Some careers are built by changing companies, while others are built by growing within one.

Nicole Harris joined Unilever as an intern, and more than two decades later, she is the Senior Marketing Manager for Robertsons Herbs & Spices. Having built her career across local and global markets, she shares the lessons that have remained constant throughout her journey: building great brands, investing in people and staying curious as the industry continues to evolve.

Nicole and Loren also chat about her journey through Unilever, what she learnt from working at the company’s global headquarters in the Netherlands, the importance of mentorship and what it takes to build a long and fulfilling career in marketing.

A practical and honest conversation filled with lessons for marketers at every stage of their career.

When Gugu Mthembu joined Telkom, the business faced a major challenge: rebuilding customer trust.

In this episode of Marketing Masterclasses, Gugu explains why this could not be achieved through advertising alone. Every part of the business needed to work together to ensure that the customer experience matched the brand promise.

She also shares her journey from information technology into marketing and how systems thinking taught her to connect the dots between customers, operations, finance and technology.

The conversation explores the evolving role of the modern CMO, how to use AI without losing originality and why creativity should be viewed as a driver of business growth.

Gugu also shares why curiosity, discipline and adaptability have shaped her career and remain essential for the next generation of marketers.

In this episode of Marketing Masterclasses, Declan sits down with Jon Hoehler, Head of Digital Content at MTN South Africa, for an open conversation about career, leadership and the experience that completely changed his perspective on both.

Jon shares his journey through stage 4 cancer and remission, and how it reshaped the way he approaches high performance, boundaries and leading with empathy. He reflects on the importance of support, protecting your time and building a successful career without losing sight of what matters outside of work.

A powerful conversation about resilience, perspective and becoming a better leader through life’s hardest moments.