Abdullah Verachia

Abdullah Verachia is a sought-after global speaker, board and EXCO advisor and practice strategist. He has served in senior executive and board roles, has crafted competitive strategies for leading companies and governments around the world, lectured at some of the top ranked business schools and built and run successful companies. Abdullah also serves on a number of boards. Abdullah fuses practice, education, insight, empathy, and experience into a beautiful tapestry that adds massive value at all levels.

He serves as the founder and CEO of The Strategists (www.thestrategists.co.za). In this role he leads a team that assists companies and organizations craft competitive future strategies and build innovation functions. He has significant expertise in strategy, innovation, and disruption - facilitates several high-level strategy sessions and breakaways for companies and governments, as well as speak globally in this area.

Abdullah has led strategy, innovation, and consulting assignments in an array of sectors including banking, mining, finance, asset management, construction, insurance, legal, audit, FMCG, telecoms, retail and automotive. He and his team have consulted and guided over 200 global multinationals, listed and non-listed firms to build disruptive, ambidextrous organizations with a focus on building present and future success. He has also built several disruptive and truly innovative companies.

He led the team that crafted the 2017 - 2030 Gauteng Economic Development Strategy with the Premier and Executive Council. He also led the 2017 Mauritius Competitiveness foresight strategy and has also played a role in assisting the Presidential State-Owned Enterprises Council (PSEC) on Governance in South Africa. Abdullah also plays a lead role on the Oxford University and Gates Foundation program on South Africa in a Digital Age.

Having presented and consulted in over 60 cities globally he has been recognized as a leading speaker, disruptor, strategist and thought leader on competitiveness and the interplay between strategy and disruption, His experience makes him a sought-after global speaker in these areas. In December 2017, he received a standing ovation at the acclaimed TEDx Euston in London. Abdullah was also asked to be the keynote speaker at the 2018 World Speech Day.

Abdullah has presented around the world to leading listed firms, international organizations and governments including in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzen, Mumbai, Bangalore, Dubai Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Accra, Dar Es Salaam, Nairobi, Frankfurt, Munich, Copenhagen, Madrid, Paris, London, and New York. He has been asked to present at some of the world's leading institutions including the School of Public and International Affairs at Colombia University in New York, TEDx Euston, the OECD Paris and Casa Asia in Madrid amongst others.

He is a regular media commentator for several publications including CNBC Africa, BBC, CCTV, CNN, SABC, Moneyweb, Business Day, SAFM, 702, Al Jazeera, New York Times, Financial Times, Reuters, and the Sunday Times. He authored the book Disruption Amplified: Reset, Rewire, Reimagine everything. He also co-authored a book on the commercial corridor between Africa and India as well as contributed to "The Book every business owner must read."

Verachia has a passion for education and serves as faculty at GIBS as well as program director for the Harvard Senior Executive Program on Africa. He has won several awards for excellence in teaching. He is also the recipient of the Harvard Business School Deans scholarship for leadership and innovation and was also selected for the Brightest Young Minds in South Africa

Abdullah serves on several boards. Companies and organizations have found his unique blend of legal, business, emerging market, digital, strategy, innovation, academic and human capital experience to add incredible value to their organizations. He is globally sought after for his ability to advise and guide senior leaders and teams to build disruptive and ambidextrous organizations.

Qualifications

• PhD Innovation, Strategy (GIBS) - still in progress
• MIM-cum laude (MM) (WBS)
  
• LLB (UJ)
• GMP (Harvard Business School)
• Strategy and Shared value (Harvard Business School)
• EDP (Oxford University: Said Business School)
• Executive Program in Broadcast technology (CU)

Core Discipline

• Strategy

Work Experience

• Faculty and Programme Director (Harvard Business School)
• Director (Centre for Leadership Development)
• Chief Executive Officer (The Strategists)
• Board Member (Rand Merchant Bank and FirstRand India )
• Founding Director of the India-Africa Business Network (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Faculty and Programme Director (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Director (Frontier Advisory)
• Director (The Collective Genius and The Collective Genius Centre)

Significant Achievements

• Excellence in teaching award for executive education and academic programmes (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Deans Scholarship for Leadership & Innovation Harvard Business School (Harvard Business School)
• Excellence in teaching award for executive education and academic programmes: voted by students and staff (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Excellence in Teaching Award in Academic Programmes (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Standing ovation at TedX talk on Africa's readiness for the 4th industrial revolution (TedX Euston )
• Honorary Membership of the Golden Key International Honor Society (Golden Key International Honors Society)
• Deans List - Wits Business School (Wits Business School)
• Awarded Member of the Brightest Young Minds in South Africa (Brightest Young Minds)

Teaching/Coaching Experience

• Digital Transformation and Strategy (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Asia in the Global Economy (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Client Centricity in a Digital Environment (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Masterstart (BMD Module 1) (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Aalto University (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Applied Business Project (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Applied Business Analysis and Research Project (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Design Thinking-EDP (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Understanding Dynamic Markets (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Strategy & Innovation (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Research Methodology (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Environment of Business (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• LEAD (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Advanced Professional Business Coaching (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• ABSA Leadership Accelerator (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Anglo Accelerators 39 Building Partnerships (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• AVI Leadership Development Programme Thought Leadership (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Discovery APPP: Strategy Design (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Firstrand Future Fit Finance Programme 2019/2020 (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• FoodBev SETA IEDP Strategy & Innovation (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• TETA ILDP Global Immersion Component (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Strategy, Innovation & Design workshop (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Online Business and Management Development Programme (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Developing System Level View – Global, Domestic and ABSA context (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Strategic Leadership & Management in ABSA (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Strategy, Innovation & Design workshop Botho University (Botswana) (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Darla Moore Technology and Innovation (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Darla Moore Design Thinking Workshop (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• BMD (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Understanding Dynamic Markets (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• COVID-19 Small Business Survival Toolkit (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Pepperdine South African History Webinar (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Forward Thinking (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• GMP Navigating a complex & rapidly evolving external environment (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Building Partnerships and commitment (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Disruptive Innovation and Technology (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Environment of Business and Innovation (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Global Economic Trends & Strategic Thinking (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Innovation & Critical Thinking (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Leading an Innovative Culture (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Global Megatrends and Shared Value (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Exploring the Exponential Digital World (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Global Megatrends (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• The South African Economy (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• The Strategic Landscape (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Understanding Dynamic Markets (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Leading Discovery with an Innovative Mindset (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Leading Strategy – Translation, Alignment & Implementation (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Learning the Future -Skills | Design | Technology (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Managing the Art of Innovation (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Navigating a Complex & Rapidly Evolving External Environment (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Operating in a VUCA world (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Platforms and Ecosystems: The Jumia Case (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Reflections on the African Business Context (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Strategy for Execution & Accounting for Results (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• The Digital Transformation of Accounting and Finance (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• The Global Environment of Business Strategy Implementation (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• The Interplay between Strategy, Innovation and Design Thinking (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• The role of education in the 4th Industrial Revolution (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Interplay between Strategy, Innovation & Local Context (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Laying the canvas in which we operate, setting the context for business/government engagement (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Past Present & Future, Competitive Strategy in a Disruptive Economy (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Global environment of business and strategy (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Environment of Business (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Doing Business in an Emerging Market (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Competitive Strategy (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Competitive Strategy in a Disruptive Economy (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Complex spatial intervention: Balancing the need to increase access to healthcare within the dynamics of a densely populated inner city location (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Business Strategy in Emerging Markets (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Economic Outlook Conference (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Emerging Markets & Africa (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• What African and Emerging Markets can Offer the World (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Executing Strategy (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Executing Strategy, Managing Costs and Driving Growth (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Global Executive Development Programme, Strategy (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Global Macroeconomic Context & Strategic Analysis (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Economic Outlook (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• The Soci-economic Impact of Mining: Global Trends (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• Global Module to India, Immersion (Gordon Institute of Business Science )
• The Soci-economic Impact of Mining: Global Trends (Gordon Institute of Business Science )

Published peer reviewed journal articles

Pillay, S., Chiba, M., Verachia, A., Mthombeni, M. (2021). Mergers and acquisitions in emerging markets: What drives absorptive capacity in target firms? South African Journal of Business Management, 52 (2), a2039. doi:https://doi.org/10.4102/sajbm.v52i1.2039.

Urban, B., Verachia, A. (2019). Organisational antecedents of innovative firms: A focus on entrepreneurial orientation in South Africa. International Journal of Business Innovation and Research, 18 (1), 128-144. doi:https://doi.org/10.1504/IJBIR.2019.096905.

Book chapter

Verachia, A. (2021). Join me on the balcony. The Book Every Leaders Needs to Read: Lessons from Leading Business Minds and Thought Leaders. Tracey McDonald Publishers.

Verachia, A. (2020). Strategy in the now and the next. The Book Every Business Owner Must Read: Insights from Leading Business Minds and Thought Leaders. Tracey McDonald Publishers.

Verachia, A., Reddy, G. (2017). India and South Africa: Trade and investment partners. In G. Reddy (Ed.), India and South Africa: Trade Partners. Wag the Dog.