iX Teacher Spotlight — Lebogang Poonyane — Management Consulting 2020.

"As with most industries, the fourth industrial revolution will require that Management Consultants adapt to various environments and situations rapidly, because their clients will be faced with changes (brought about by the fourth industrial revolution) that most will not be ready or equipped for." – Lebogang Poonyane

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• Lebogang's Management Consulting career began at McKinsey & Company's South Africa office where he worked on Private Equity and Strategy-related projects across the African continent. Currently, he's working on building a Private Equity fund in Johannesburg, focused on mid-sized growth businesses. He also trains McKinsey & Company consultants across the continent on interviewing candidates for the global firm – so is ideally positioned to help his students nail the big interview stuff. Oh, and he's a massive Jay-Z fan, a trait he attributes to his past life as a DJ. Get to know more about this operator, adventurer, and now our Management Consulting teacher.

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Lebogang Poonyane, iXperience Management Consulting Head Instructor

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[Audio clip from Lebogang]: My background, and what to expect from this program

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More Q&A with Lebogang:

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What are you working on now?

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• I am building a Private Equity fund focused on mid-sized businesses that need strategic direction, funding and enhanced access to markets. I am also currently working on building the strategy for a FinTech business, whose focus is to expand access to banking type services for underserved BOP customers across the African continent.

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What do you enjoy most about the Management Consulting industry?

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1. Solving complex problems for clients and serving others.
2. Continuous and rapid personal development.
3. Exposure to varied industries and sectors.

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Why did you decide to get involved with teaching and how do you continue to keep things fresh?

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I love teaching. I loved being a Management Consultant, especially the problem-solving element of it. I also believe that the most noble act that one can do for society is to educate others. So I decided to combine my love for problem-solving and teaching with what I believe to be the most noble of human endeavors.

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What are you most looking forward to about iXperience this summer?

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• I am looking forward to meeting, learning from, and working with people from various
  backgrounds.

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How do you see the Management Consulting industry changing in the next year to five years? What skills will consultants need to have?

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As with most industries, the fourth industrial revolution will require that Management
Consultants adapt to various environments and situations rapidly, because their clients
will be faced with changes (brought about by the fourth industrial revolution) that
most will not be ready or equipped for. Therefore, good consultants will need to
learn how to learn and problem solve much faster in situations that are new and
unfamiliar to their clients and the firms that employ them.

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What skills will iX students have after graduating from your class?

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I hope that students will have developed a solid consulting toolkit and the confidence to
tackle any business problem that may be presented to them.‍

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What’s one piece of advice that you have for the iX class of 2020?

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Stay super curious and tenacious. This will be a thrilling ride.

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What would students be surprised to learn about you?

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I used to be a club DJ and am a huge 90’s Hip Hop fan. I am an adventurer and love mountains, running, skydiving and even bungee jumping. I'm also training for my first Iron Man in November 2019, and am very afraid.

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What are your ‘desert island’ books or movies?

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Movies - Bad Boys 1 and 2. I'm really looking forward to 3. And getting into Marvel.
Books - I try to read broadly, but mostly enjoy books on Philosophy, African literature and strategy (told in story form). Currently reading (a) Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Laif Babin and (b) Becoming by Michelle Obama.