Johannesburg - Executive chairman of Independent Media and Sekunjalo Holdings, Dr Iqbal Survé, has been appointed to a key position on a World Economic Forum (WEF) council.
Surve is now vice-chairman of the WEF’s global agenda council (GAC) on emerging multinationals.
Klaus Schwab, WEF founder and executive chairman, invited Surve to take up the position.
“As one of the world's most relevant and knowledgeable thought leaders in this field, I believe your leadership would be instrumental in helping this council develop pertinent insights and solutions to address this global challenge,” Schwab said in his invitation to Surve.
During Survé's term of office, which will run until 2016, the focus will be to “enhance the positive role of business in developing countries by becoming the foremost platform of emerging markets multinationals insight and best practice dissemination.”
Survé said he was very honoured to have been invited to take on the role by Schwab.
“I shall ensure that I make the two years in this position as a GAC member and vice-chairman count,” Surve added in a statement.
Survé attended the WEF summit on the global agenda 2014, which took place in Dubai on the 10 and 11 November, in his new vice-chairman role.
Survé said that the Dubai summit had been an “amazing opportunity” to engage with leading thinkers in the world on the future of the media including social media.
The application of many of the new media innovations would help to position Independent Media as a major new media technology company, he added.
With the changes that have been taking place through establishing a technology platform for Independent Media, the company was starting to project a more positive outlook, Surve said. - Staff reporter
* Sekunjalo owns Independent Media, of which Independent Online is a division.