Chantyl Mulder trained for her CA(SA) at KPMG before joining the Public Accountants and Auditors’ Board in 1985 as Education Officer, a position she held for five years before being promoted to Director: Education and Training. She joined SAICA in 1999 to head the transformation and growth division, where she developed a comprehensive transformation plan and strategy that evolved into the Thuthuka Education Upliftment Project and the Thuthuka Bursary Fund. Thuthuka initiatives seek to transform the profession through education and corporate social responsibility projects which have grown into a R100 million-a-year transformation enterprise.
My Definition Of Success | Success used to mean to me people who have achieved senior leadership positions and taking their companies or Industries to great heights. Now as I have grown older and wiser I see success as a taking thing. The more important word for me is significance, which is a giving thing. Too many people strive for success with little care for other people and giving. This to me is important to be significant.
I Am Driven By | Seeing the youngsters who we work with qualified as CA’s and contributing to our country and the community they come from….. I then want to do more. Having many of them come back and just drop me a note to say thank you and telling me how significant they are….. not only successful but significant as this is a principle we have taught all our students.
The Characteristics Of Success | I am Enthusiastic, Passionate, hard worker, never procrastinate and NEVER give up or take no for an answer!!! What I start I see through.
Lessons I Have Learnt | No man is an island!!! You are only as good as the people who you employ. I have hand-picked my team ; not because they like me or will agree with what I say, but because they are better than me!!! I have not felt threatened at all by them but have managed to harness them in making a great team. Has it been easy? No they are difficult, but so good!!!! Surround yourself with excellence and NEVER be satisfied with mediocre people.
Dealing With Doubt | Wow will I ever forget the day!!! We were reliant on SETA funding to fund our Thuthuka graduates who graduated and then had to complete their Post graduate programs full-time. We had 150 students and required R 10,5 million funding. I got a call from the SETA in the November to inform us that they were not funding the post-graduate students…this was a nightmare. Our students were starting in January the following year and I had NO idea how we were going to fund them. I started praying and called all my prayer groups together. African Women CA’s organized a function to try to raise funding. I went on holiday that year to Cape Town and cried every morning when running about the plight of our children. The Word I was given was Psalm 46 that I needed to rest in the Lord and that he would come through. He did, Tsakani the then President of ABASA phoned the Minister regarding our plight and the DHET came through for us in a miraculous fashion…… I now pray about EVERYTHING and have not been disappointed!!!
Performing At My Peak |I go running every day 5 km winter and summer. It clears my mind and fresh air is good for me!!!!
My Future Dreams And Ambitions | I want to make a huge difference in the life of orphans. I want to focus my efforts on the youngsters who have to leave the orphanages as they have reached a certain age and provide them with opportunities to study and improve their skills….
The Meaning Of Life | Changing and speaking into the lives of others…. Making a difference and giving a helping hand. I always tell people that once you are involved in the lives of underprivileged youngsters making a difference you will never need a Prozac or any other anti-depressant….
The Best Advice I’ve Received | Love God above all else. Be Humble and it is not always about YOU.
I Am Inspired By | Mother Theresa. She selflessly served others
The Legacy I Would Like To Leave | Changed and inspired lives of our underprivileged children earning a proper living and seeing them being significant!!!!
