Brand Pretorius

Brand Pretorius’ talks on ‘servant leadership’ have provided invaluable insights for the hundreds of corporate audiences he has addressed as a celebrity speaker.

His book “In the Driving Seat – Lessons in Leadership” became the most popular business biography in South Africa in 2013 and it has been reprinted five times.

He attained his M.Com in Business Economics in 1972 and started his career at Toyota South Africa the next year. Following a number of management positions, he was appointed Managing Director of Toyota SA Marketing in 1988. Under his leadership Toyota became the leader in both market share and customer satisfaction. In March 1995 he joined McCarthy Motor Holdings as Chairman and CEO and was promoted to CEO of the holding company, McCarthy Retail Limited, in October 1999.

It is widely acknowledged that Brand played a pivotal role in turning McCarthy around after it was declared technically insolvent. He retired as CEO of McCarthy and as an executive director of its controlling shareholder Bidvest on 2011.

Brand has received numerous national marketing, motor industry and leadership awards including ‘Marketing Person of the Year’, ‘Automobile Man of the Year’ and ‘Boss of the Year’. He holds honorary professorships at the Universities of Johannesburg, Pretoria and the Free State and an honorary doctorate in marketing from the Durban University of Technology. Brand is a Fellow in Leadership at GIBS.

He serves on the board of  the READ Educational Trust, is vice-chairman of Business Against Crime South Africa and the National Ambassador for the Valued Citizens Initiative, as well as of the acclaimed ‘Rally to Read’ corporate social responsibility programme which he founded in 1998.

Brand serves as non-executive director on the boards of Africum, Agrinet, Tongaat Hulett, Reunert, Italtile, Metair and Tata Africa Holdings. He is also a member of the advisory boards of the Motor Industry Ombudsman of South Africa and the international consultancy firm Alexander Proudfoot.

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"'I have listened to Brand many times, over many years, speaking on leadership, management and business lessons. I hope to listen to him for many more years. His vast marketing and executive experience at the most senior levels in corporate SA have provided him with insights that have to be shared. This he does with consummate ease and is always perfectly prepared'.

Russell LoubserJohannesburg Stock Exchange

"Brand Pretorius has remarkable insights into all aspects of business, in addition to his passion for marketing and marketing strategy. His integrity, sense of humour and deep commitment to his country ensure that he is a powerful presenter and communicator about the important ideas that business in South Africa desperately needs. His public speaking abilities are exceptional, and whenever I have the opportunity to hear him, I do so."

Professor Nick BinedellGordon Institute of Business Science

"Brand is an eloquent speaker who captures the audience's full attention and we, at Al Baraka Bank, consider ourselves very fortunate in having had Brand address our head office management and staff on two occasions on service excellence and marketing. In his most charming and entertaining but yet factual manner, Brand kept us all captivated as he related us with tales drawn from his vast pool of experience and knowledge, the very essence of what marketing and service excellence really means in the workplace. Brand's experience in the field of customer service has been instrumental in imparting motivational tips to our staff and he is always receptive and encourages questions and discussions at the end of his speech to allow the audience to present their views, making him also an excellent listener".

Shabir ChohanAl Baraka Bank

"In 2008 Brand Pretorius addressed our Annual Partner & Director Meeting on the subject of leadership. He left a message so inspirational, that three years later we still make reference to it. Without a single piece of paper in front of him, Brand spoke for a solid hour, captivating 300 of the brightest minds in Deloitte. His insights on leadership, courage in challenging times and the integrity of leaders in the 21st century had a profound impact on our audience. For me, it was certainly one of the most memorable presentations I have ever heard. We were most honoured to have Brand share his wisdom, which has inspired us to embrace the call for positive leadership in our firm and our country."

Grant GelinkDeloitte Southern Africa

'Brand Pretorius is a highly accomplished public speaker who engages his audience with sincerity and eloquence; inspires them with knowledge and insight; and moves them to action with conviction and authenticity. Anyone who has ever spoken publicly will be in awe of his easy presentation style, and his ability to impart decades of experience and wisdom as an acknowledged leader in various settings and situations.'

Mark LambertiMassmart Holdings

"You had a profound effect on us, and I receive daily emails and phone calls from my colleagues about your thought-provoking comments. You were particularly relevant for where we are in our turnaround, with many people cracking under the strain of the constant pressures - and your recommendation to touch the heart before asking for a hand reminded many of us of how to treat our staff."

Annabel BeanEDCON

" Brand Pretorius, an opinion maker and an opinion leader, an expert in the Auto Retail Industry, a Leader with profound natural ability, all enhanced by an incredible and energising public speaking ability. Brand falls into the category of being a true, rare legend in each of these fields. Every engagement I have had with Brand, as well as every presentation has not only been a source of knowledge, but also a source of inspiration."

David PowelsVolkswagen South Africa

"The feedback we have received from Hollardites has been overwhelming - you really touched people with your genuiine, humble and wise message. It should not be surprising, but it is quite remarkable how your perspective on inspirational leadership directly supports the culture we strive to inculcate amongst our leaders."

Nic KohlerHollard

"It has been a long time since I have been this impressed by a South African business speaker. Brand has a wonderfully understated way of doing everything and this includes the way he delivers a public talk. You cant fake sincerity, experience or gravitas and he has these qualities in bucket loads. He kept a large business audience glued to their seats as he recounted his business experiences, both good and bad, and shared his life and business lessons. We would definitely recommend Brand Pretorius as a speaker for any discerning audience.

Mike Shamfor Finweek Business Breakfasts