21st Century Sets A New Standard With Groundbreaking Leadership Transition

21st Century today announced a major leadership transition as Ntombizone (Zone) Feni takes the helm as CEO, with Maphutha Diaz stepping into the role of Chairperson of the Board. This transition follows the 25-year tenure of Dr. Chris Blair and Dr. Mark Bussin, whose leadership established 21st Century as one of Africa's premier business and people solutions consultancies.

As leadership development becomes a critical focus in the business landscape, 21st Century's transition sets a precedent for structured succession planning and leadership empowerment in South Africa. Feni, who rose through the company's Emerging Leadership Program (ELP), has a vision for innovation, sustainability, and strategic growth, while Diaz, an experienced governance and transformation leader, will steer corporate strategy and stakeholder engagement.

Dr Lynne Derman (Executive Director, People & Talent), Leanne Visser (Executive Director, Coastal Regions), and Solomzi Mtyeku (Executive Director, OD & Change) have also been appointed to the 21^st Century Board of Directors.

"Our mission is to empower businesses and people to thrive in an ever-changing world. We are committed to leading the way forward through collaboration, innovation, and deep industry expertise," says Feni.

Solid leadership foundation

This transition reflects both continuity and expansion, ensuring that the company remains well-positioned to drive innovation and deliver exceptional value to clients and partners. With experienced leaders at the helm and a commitment to developing future talent, 21st Century is poised to set new benchmarks in the industry.

Furthermore, the changes are a direct outcome of 21st Century's long-term approach to talent development. The Emerging Leadership Program (ELP) has played a crucial role in ensuring a steady pipeline of leaders equipped to navigate complex challenges and drive innovation. Launched in 2024, this year-long program integrates classroom-based learning, individual coaching, and innovation-driven projects focused on revenue growth and social impact. Graduates of the program, including the newly appointed CEO, have proven its success by stepping into key leadership roles.

Succession planning remains a critical challenge for organisations across industries, particularly in rapidly evolving markets. Recognising this, 21st Century introduced the ELP to address industry-wide challenges, including leadership shortages and the need for greater diversity and inclusion in executive roles. It is a structured, results-driven initiative designed to ensure the sustainability of leadership excellence within the company. The program's emphasis on measurable growth, such as advancing participants from a developmental phase to full leadership readiness, ensures that its impact extends beyond the company and into the broader business community.

A structured approach

For industry leaders and HR professionals, 21st Century's leadership transition offers a case study on the value of structured succession planning. It demonstrates how organisations can develop leadership from within, align executive transitions with evolving market demands, and foster inclusive leadership pipelines. The business community can look to 21st Century as a model for navigating leadership change with a forward-thinking approach while maintaining continuity and stability.

Beyond this, 21st Century remains committed to sustainability, transformation, and continuous innovation. As a Level 2 BBBEE company, the organisation actively collaborates with partners who share its vision for creating positive social and environmental impact. By reinforcing its partnerships, investing in digital transformation, and expanding its business footprint, 21st Century ensures sustained growth while maintaining its people-first approach.

For more on 21st Century’s leadership transition, upcoming industry events, and thought leadership articles, visit www.21century.co.za.

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About 21^st Century:

21st Century, a level 2 BBBEE company, is one of the largest Business and People Solutions consultancies in Africa, specialising in sustainable business solutions and underpinned by exceptional Analytics and Research capabilities, with a team of more than 60 skilled specialists, servicing over 3800 clients – including non-profit organisations, unlisted companies, government, parastatals and over two-thirds of the companies listed on the JSE. 21st Century offers bespoke business and strategy planning services, operating model and organisational design, creative reward practice modelling and market data, change, stakeholder and culture management, training courses and comprehensive human capital and talent plans. 21st Century continues to offer solutions via a combination of virtual channels and on-site presence. 

21st Century has five business areas: Remuneration and Reward, Organisational Design, Change Management, People & Talent and Analytics.

21st Century has both national and international capabilities. We offer full-spectrum Human Capital services to sub-Saharan Africa & Middle East clients, and as the African representative of the GECN group (www.gecn.com)  have access to expertise on every continent around the world.

For more information visit: www.21century.co.za or contact us at (011) 447 0306

Or contact Craig Raath Executive Director at [email protected]