Gibela’s Elizabeth Foli wins Accenture 2019 Rising Star Award

DUNNOTTAR, EKURHULENI. 8 AUGUST 2019. Elizabeth Foli, Test Engineering Manager in the Testing and Commissioning Department at Gibela’s train manufacturing plant at Dunnottar in Ekurhuleni, has been named as one of 12 Accenture Rising Stars for 2019.

Accenture, a leading innovation company, describes its business as “working with companies from all industries across the globe to create the new-now”.

The purpose of its Rising Star Awards, the company says, “is to identify and publicly recognise ‘Rising Stars’ as having the qualities needed to join a guiding coalition of other Rising Stars able and willing to walk the talk, to help themselves and others rise to the top of their game’.

Gibela CEO Hector Danisa commented: “We have made great strides in advancing our employees through skills development, encompassing offshore and onshore on-the-job and leadership training as well as upward mobility.

“We recruited Elizabeth from university and groomed her for the position she now occupies. We are very proud of her achievements and for flying the Gibela flag high.”

About the team she heads at Gibela, Elizabeth says: “Our primary role is to develop test procedures according to the train’s specifications, baseline and functional requirements, as well as provide the tools and infrastructure needed to perform tests.

“Test engineering is a really exciting field; you never deal with the same problems twice, which keeps you on your toes. It has allowed me to learn, grow and think ‘out of the box’.”

About her experience of the awards, she says: “The application and judging process was very intensive.

“It required me to reflect on my work experiences and identify all of the ‘defining moments’ that demonstrate my potential and ability to lead holistically.

“It opened my eyes to how I have matured and grown over the years, and to identify areas I still need to improve.

“Interacting with the judging panel afforded me the opportunity to draw wisdom and direction from key leaders of industry.

“It was a rare opportunity and an honour.”

And it doesn’t end with having won a Rising Star Award.

Elizabeth joins Accenture’s Rising Star Network, which currently totals more than 500 of the most talented young people in the country, the top five finalists in each of 12 business sectors over the past seven years of the awards’ existence.

Accenture says: “We are very committed to keeping this network alive, by means of personal development and intra-network education. In this way we can assist members with their further development, benefiting them personally, the organisation they work for and – in turn – the wider economy.”

For more information, please contact:

On behalf of Gibela:
Pamella Radebe
Email: pamella.radebe@gibela-rail.com
Office tel: +27 10 600 0651

R&A Strategic Communications:
James Duncan
Email: james@rasc.co.za
Pam McLeod
Email: pam@rasc.co.za
Office tel: +27 11 880 3924