This month, South Africa had the honour of hosting the CEO Global Awards in Sandton and Midrand. The three-day event is one of the most prestigious in the business sphere, with CEOs from around Africa and the world invited to attend a symposium and gala dinner event to celebrate the successes of the men and women leading some of the world’s most influential businesses.
On behalf of the SAACI Board and all SAACI members, it gives me great pleasure to congratulate SAACI CEO, Adriaan Liebetrau, on being selected as the 2015 Global Titans’ Nation Builder of the year in Tourism and Leisure for Africa. Since his appointment as SAACI CEO in 2014, Adriaan has been able to grow SAACI and the business events industry to new heights as a result of his extensive industry experience and intimate knowledge of the association, its roles and strategic plan. We are honoured that Mr Liebetrau has won this most illustrious accolade, after winning awards in the South African and Southern African Development Community (Country and Regional) Tourism and Leisure sector CEO Global Titans – Building Nations Awards 2015. Even his inclusion in the African continental finals is truly a testament to the fact that SAACI is taking the lead in the business events sector and adding meaningful value to an industry that is growing so rapidly, as well as creating lasting opportunities for many.
Mr Liebetrau himself says, “The awards have been an amazing journey. It’s made all the long days with late nights, the no weekends, short working holidays and many more sacrifices all worthwhile. I’m sure that these awards will open many doors for me and the association as a whole in the near future. I am grateful to everyone who believed in me who pushed and motivated me to constantly improve my “game” – this is not just my awards, it’s our awards!” He has repeatedly emphasised that SAACI’s efforts are collective, with a major focus on the value of the team being behind the organisation’s stellar successes, especially recently.
We are immensely proud of the achievements of Mr Liebetrau and SAACI as a whole under his leadership. Our organisation is on a clear path to not only meet, but exceed our targets for growth this year. With the theme, “With Knowledge, It’s Possible” becoming a deeply significant and concrete effort that has borne fruit in so many ways. The Global CEO Awards are a culmination of all of our efforts, which would not have come to fruition without truly excellent leadership. We applaud Mr Liebetrau and his entire leadership team on this momentous achievement, and we look forward to his continued service with our organisation.
