What did you study and what were your career goals when you first began working?

I studied law at the University of Cape Town (UCT), did a Masters degree in international rela-tions and economics at Johns Hopkins University (split across Italy and the United States) and then did an MBA at UCT. As you can see, I enjoy the student life! I’ve never had a career goal that says, “I want to be x by this date”. Rather, I’ve wanted to do work that I find intellectually stimulating, al-lows me to spend time with interesting people and makes a difference in some way. I’m pretty sure that when I first started studying I expected to end up working for an NGO, but while I still occasion-ally feel the tug of the not-for-profit sector, I’m very happy with where I am and the work I do.

What motivated you to join the JSE? How did your first job with the organisation come about?

Before joining the JSE, I worked for the man-agement consultancy Accenture. One of my ear-ly projects at Accenture was with the JSE – the project where they moved onto the London Stock Exchange’s trading platform. During this project, I was exposed not only to the JSE’s operations and people but also to many of the broking firms and investment banks in the industry. I realised that capital markets are a fascinating area with so many elements, so I would never be bored. After resigning from Accenture, I did some part-time consulting work for the JSE, and when I was of-fered the opportunity to join the strategy team full time I didn’t hesitate.Course

By Laura Franz-Kamissoko

Steering the

Siobhan Cleary, Head of Strategy for the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), has been named a 2011 Yale World Fellow. She follows in the footsteps of the JSE’s Deputy CEO and CEO-in-waiting, Nicky Newton-King, who was a Yale World Fellow in 2006. We speak to Siobhan about her efforts to strategically position the exchange in the fast-changing landscape of global markets, as well as about the most valuable career advice she has received.

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What are your current responsibilities as Head of Strat-egy for the JSE?

My role varies from day to day and that’s exactly what makes it so interesting. My team and I are, among other things, responsible for defining key aspects of our Africa strategy, including which exchanges we engage with, how we engage with them and how we position ourselves on the continent. We also provide input on pol-icy submissions to several government departments and develop recommendations about key strategic alliances and new product and market opportunities. In addition, we investigate international capital market developments and how these might impact the exchange locally.

What value do you think women bring to leadership in an organisation like the JSE, or is one’s gender irrelevant?

It’s difficult to generalise and say that certain at-tributes are specifically male or female. I’ve dealt with very aggressive women and very empathetic men, and vice versa, but I do think diversity is critical. Having dif-ferent perspectives, regardless of whether they derive from gender, race or culture, causes the organisation to constantly challenge its assumptions and helps prevent us from getting caught up in ‘group think’.

Within the JSE, what programmes or initiatives are under way to develop and empower women?

We don’t have specific women-focused initiatives in place at the JSE. Rather, I think we create a culture where people are able to succeed because of their performance, regardless of their gender. I think the fact that the CFO, COO and Deputy CEO (soon to be CEO) are all women is a testament to this.

What have been the most valuable business or career les-sons you have learnt over the course of your career?

My father taught me (and I think he learnt it from his father) that the wise man learns more from the fool than the fool learns from the wise man. Essentially, you should approach every encounter as an opportunity to learn something. My current boss, Nicky Newton-King, taught me the importance of focusing on the ultimate ob-jective rather than getting side-tracked by the petty bat-tles along the way. Finally, I’ve learnt that just when you think you know it all, there’s more to learn.

What skills do you view as crucial for young women en-tering the corporate or business world today?

Confidence (but not arrogance), intellectual curios-ity, a strong work ethic and the recognition that you’re never too senior to do something that needs to be done. I’ve watched the CEO pour tea for a meeting and no one thought any less of him because of it – quite the reverse. And, finally, a sense of humour – never take yourself too seriously.

What is your vision or hope for women in South Africa in the medium term?

South Africa is an amazing country when one con-siders the extent to which women have managed to rise to positions of power across the spectrum of govern-ment, business and NGO sectors. My hope for South African women is that they continue to take advantage of the educational and professional opportunities they are given. We should all support one another in this regard. There is an incredible legacy that’s been built by those who have come before and that should not be wasted by those who follow.

What do you do in your free time? I enjoy spending time with friends and family. I read a

lot and travel widely. Oh, and shoes; I buy shoes.

Anything else you would like to add? Nothing ever happens in a vacuum. You get to where

you are through your own efforts, but also because peo-ple around you support you and create the kind of envi-ronment that makes your achievements possible. Never forget to thank those people for what they’ve done, and try to make sure you do the same for others.

Yale World Fellows

Siobhan Cleary is among 16 World Fellows selected this year, which marks the Yale World Fellows Pro-gram’s 10th anniversary. Selected from a pool of about 3 800 applicants, this year’s cohort brings the total number of Yale World Fellows since the programme’s inception to 171 fellows representing 77 countries.

The Yale World Fellows Program is the university’s signature global leadership development initiative and a core element of Yale’s ongoing commitment to in-ternationalisation. Each year, the university welcomes a group of exemplary mid-career professionals from a wide range of fields and countries for an intensive four-month period of academic enrichment and leader-ship training. Previous female Yale World Fellows from South Africa have included:

• Dr Thembi Xulu, Clinical Director, Right to Care (2010).

• Nicky Newton-King, Deputy CEO, JSE (2006).• Marianne Camerer, International Director, Global

Integrity (2005).• Raenette Taljaard, former MP; former Director,

Helen Suzman Foundation (2003).

“This is an unparalleled opportunity,” said Siobhan. “I am eager to get to know the other World Fellows and share my experiences with the Yale community.”