander, ensured the offering of quality business driven action learning programmes for workers in a variety of industries across South Africa.

He was part of the Audit Committee of the Council for Higher Education between 2010 – 2015, and has been part of the CHE 20 Year review team responsible for reviewing the higher education landscape in South Africa since 1994.  He has also been part of the RPL working group of SAQA (2013) to review the role of RPL in higher education and training in future in South Africa.