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Jennifer Reddy

Jennifer Reddy is the chief executive officer of Morar Incorporated

Jennifer Reddy

Jennifer Reddy is the current chief executive officer of Morar Incorporated. She attended the University of KwaZulu-Natal, formally University of Natal and obtained honours in accounting from the former University of Westville. She joined PricewaterhouseCoopers in Durban and completed her articles together with writing both board exams and qualifying as a chartered accountant.

Jennifer’s first job was administrative work for a family business to earn a little spending money and keep herself occupied during school holidays.

BORN TO BE A LEADER
Describing her purpose in her current position, Jennifer says that she was born to be a leader. “I believe everyone is driven by a higher power that leads us along a path. I was fortunately in the right place at the right time and within a crisis an opportunity arose, and there I found my purpose in becoming the CEO of Morar Incorporated. My purpose was to continue a legacy that was already set forth, but to embark on my very own legacy of being a leader in the financial services sector.”

One of Jennifer’s proudest moments was having her master’s thesis published by the South African Journal of Business Management (University of Stellenbosch). While this publication had no monetary value, Jennifer believes that this inclusion validated that she knew what she spoke about and that she added meaning and value to a knowledge world. “You sometimes underestimate who you are and what you’re capable of. But in years to come, I can show my children and their children that I am a published author.”

In addition, Jennifer received a top student award in that year from Nick Binedell for his subject, Strategy and General Management.

The best advice that Jennifer has received was when she embarked on a six-month journey of self-discovery and self-development on an in- augural leadership course for women held by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA). This course enabled her to regain confidence in herself.

“After I had two kids, I was trying to figure out who I was. What should I be in the world? The trainer told me something simple: Have you ever just asked for what you want? In a nutshell, it was just me asking my stakeholders – my husband and my employer – will you be OK if I start this journey of self-discovery? And everyone came to the party – and they ended up being my greatest supporters.”

EMOTIONAL JOURNEY
The biggest challenge Jennifer has faced was when she assumed the role of CEO of Morar Incorporated. With that position came many issues as her mentor of 13 years suddenly passed on.
“I had to face the emotional journey of trying to be strong for my employees and for my fellow directors. Very few people understood there was an emotional side to what I was going through. I was just as lost as the other people in the company. We were employing over 120 people at that point. The hardest part was getting the self-belief that I had the grit, resilience, and stamina to carry the company forward. I had been managing the business, so I knew what had to be done.”

Jennifer found the strength within herself and navigated her team through this time of loss by demonstrating to them that within a crisis comes opportunity. In addition, she said that she had incredible people supporting and believing in her, which gave her much comfort as she needed to believe in herself.

“We are moving forward, everything goes on. We are going to greater heights and digging deep. We were able to find it in ourselves to take ourselves to the next level,” commented Jennifer.

HIERARCHY OF NEEDS
Businesses such as Morar Incorporated are very much male dominated, with many personalities at play, which can cause conflicts and obstacles. In dealing with these challenges, Jennifer says that she always goes back to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. “Everyone needs something. Everyone needs to feel something. As leaders we need to understand what our people need to keep them motivated.”

While monetary value plays a significant role in professional careers, people want to feel valued most. Jennifer explained that it’s small things like remembering people’s birthdays, giving them a personal call or a card, and celebrating moments of achievement when they did well on a project that are important. “It’s making them that feel they are contributing to us moving forward, making them feel part of the team, and making them understand that no one is better than anyone else. We all are working together.”

SILVER LINING
Jennifer finds her own inspiration in learning about people’s journeys. This inspiration applies especially to those who come from the humble beginnings and who have built everything they have around them.

She explained, “When they speak to you, you feel the wealth of their knowledge, empathy, and compassion. Also, the stamina and the resilience they had to show in their lives to get to where they are. It’s the leaders who didn’t come from generational wealth. It’s the leaders who self-made their businesses, who saw opportunities and were brave enough to take risks.”

While Morar Incorporated has gained traction within South Africa and across borders, Jennifer would like to grow their international footprint larger. “I believe in the next five years Morar Incorporated will be a name that’s recognised with quality and excellence. I believe we are as competitive as any other company in this market, and we’ll be renowned as leaders in our field.”

In conclusion, said Jennifer, “My motto is quite simple: ‘Within every crisis lies an opportunity’, and it is for you to see the silver lining.”

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