Verity Hawarden

Profile

Verity is a professional associate at GIBS where she is involved in international and local action learning coaching, leadership development facilitation and coaching, programme integration, case study writing and supervision of MBA research. She has also assisted GIBS with: programme design, external exam moderation, lecturing to local and visiting international MBA students on ‘HIV/AIDS Policy and Strategy’ and lecturing on ‘Coaching for Performance’.

In addition, Verity acts as consultant for Thornhill Associates, a web-based multi-rater feedback system. She is also a partner in Abbellard Business Innovation, a company specialising in women’s leadership development.

Verity has assisted the SHRA (social housing regulatory authority) with the assessment of annual business plans from social housing institutions.

Previously, Verity was co-CEO of a travel management company, a position she held for over six years. She was responsible for all aspects of general management: strategy and administration, human resources, finances and budgets, customer and supplier relationships and information technology. Verity played a significant role in turning the business around in the 2001 financial year. Prior to this, Verity consulted independently for four years in IT and accounting positions before which she was employed by the Edgars Group for a period of over three years. Here she was moved between the management functions of operations and personnel, as well as spending some time in a departmental assistant planning position.

Responsibilities

Professional associate

Consulting Involvement

• Debriefing of 360 feedback tools (at GIBS and also directly with Thornhill clients);
• Debriefing of leadership tools/interventions on many GIBS programmes in both executive education and in company specific programmes;
• Individual coaching;
• Coaching of action learning teams (Gold Reef Resorts, UNICEF, Namib Mills Investments, MTN, GIBS SECP delegates, Standard Bank Women’s Leadership Programme); and
• Verity has worked with the following clients: Bankseta, Bowman Gilfillan, Comair, FRSTIA, Gold Reef Resorts, HP, Implats, Microsoft, Momentum, MTN, Namib Mills Investments, Rotterdam School of Management, SASOL, UNICEF.

Significant Achievements

• Has completed the Comrades Marathon
• Volunteers as a reader for Tape Aids for the Blind ​

Qualifications

• MBA (GIBS)
• PGDip (Business Administration) (Wits Business School)
• BA (UKZN)

Fields of Interest

• General management