Rewarding a lifetime of achievement

Published: 24 October 2013

This week's newsletter takes us back to some of the previous topics we have tackled: decision-making; the art of minimalism and using it for business; practical tools for teams; and how to access finance for your new venture. We start by sharing some interesting news with you on our newly introduced Lifetime Achievement Award for Leadership and we also give feedback on Regenesys' exciting graduation event.

Dr Bertie Lubner receives the Regenesys Lifetime Achievement Award

Regenesys is proud to announce that Dr Bertie Lubner, Chairperson of the Lubner Group of companies, has been awarded the inaugural Regenesys Lifetime Achievement Award for Leadership. The award was handed over to him at a Graduation Ceremony held on 18 October 2013.

The conditions set for this award are as follows: the recipient must have achieved remarkable business success in his or her life; possess exemplary leadership qualities; he or she must have made an outstanding contribution to socio-economic development; and undertaken extraordinary philanthropic initiatives. In addition, the recipient must also have displayed the highest moral and ethical business standards.

What makes Dr Lubner such an extraordinary recipient of this award is his philanthropic ventures, with a focus on community development.

Dr Lubner started his career in the family business, in a company founded by his father, known as the Plate Glass Group. He started at the bottom of the ranks as a trainee and worked his way up. After 14 years, having developed the Group's presence in seven different countries, he returned to South Africa at the end of 1967.

By the 1990's the Group was already operating in 19 countries, with a turnover of $1 billion, and employing 23 000 people. Dr Lubner and his brother Ronnie were appointed as joint Chief Executives of the Group and Dr Lubner became Chairman for eight years.

After 41 years with the Plate Glass Group, Dr Lubner changed his focus to outreach programmes such as Ma Afrika Tikkun, the Field Band Group, being Patron of the Lubner "Kibbutz", and a few others. Ma Afrika Tikkun is a community organisation that assists previously disadvantaged black communities. Dr Lubner's other project, the Field Band Group Foundation, was formed to develop college style bands and to teach musical and lifestyle skills to over 2 500 children from disadvantaged homes. The Lubner "Kibbutz" is a farming project in South Africa that involves people with Downs Syndrome and facilitates a number of other communal projects.

Dr Lubner has served on several boards such as the Worcester Home for the Deaf and Blind, the South Africa/Israel Chamber of Commerce, South African Olympic Foundation, National Export Advisory Board, Business Council for Nepad, South Africa Business Leadership, and many more.

In addition to graduating with a B Comm in Business Administration from the University of Witwatersrand, Bertie Lubner was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Philosophy by Ben-Gurion University. This university also awarded him with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his unique philanthropic and social community projects.

Regenesys thanks Dr Lubner for his generosity and his ongoing contribution to uplifting others.

Graduations
Special congratulations are extended to our recent graduates. Almost 200 undergraduates and postgraduates attended a ceremony on 18 October 2013, to be followed by two more Graduation Ceremonies on 25 and 26 October, for additional groups of postgraduate students.

We pay tribute to all our graduates and recognise their hard work and effort, culminating in this special achievement. They have indeed proved that they have what it takes to succeed.

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