As the CEO of a business, not only are you responsible for defending the company profile, but pushing for its growth, productivity and skill set of your team. Executives must beas efficient as possible when growing and providing for the company – which is where executive networking comes in. African Business Review profiles three networking resources available to African executives.

The Global Executive Network
This international company, which has only recently emerged in South Africa, provides c-level executives and management a peer to peer exchange within a contained environment where competitors work together to exchange ideas. “The concept is revolutionary because it gives all of our guests an intimate atmosphere where they network and exchange ideas,” said Louise Muuren, the company’s South African delegate. “It’s a very interesting area, and an emerging market,” Martin Hegi, Managing Director of The Global Executive Network, said. “We have found South Africa is in its early stages of executive networking caliber, but we see this market as having substantial potential in the long run.”

The Global Executive Network is the first to provide South African executives with an opportunity to gain oversight on key issues in the business; the most recent including a dinner in Johannesburg with a topic on insurance. The G.E.N. hosts intimate dinner parties where anywhere from eight to 18 executives are offered an invitation to participate in the informal social networking event with other likeminded executives. “The people attending are only attending because they are interested in this exact issue,” said Hegi. “So there is a lot of peer to peer value.”

The dinners are typically separated into three parts –Muuren acts as the delegate for each and begins with a formal introduction; Hegi reasons that while every executive is in the same industry, only about three percent are familiar with one another. Following the formal introductions, executives are given a change to informally introduce themselves to everyone, followed by key leader speeches from executives on the dinner topic.

The system has worked globally. “As an executive involved in any particular industry you might be substantially interested just in exchanging your own issues with direct competitors, because obviously most of our attendees are competitors,” said Hegi. “That creates so much value to our dinners because it’s very rare that these people meet in such a relaxed and high level and pre-selected environment. It’s people that are direct competitors exchanging ideas, many whom might not otherwise exchange information.”

What better way to exchange concepts with your peers than in a relatively informal setting? With The Global Executive Networks’ executive dinners, attendees will find that their internal business perspectives will widen through this integral colleague contact.

“Our new networking dinner provides managers with the possibility to discuss efficient strategies for the current pressing market challenges and to benefit from a business-oriented transfer of expertise with the other participating executives. Our guests are deeply interested in learning from an extended network and in establishing high-level contacts also outside of their workplace,” Hegi said in a statement.

Whatever the industry, there are limits to how much you can be aware. The Global Executive Network unites likeminded individuals in a professionally informal atmosphere in an exclusive dinner where key issues are brought to the table to improve the sector as a whole.

TEC
Another area of interest is TEC, a South African networking company, where executives and senior managers are offered an array of activities to supplement growth in their personal businesses. As members of the group, CEOs and managers participate in roundtable meetings, leadership events and dinners. Peer group meetings, one-on-one meetings, key speaker seminars and leadership retreats benefit lead executives toward improved decision making, accountability, disaster anticipation and additional networking.

TEC has more than 10,000 international members and throughout the programs each member will find practical results that they can integrate into their preexisting system. Following each program, members will return the information gathered onto the floor room, bringing substantial expansion opportunities and adding internal growth and development for their business.

Additionally, public events are held for prospective TEC members to gain access to some of the tools and services that TEC provides. Any interested executives who feel that their company could benefit from their support or personally in need of specific industry growth can partake.

saBusiness Club
On the other side of the ocean is the London based saBusiness Club, a program that fused South African networking associations with London’s landscape. The program hosts “First Wednesday,” a monthly speaker series that introduces businesses with inspiring individuals who have conquered their industry in a series of projects or measures. November’s “First Wednesday” meeting welcomes Ian Goldin, Director of the James Martin 21st Century School at the University of Oxford. Formerly the Vice-President of the World Bank, Economic Advisor to Nelson Mandela and Managing Director of the Development Bank of Southern Africa, the talk will spark interests in a variety of industries from Goldin’s diverse background.