Group Executive Business And Legal Affairs
Johannesburg Area, South Africa
I oversaw the development of the in-house legal function of the eMedia Group and –• provided comprehensive commercial in house legal support and advice in respect of privately-negotiated transactions and investments undertaken by the entities within the eMedia, Seardel and Longkloof group of companies (“Group”); • monitored public policy and legislative developments relevant to the Group and engaging policy developers and enforcement/regulatory agencies (BCCSA and SAMRO);• provided business affairs and commercial advice generally for the Group; • oversaw divestitures and acquisitions within the Group;• chaired disciplinary hearings; • general corporate and commercial legal advice.Within 4 months of joining Emedia, I was appointed by the CEO and CFO of eMedia as acting General Manager of eBotswana. eBotswana is a the largest privately owned free to air television broadcaster in the Republic of Botswana, where she managed a team of 40. I was initially tasked with liquidating the business, which would have cost eMedia close to P500 000 (as well as a public relations problem), but discerned that the business, being an iconic brand had crippled by the numerous management shifts, a failed strategy to expand nationally, a lack of unit leadership, inadequate capital investment, as well as numerous human resource issues. I convinced the CEO and CFO of e.tv to not liquidate the business but sell the business and enter into a license deal with the investor. The deal generated R3 million Rand for eMedia as well as a license deal worth, at the time, R5 million.