Key Note Speakers
Our MC for Conference:
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The Big Positive Guy – aka Andre du Toit
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After a successful corporate career, Andre decided to
follow his heart and become speaker, trainer and coach.
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He is a sought-after speaker about the global economy and how it affects Africa and specifically South Africa. He is a keen genealogist and has written three books on the subject. He is an avid reader, educator, traveller and humanitarian.
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In 2015 Andre won the Toastmaster most humorous speaker award in the Western Province and was in the top 10 in the Southern African region.
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Andre is currently the CEO of the Power Partner Group and is a speaker at more than 100 conferences per year.
Brenda Cressey
TRF Trustee 2017-21
(Rotary International President’s
Personal Representative)
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Brenda Marie Cressey is president and CEO of Office Support Systems, a telecommunications business in Maine. She has served in several volunteer capacities with civic organizations such as the American Cancer Society.
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A Rotarian since 1989, Cressey has served as a Rotary Regional Membership and Rotary Regional Foundation coordinator and Endowment Major Gift Advisor. She has also served as the RRFC Institute Moderator, Council on Legislation, Host Organizing Co-Chair of the 2008 LA Rotary Convention. She has served several times as a Rotary President Representative, an RI Training Leader and served on the 2012 International Assembly Executive Committee as the Partner’s Moderator and speaker.
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Cressey is the recipient of Rotary’s Service Above Self Award, The Rotary Foundation’s Citation for Meritorious Service and Distinguished Service Award. Brenda and her husband Dick are Major Donors, Paul Harris and Bequest Society Members, and recent inductees of the Arch Klumph Society.
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MICHELLE McLEAN-BAILEY
Namiban Miss Universe 1992
Michelle McLean Children Trust
Ambassador for R. I.
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With over 25 years of experience in media, Michelle is an internationally recognized model, television personality, master of ceremonies, speaker, entrepreneur and philanthropist.
She started her international modeling career at 13 years, and went on to win the Miss Universe title in 1992 at the age of 19 years for Namibia. While living in Los Angeles from 1992 to 1995 she studied acting in Hollywood.
Michelle has hosted, presented, and endorsed numerous TV and radio shows around the world, from travel, to fashion, showcasing celebrity homes, e-commerce and sports. She is previously, the Face for Lux Lotion, and the official voice of MTN (a cellular network in Africa) for the past ten years. She also manages a demanding Master of Ceremonies and Speaker schedule for many international corporations. Her clients include among others; The World Economic Forum, Puma, Revlon, Levi Strauss, Volvo, Nike, Ford Motor Company, YouTube, MTV, Fortune Magazine, Louis Vuitton and the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
Profile:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOLhqRdTfg8
Close to her heart is the Michelle McLean Children Trust (www.mmct.org.na) , which she established in Namibia, in 1992. It has initiated and run hundreds of projects over the past 26 years, including 10 projects for international celebrities, like Angelia Jolie and Brad Pitt.
The Michelle McLean Primary School provides education for over 900 children every year, since 2000.
In addition they established the Michelle McLean School of Excellence, which provides, scholarships and entrepreneurial and financial skills training to thousands of students.
Philanthropy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BS6Nx5oNrrY&feature=youtu.be
A UNICEF ambassador for many years,
Michelle also worked with Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu (the Founder of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa, after the abolishment of Apartheid) as an ambassador for SOS Children’s Villages in Southern Africa.
In 1998 Michelle was recognized by the Miss Universe Organization and presented with The Life Time Achievement Award for her philanthropy work.
Michelle was a Partner and Director of the Engel & Volkers Property Group in South Africa, and Co-founder and Partner of Donna Terra Fine Jewelry, (2003 to 2009) as well as founder of a Media Training Company (2005 to 2008) and a Brands Communication company in South Africa, Brands Rock. (2009 to 2012)
Highlights of her career include:
Keynote speaker and MC of the “Opera at the Pyramids” in Cairo, Egypt, 1998
Louis Vuitton Regatta in Valencia, Spain, 2008 and 2009
Official ambassador for the Diamond Board of Namibia in its Centenary Year of the discovery of diamonds in Namibia in 2009.
Anchor host for the FIFA World Cup Draw December 2009, and presented a lifestyle TV show throughout the FIFA World Cup 2010 in South Africa,
MC for the Global Forum, sponsored by Fortune Magazine, in South Africa 2010
Hosted live broadcasts for YouTube and MTV Asia during the IPL/T20 cricket tournament in India 2010
Michelle worked with the World Economic Forum in Davos Switzerland in 2009 and 2010 where she hosted an event for Former US President Bill Clinton.
Hosted Miss Florida Pageant 2015, was a Judge for the Miss Universe Pageant, held in Doral, Florida 2015, and Judged the Miss USA Pageant 2016 in Baton Rouge, USA.
Michelle is a recognized Speaker on empowering women, and enjoys traveling around the world with her husband, Gary, doing Keynotes in Leadership and Productivity for Organizations, dealing specifically with stress and pressure, while still creating a successful personal life, and business. www.successunderpressure.com
Gary and Michelle also present a Keynote to CEO’s and executive management, on the topic of Sexual Harassment, and how they can create a lasting culture change in their organizations to avoid this issue. www.whyriskitusa.com
They live in Miami, with their four adult children.
She is a proud member of the Rotary Club Down Town Boca Raton, and an ambassador for Rotary International.
MICHAEL LEECH
Trustee
Save The Rhino Trust
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SRT protecting Namibia's rhinos
for more than 35 years
​Save the Rhino Trust Namibia has worked tirelessly to protect the desert-adapted black rhino of the Kunene and Erongo regions.From the point of near extinction, the rhino population has rebounded, and SRT is proud to be part of this success.
SRT operates in a remote, rugged area of more than a million hectares, with few fences, no national park status and no controls over who goes in or out. Working closely with the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, local communities and NGOs, our dedicated teams of trackers go out on daily patrols to monitor this last truly free-ranging population of black rhino in the world.
But there is no time for complacency. Organized crime syndicates are here, acting with military precision and targeting our rhinos, and we are intensifying our efforts in the face of this grave threat.
PDG Prof Dr Wernt Brewits
ICC Germany Panel Chair
Sunday 6th May 2018
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Born during the Second World War I was raised in Berlin. My family lost everything in the bomb raids and fled after the war to West Germany. I went to high school in Duesseldorf and studied in the sixties mining geology at the Technical University of Clausthal, well known for its broad range of disciplines in mining and mining technologies. After finishing studies I left for South Africa where I got a position in a German mining enterprise, known as Otavi Mining Company (formerly owner and operator of the Tsumeb mine). Being responsible for mineral exploration I worked in various regions in South Africa, (that time) South West Africa and Rhodesia.
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For personal reasons I decided in 1977 to return to Germany, where I got an excellent position in a state-owned research establishment. Working in the field of nuclear waste management I became head of a research unit dealing with in situ experiments in underground mines and putting up a team of experts on long term risk assessment. Co-operation existed with almost all countries using nuclear power. I retired end of 2007 and worked as scientific consultant since then. Parallel to that I was teaching at the Technical University Braunschweig and was honoured with a professorship.
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In 1979 I got married with Gudrun Weikert, school teacher at a highschool in Wolfenbuettel. We habe two children, who have finished their studies and are engaged in business. My wife died in April 2015.
Life in Rotary
In 1990 I was asked to become a founding member of the Rotary Club Salzgitter-Wolfenbuettel-Vorharz (Charter 1991). I served the club in different positions, the presidency followed in 2010/11. From 2007 to 2010 I became assistant governor in our district 1800 and in the year 2012/13 I served Rotary as District Governor.
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The theme of the year chosen by World President Sakuji Tanaka was “Peace through Service”. Born during World War II and raised in aftermath of that terrible war I decided to do something special. I made contact with my old friend Carl-Heinz Duisberg, and together we decided to go for a Peace Project in Southe Africa. The title was “Khomani San – Living in Peace”. Most of you know the details and the outcome. And on top the award as “Khomani Cultural Landscape” by UNESCO. It means such a lot to me and hopefully to all of you as well!
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Since 2014 I am acting as the ICC Chair for East Africa (German Section) and for the ICC Southern Africa (German Section) as co-ordinator for district 9350.
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