Top 100 Companies bank on winners
Previous recipients have made investors wealthy
THE Sunday Times Top 100 Companies awards dinner, in association with Johnnie Walker, takes place on October 29.
Traditionally one of the business highlights, closing the calendar year, the gala dinner celebrates business leaders and companies that have brought the biggest returns to investors over the previous five years.
Looking back over the list of recent winners of the Business Leader of the Year accolade, it’s easy to see the correlation between the winners’ names and the respect they have garnered from their peers.
While the overall winner of the Top Company prize is strictly based on return figures, the business leader award is voted for by the business community and recognises true strength in executive decision-making.
Aspen Pharmacare’s group chief executive, Stephen Saad, picked up the award last year. Since then, Aspen’s share price has continued to rise, showing that true leadership skill endures. Since last November Aspen’s share price has jumped from around R16 to nearly R24. But this is a common thread among recipients of the business leader award.
In 2011 Shoprite CEO Whitey Basson came out tops, and since then the retailer’s share has climbed steadily from R12.50 to R16.50. The 2010 winner, Adrian Gore, CEO of Discovery, has presided over excellent performance from R40 to today’s mark of around R96.
Phuthuma Nhleko, winner for 2009 and CEO of MTN at the time, continued to perform before his exit, and from R115 around the time of the Top Companies event, he has watched the price rise to R194 today.
Similarly, Johann Rupert’s Richemont has leapt from R17.40 at the time of his award in 2008 to around R104 today. Brian Joffe, 2007’s winner and also recognised in 2011 as Lifetime Achiever, has also seen Bidvest’s share price almost triple to today’s R240 mark.
Saad said he truly appreciated the award, and it transcended personal benefits. “The true dividends come from your peers’ recognition of the goals we had set and by making a meaningful difference to South African society. Aspen has a global vision that assumes South Africa to be its base. This we have pursued with both perseverance and passion.
“I hope our story inspires future generations of South African entrepreneurs.”
Capitec has walked away with first place in the overall list of Top Companies twice in the past three years. On the back of the 2012 award, Carl Fischer, executive for marketing and corporate affairs, felt similarly about the award being for more than executive leadership.
“We are always pleased by these forms of recognition, but our past and future successes are simply due to our dedicated employees and the many customers who choose our bank and put their trust in the Capitec brand,” he said.