The Executive Board of AIMS International has appointed Leonie Pentz, Managing Partner South Africa and VP EMEA, as VP Sustainability of the organisation. This appointment underlines the organisation’s intent to promote sustainability as a key driver for all strategic decisions and key actions in AIMS International.

During the first months of Leonie establishing and leading the Sustainability project team, amongst other initiatives, they adopted the UN’s 17 SDGs to slowly start transforming individual mindsets, the AIMS organisation, partnerships, their clients and the world around them. This is a long term goal, especially for a global organisation like AIMS International with essentially unique business Partners in 50 different countries, each with their own locally unique challenges.

Designing and implementing sustainability as a core competency for leaders under the guidance of Catherine Librandi, Talent Management Consultant AIMS Switzerland, was one of the first initiatives. “This competency will be developed and included in all leadership assessments with the vision of finding and growing sustainable leaders with every appointment and leadership development programme we are involved in globally”, says Pentz. “This is no small task, however we realised that this is the one key contribution that AIMS International as a global network of HR advisors can make which will have the biggest impact over time.”

The team was fast to establish support initiatives for AIMS staff during COVID-19 lockdown with the AIMS Solidarity Forum. The forum is hosted on the global intranet platform with the purpose to share positive ideas about working from home, general practical business support during this crisis as well as daily quotes and even cute puppies and kittens for those who need a smile. You can watch the #workfromhome videos which staff started sharing on YouTube, to show how they are adapting to home offices during the lockdown.

The Happiness team, a team of internal coaches reaching out to any staff member who needs support from a qualified coach is another idea that was quickly turned into reality as the pandemic spread and people needed to pull together to keep a positive mindset.

The whole organisation has regular Online Café’s once a week where everyone is welcome to chat and share on an informal basis. 

Pentz says: “Our Sustainability team comprises the most amazing mix of Senior Partners, support staff and consultants. It is literally a natural migration of volunteers who willingly give their time to make the (AIMS) world a better place. It is the most fun that I have had in years, working with such a special group of people proves that mindfulness for the greater good is important to human happiness.

This group, together with our regular Online Café’s where all AIMS staff are welcome, reminded me that we are, indeed, like a big diverse family who shares a love for animals, (our pets join the calls regularly), good food (some vegan) sharing recipes and jokes. Good people with a sincere interest in each other’s well-being and the world around them.” 

While humanity is in lockdown, mother earth is awakening and let’s be reminded that, once things go back to normal, it really should not go back to the same normal as before.  Be mindful of our home, planet earth, our fellow humans and those who live amongst us – on land and under the sea – who are not able to join the online conversation.

Leonie has over 20 years’ experience as a recruitment professional in the Sub Sahara African market and since January 2011 as AIMS International’s Managing Partner based in South Africa. She represents the MEA region on the AIMS International Executive Board since 2016.

Leonie spent a substantial part of her career as a specialist FMCG recruiter and later branched out into Industrial, Energy and Financial Industries.  Since 2011 she is the owner and Managing Partner for AIMS South Africa and a member of the Global Consumer practice group and leads the Energy & Natural Resources practice group.  Leonie has extensive experience representing PE firms and International investors who are looking to appoint executive leaders and key professional staff for both start-ups and existing operations in the SSA markets.

Under Leonie’s leadership, the highly experienced South African team has more recently developed their Talent Management services in keeping with AIMS’ Find&Grow strategy and offers HR Audits, HR policy and procedure implementation and management, leadership development, assessments, etc.  

For more information about AIMS International South Africa visit our website https://aimsinternational.com/en/company/aims-south-africa/, follow AIMS International South Africa on Facebook and @AIMS_SA on Twitter.  

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Contact: Lyndsay Hill (Executive Assistant and Marketing Administrator)
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