My mother — when I was four years old, my father passed away in a diving accident. I had a nine-year-old sister and my mother was five months pregnant with my baby brother. I cannot fathom the amount of strength it must have required for her to get up each morning and take care of us. Despite her own challenges and our family’s financial struggles, she always prioritised our education and gave us the freedom to pursue our dreams, no matter what they were. This gave us the security, stability and confidence we needed to succeed in life, and I will forever be grateful to my mother for her sacrifices — many of which I will never know the full extent of. Our Group CEO, Leana De Beer — I will never forget the first time I had to create a departmental budget as a newly appointed manager and had absolutely no idea what I was doing. Leana sat with me for eight hours straight in front of our laptops with an Excel spreadsheet and helped me create a detailed budget, one line item at a time. This marked the beginning of a valuable mentorship journey in which she has never wavered in her support of my growth, upskilling and advocacy. Her mentorship was instrumental in my appointment as CEO, and she continues to offer valuable strategic guidance to this day. Other mentors — I would also like to acknowledge Nyasha Njela, director at Revolutionise International; Damian Chapman, director at Money Advice Trust; Joachim Jacobs, director at UWC HIV & AIDS Programme (deceased); Megan September, director of Zion Ministries; and Chantel Cooper, CEO of The Children’s Hospital Trust. Their candour, humour and mentorship have helped shape me into someone who leads with purpose, generosity and empathy.