TWIMS/GIBS 2023 Leadership Seminar

The Toyota Wessels Institute for Manufacturing Studies (TWIMS) and the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) have been working in close partnership on the development and delivery of the unique GIBS Manufacturing MBA since 2019, with 96 graduates of the programme to date. The specialized programme and the wonderful campus facilities have been generously supported the Toyota South Africa Educational Trust. The trust also funds the Manufacturing Ambassador Scholarship to support the mandate of TWIMS, which is to develop manufacturing management capability for the benefit of South Africa and the African continent.

As part of this ongoing partnership, TWIMS and GIBS would like to invite you to attend their jointly hosted 2023 Manufacturing Leadership Seminar on Tuesday 7th November 2023 from 15h00-17h00.

“Rebuilding Better Together” – Leadership lessons from Toyota South Africa Motor’s flood recovery

For this seminar, we are grateful to have Andrew Kirby, President and CEO of Toyota SA Motors and Sunday Times 2022 Business Leader of the Year, talk about leading the recovery of Toyota SA Motors after the devastation suffered from the flooding in KwaZulu-Natal in April 2022. When the 87-hectare Toyota SA Motors site in Prospecton was submerged in mud, the parent company, Toyota Motor Corporation, acknowledged this as the most extensive damage to any facility in Toyota globally. Kirby and his team had to resuscitate the damaged plant and the disrupted supply chain to ensure the sustainability of 8000 employees and the network of stakeholders who depend on Toyota SA Motors. Contrary to expectations, Andrew and the team managed to restore the plant to full production levels in a remarkable period of 4 months. Andrew will share the leadership challenges experienced in this crisis and reflect on the personal and organisational lessons learnt about resilience and thriving in deeply disruptive times.

In June 2023 Andrew was appointed to serve on the National Logistics Crisis Committee, a government and business led initiative aimed at addressing the rail, port and road crises currently undermining growth and job creation in South Africa. The theme of “Rebuilding Better Together” and leading in crisis has resonance for all leadership in South Africa.

Professor Louise Whittaker, Deputy Dean of the Gordon Institute of Business Science, will lead the discussion and unpack the lessons after Andrew has shared his insights.

Kindly note that this event is by invite only.