Leadership & Strategy

Cymbeline Harilal is an instructional designer at the Independent Institute of Education. She completed her Masters in Education (ICT) in 2024 (to be conferred). Cymbeline's areas of research are technological education as a means to eradicate unemployment in South Africa. Cymbeline is a South African registered educator approaching the PhD phase in STEM as her goal to be achieved by 2027.

Michelle Wolfswinkel is a PhD candidate with Stellenbosch Business School and a Stellenbosch University merit scholarship recipient. She holds an MA in Brand Leadership (cum laude) from the IIE Vega School, where she is a research associate and postgraduate research supervisor. Her lecturing and learning design portfolio spans business management domains across several tertiary institutions.

Dr Carla Enslin is the Academic Head of The IIE Vega School. Vega offers qualifications in design, brand and business studies. Carla’s interest and experience in brand building include the design and implementation of brand identity systems, brand alignment, and contact strategies. She lectures widely in Africa and abroad and conducts corporate training, consulting, and coaching. Carla is also a keen researcher and manages the Master of Arts and the Doctorate in Brand Leadership at Vega.

I am currently completing my Masters in Business Leadership. I have already completed all coursework based modules with only my research module remaining. My focus will be in ethical leadership. A self-motivated and driven professional offers extensive experience providing administrative, operational and customer service support across the education industry. Wish me luck!

Currently a Head of Programme for the IIE, Lesego joined the hospitality industry having been inspired by one's relationship of and experimentation with food. Lesego has followed her passion into the foodservice industry at large; she further engages with the general management within hospitality industry segments and matters related to both education and teaching and learning. With over 10+ years of industry and academic experience, Lesego completed her Masters in Consumer Science and will further her PhD Studies, in the Consumer Science (Hospitality Management) with particular focus towards sustainability related topics. A journey from being a “display” chef, a cost controller, food and beverage management and product development, Lesego changed her direction to becoming more hands-on in the training space of the industry and is now fully committed to the education and development within the Commerce space at the IIE. Lesego strongly believes that those who wish to grow within this industry need to be aware

I am a novice researcher who is awaiting confirmation of Masters completion and now looking to develop the right skill set for publish worthy journal articles. I have an undergraduate and extensive lecturing experience in the Commerce faculty whilst a passion for education led to an interest in teaching and learning and postgraduate studies in education (PGDHE) and education management (awaiting master's in educational management). I am interested in the value of education in the development of the graduate attributes and the subsequent value of these in the graduate's ability to contribute meaningfully to both the economy and society.

Marchant is interested in the relationships within society and his research interests incorporate this value. He achieved his undergraduate degree through the Tshwane University of Technology, and his post-graduate degrees through UNISA, University of KwaZulu-Natal, and is currently diversifying his fields of inquiry through Stellenbosch University, while dabbling in Coding and Robotics short-courses.

Lieza van der Vyver is Head: Academic at The IIE's Varsity College, Pretoria campus. Lieza's research focuses on strategic leadership in Higher Education, and various applications of strategic management concepts to Private Higher Education. Lieza completed her Master of Business Leadership at the UNISA Graduate School of Business Leadership with her dissertation titled “The perceived quality of strategic leadership within a private higher education institution”. The quantitative analysis focused on the perception employees have regarding the quality of strategic leadership in private higher education. As a result of the complex matrix system adopted to deal with the growth of student numbers in private higher education and to ensure student success, the researcher explored how the perceptions influence the daily operations of employees. In addition to her current position, Lieza supervises postgraduate students and lectures on the Post Graduate Diploma in Management.

Dr Shamola Pramjeeth is the Deputy Dean: Management Studies at the IIE’s Varsity College, a brand of the Independent Institute of Education (IIE). She is responsible for the academic management of the higher certificate and postgraduate qualifications within the school across 9 campuses. Shamola is a seasoned academic with over 18 years of experience in academia. Her career spans across both academia and industry, allowing her to bring a wealth of industry knowledge and practical experience into her classroom. Her qualifications include a Bachelor of Commerce Degree in Marketing and Business Management (University of KwaZulu Natal), a Bachelor of Commerce Honours in Marketing (University of KwaZulu Natal), a Master of Commerce in Management (University of KwaZulu Natal), and a PhD in Leadership with the University of KwaZulu Natal. Shamola is a published author, lecturer, supervisor, and external examiner for Honours and Masters dissertations and a reviewer for academic conferences and two accredited DHET jou