Shaleenah Marie

With a foundation in education, psychology, and organisational development, a Master’s degree in coaching and behavioural change, and postgraduate qualifications in neuro-linguistic programming, Shaleenah Marie is well positioned for her current role as Siemens’ head of learning and development for Sub-Saharan Africa. Marie says the death of her father and his final words helped shape her career. “He said, ‘Where there is life, there is always hope’.” It inspired her to launch a virtual mentorship programme during Covid-19 for higher education students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

She says the nature of mentorship has changed because of digital interactions. “You can now reach far more people all over the planet, and the mentorship or training is much more personalised because feedback can be immediate. It’s a two-way interaction, instead of one person talking, and the other listening, as in a lecture hall.”