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Sizakele Marutlulle is renowned for blending her extensive leadership experience with her deeply personal journey as a Black African woman navigating complex corporate and societal structures. Founder and CEO of Marutlulle and Co and Director of Global Engagement for GIBS Business School, Sizakele draws upon her lived experiences to advocate for racial equity, authenticity, and inclusive leadership. Her compelling talks cover a wide array of topics, including Leadership, Culture, Resilience, Complex Problem Solving, Teamwork, Innovation, Humancentric Creativism, The New F-word: Fentrepreneurship, and Liberation: Embracing Authenticity and Curiosity Amid Chaos. Central to her message is the urgent need to dismantle systemic barriers and amplify silenced voices within organisations and society.
Sizakele’s career trajectory is a testament to her resilience and visionary leadership. She began her ascent in 1998 as Managing Director of Lowe BCP & Partners, followed by her role as Deputy Managing Director at HerdBuoys McCann-Erickson in 2000. Her talents quickly propelled her into key leadership positions, including Chief Operating Officer of South African Tourism in 2005 and Founder and CEO of MOONCHILD in 2007. By 2011, she was CEO of Grey, a global advertising agency, before becoming Chief Marketing Officer at Barclays in 2012. Her career reflects not only exceptional professional accomplishments but also her ability to navigate and challenge the racial and gender inequalities embedded in many corporate environments.
In recent years, Sizakele’s thought leadership has gained significant recognition. She hosted the Future Readiness with Za podcast and authored two impactful books: Winning Strategy Simplified and Creativity is a Currency that Matters. She has been a sought-after speaker on global platforms, including the Futuremakers Forum, the UN Women Office, the Digital Transformation Conference by LeaderEx, and the Government Institutions Pension Fund event in Namibia.
Organisations hire Sizakele for her unique ability to blend strategic business insights with authentic storytelling that confronts racial inequity head-on. Her speaking topics dissect the multifaceted nature of leadership and resilience in the face of systemic oppression, offering practical frameworks for dismantling barriers and fostering truly inclusive cultures. With her extensive expertise, lived experience, and fearless voice, Sizakele empowers audiences to embrace authenticity, challenge bias, and drive sustainable change.
Sizakele Marutlulle is regularly booked to engage audiences at events, read their latest feedback below:
“Dr Sizakele Marutlulle took on the difficult task of working with a diverse team spanning generations, experience and outlooks. Sizakele and her team are the epitome of professionalism and was able to invigorate the team to more clearly articulate what we stand for.”
“Dr. Sizakele M. What a joy it was to have you join us at our MTN Brand Stewardship Forum 2022! Firstly, we feel like we know your mom. Thank you for being so open, engaging and insightful. You gave us so many gems, but you had me when you said, “the goodness must be baked in.” Thank you for challenging us.”
“Sizakele was an absolute pleasure to work with. She brought both a calming presence and an excellent energy to our physical activity webinar. Not only did she seamlessly manage the flow between multiple speakers, she also added her own relevant insights and had fantastic rapport with the speakers, which ensured that it was a professional event.”
“Sizakele was a pleasure to work with as one of the expert speakers presenting at our conference. She quickly understood the brief, target audience and outcomes we were hoping to achieve and shaped her presentation to deliver against this. Sizakele is one of a kind, her style and approach is so effective at connecting with the audience her presentation will be difficult to forget. It is rare to find a speaker that connects what they say with how it is delivered which has a powerful impact for those listening.”
The BAME Speakers Agency has been one of the UK’s leading bureaus for Black, Asian and minority ethnic speakers since 2020. We supply speakers for corporate and public events across the world, and cater to both in-person occasions and online webinars.
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