Palesa Madumo and Tshepo Sefotlhelo take the helm at Vuma Reputation Management

Two years after a change in ownership, South African public relations consultancy Vuma Reputation Management has announced a change in its senior leadership. Palesa Madumo and Tsehpo Sefotlhelo take over as joint CEOs at the firm to replace incumbent CEO Janine Hills.

Vuma was established in 2005, and has grown into a successful public and reputation management firm. The firm’s services include media training, stakeholder management and crisis communication, among others. In 2017, the firm underwent a change in ownership to improve its compliance status with the B-BBEE framework.

Janine Hills, who founded the company in 2005, has now stepped down from her position as CEO. Hills is a former executive in the hospitality sector and has also worked for telecom giants Vodacom in the past. Her goal with Vuma was to leverage her nearly three decades of experience to helo firms across South Africa with managing challenging economic scenarios.

Now, Hills believes it is time for her to step down from her position at the helm. She will be replaced by Palesa Madumo and Tshepo Sefotlhelo, who will act as joint CEOs. Madumo holds a degree in Management from Stellenbosch University and has over 15 years of professional experience.

She has communications consultancy experience, and has been the Head of Group Communications at Business Connexion. Sefotlhelo is also a highly experienced professional, having worked in the media relations domain for a number of years, including at Ogilvy public Relations.

He was a Business Director at Ogilvy, and will now take over at CEO. He holds a degree in marketing from the University of Johannesburg. As the new CEOs take over, Hills will remain on the board of Vuma, where she will continue to play an active role in organisational decisions.

“A good leader knows when to pass the baton to the next generation of leadership. It is time for the Executive Directors to take over and I am confident that they are well equipped to take Vuma Reputation Management to greater heights,” said Hills.

“We would like to thank Janine for her vision, leadership and confidence in our capabilities to lead Vuma following her years at the helm. This is a great example of what can be achieved through a true commitment to transformation. Having been in the business for years, Palesa and I have the skills and experience to scale the company and ensure its sustainability into the future,” added Sefotlhelo.

Madumo said of her promotion, “Working off an excellent foundation makes our roles - to continue providing excellent service to our valued clients and stakeholders and ensuring that the organisation has skilled and happy people working in it, an exciting prospect.”