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CEO of Toyota Free State Cheetahs delivers guest lecture during UFS visit

29 August 2024 | Story Anthony Mthembu | Photo Harmse Photography

The Business School at the University of the Free State (UFS) recently hosted the CEO of the Toyota Free State Cheetahs, Ross van Reenen, for a guest lecture. Van Reenen presented the guest lecture in the Business School Auditorium on the UFS Bloemfontein Campus on 21 August 2024.

Reflecting on Van Reenen’s address

In a lecture addressed to an auditorium filled with UFS staff and students, Van Reenen’s talk was divided into several sections. Firstly, he spoke about the concept of the ‘black swan’ in reference to the book written by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, titled The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable. Referring to Taleb’s book, Van Reenen defined a ‘black swan’ as a rare event that has a severe impact, and the occurrence of which people try to explain. He used some examples to explore this concept as well as its implications, including COVID-19 and its impact on the world, and the tragic death of the people in the Titanic disaster. However, he delved deeper into 9/11 and the extent of its impact, saying that “9/11 was a major wake-up call in the world economy”. Van Reenen highlighted how some companies such as Barclays, for which he previously consulted, had to work to be up and running after the collapse of the Twin Towers in 9/11.

In addition, Van Reenen’s lecture also touched on the importance of the first ninety days of a job after an individual has been employed. “Those first ninety days are crucial, as you have to establish yourself in a company where you are paid less than you are worth,” Van Reenen said. As such, he gave the audience insight into what they could focus on in that time frame. This includes focusing on the small wins, as well as ensuring that you are working at keeping the team together, as the team is an integral part of an organisation.

Van Reenen concluded his address by speaking about his time as the CEO of the Toyota Free State Cheetahs, including some of the decisions he took to ensure the success of the organisation.

News Archive

Memorial lecture: Language and language activism in a time of transformation.

2005-05-11

The Faculty of the Humanities at the University of the Free State (UFS) will present the 24th DF Malherbe Memorial Lecture on Wednesday 18 May 2005 at 19:00 in the CR Swart Auditorium on campus.

The lecture will be delivered by Proof. Hennie van Coller and Jaap Steyn and the title is “Language and language activism in a time of transformation”.

Prof van Coller is a distinguished professor and head of the Department of Afrikaans and Nederlands, German and French at UFS. Prof Van Coller has had more than 100 academic articles published in accredited journals and books; he has been author, co-author or editor of 17 books, and has delivered more than 50 lectures at conferences in South Africa and abroad. He has been awarded the Gustav Preller Prize by the SA Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns and the Elizabeth Eybers Prize. Prof van Coller was recently elected as chairperson of the Akademie.

Prof Steyn has written numerous articles in academic journals, a collection of poems, and several prose works, including Tuiste in eie taal, a study in the politics of language, and biographies of NP van Wyk Louw, MER and PJ Cillié. His work has been widely acclaimed. Among his many awards are the following from the SA Academy: the CJ Langenhoven Prize for linguistics, the Stals Prize for historiography, the NP van Wyk Louw medallion for a valuable contribution to a field of study; the Elisabeth Eybers Prize and the Eugène Marais Prize for a debut work (the volume of poems Die grammatika van liefhê).

Enquiries can be directed to Ms Joan Nel at (051) 401-9301.

Media release

Issued by: Lacea Loader

Media Representative

Tel: (051) 401-2584

Cell: 083 645 2454

E-mail: loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za

11 May 2005

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