Yellowwood has announced the appointment of Refilwe Maluleke as their Managing Director, effective 1 of January 2018.
Maluleke joined the Yellowwood team as Strategy Director in January 2016 and has been involved in a number of key marketing strategy projects both in South Africa and across the continent across Telco, Financial Services and Technology sectors. She is a skilled marketer with significant experience working across multiple brands and geographies.
“It’s a privilege to lead this talented and eclectic group of people. At Yellowwood, we are committed to helping our clients build sustainable businesses by becoming better for their customers, not just better than their competitors,’’ says Maluleke.
She began her career at Unilever where she joined the Asia, Africa, Middle East and Turkey (AAMET) brand team on the Flora, Rama, Stork and Mrs Balls portfolio. The mix of brands allowed her to build her capability in developing winning strategies and building local relevance into global brands in sub-Saharan Africa.
In 2010 she moved to SABMiller, now ABInBev, where she worked on Hansa Pilsener, for five years. Her time there included work on strategy, sponsorship and communication for Hansa Pilsener.
Maluleke has a Business Science degree with Honours in Marketing from the University of Cape Town. She recently completed her MBA with distinction at Cass Business School in London.
“Refilwe’s new appointment marks a very exciting time for our organization as we embark on a new and highly ambitious geographic expansion plan. Her character mirrors our company values of Bravery, Humanity and Originality and these qualities, as well as her experience will be integral to us delivering successfully,’’ says David Blyth, Yellowwood CEO.
Founder and Chairman, Andy Rice states: “Since first working with Refilwe when she was at SABMiller, I've always thought that she would make an excellent member of the Yellowwood team, as she clearly has the kind of "Unconventional Wisdom" that we promise our clients. Now, to have her not just on board, but leading Yellowwood as managing director as well, is hugely exciting.”