Michael Jordaan, Venture Capitalist and wine enthusiast stepped down as CEO of First National Bank, one of SA’s largest banks with a customer base of nearly nine million, in August 2013 to pursue his passion for entrepreneurship.
With more than 20 years’ experience in the financial services sector and nearly a decade at the helm of the bank, Michael oversaw the move away from traditional banking toward rewarding ecosystem-centric solutions for customers, and led FNB to be named the “World’s Most Innovative Bank” in the 2012 BAI-Finacle Global Banking Innovation Awards, held in Washington DC.
He is also the recipient of the CNBC Africa Business Leader of the Year for Southern Africa award.
The former Banker now heads up a private investment company, Montegray Capital, investing in disruptive business models enabled by technology.
Michael lends a strategic-hand to various businesses, including Mxit and Wines of South Africa (WoSA), and is a non-executive Director on the JSE Limited. He’s also part of a team that have started up a coding academy, codeX, focused on growing Africas coders.
Michael Jordaan Definition Of Success | It has become far less materialistic; one of the problems in society today is that people look at money as a yardstick for success. It is far more important that you achieve things that are more meaningful, like have you made peoples lives better and are you leaving the world a better place.
I Am Driven By | The fact that There are just so many better ways of doing things.
My Highlights | When my kids were born because it really puts you in touch with how your parents must have felt and you have a better sense of the future – you want to create a better world for them and you understand the reason you’re doing it all, for them and the next generation. It’s easy to explain but something you will never fully understand until it happens to you.
The Difference Between Good And Great | This is the answer you don’t want to hear, it has a lot more to do with hard work than talent, it’s perseverance and hard work that makes something difficult look very easy.
A Key Talent | Surrounding myself with people than are better than me. How you do that, have the confidence to know when you don’t have the right answer and that the people around you could come up with a better solution, give them credit and that way you get to harness the wisdom of the system.
Principles I Live By | Authenticity, integrity, execution-orientated, innovation, curiosity, passion, humility and accountability.
Resources I Use To Stay Inspired | Books and people, some recent books include ‘Quiet. The value of introverts in a world that can’t stop talking’, Exponential Organisations by Salim Ismail, Zero to One by Peter Thiel.
My Future Dreams And Ambitions | After many years in the corporate world, to have a happy family life spending more time with my kids as they grow up and to build up a successful Venture Capital business and overall better environment for start-ups in South Africa. I also hope to play a role in helping the Cape Winelands achieve their rightful position in the world as one of the most dramatically beautiful regions in the world with a quality product.
I Am Inspired By | Young entrepreneurs and start-ups disrupting markets, changing the way we do things and taking on the big players.
Hunter Lee Soik was a creative consultant for Kanye West and Jay Z’s Watch the Throne tour, and consultant for brands including Stella McCartney, Vitra, the CFDA Awards and Art Basel. He is now an entrepreneur and co-founder of New York based start-up, SHADOW, a mobile application that aims to harness your dreams the moment […]
By almost losing her voice in a freak accident, Wendy Spinks found her destined ‘voice’ and is now the Co founder & Creative Director at Zeropoint Studios. Today Wendy’s expression comes not only from the sound emanating from her voice box or from her training in fashion but also through animations and a huge drive […]
Ralph Steadman is a prolific artist who in his 40 year career has produced thousands of groundbreaking and influential artworks. He is an artist, writer, sculptor, cartoonist and designer who has illustrated such classics as Alice in Wonderland, Treasure Island and Animal Farm. His books include the studies of Sigmund Freud and Leonardo da Vinci, […]
South Africa is blessed to have the passionate and hugely inspiring John McInroy as one of her major MISSION MEN. With a heart for supporting primary education as a means to empower South African people, and address the significant inequalities the majority of South Africa still contend with, he founded “Red Socks Friday”, a movement […]
Matt Frazier is a marathoner and ultrarunner from Baltimore. His life as an endurance athlete changed when he found that he could run longer and faster on a vegetarian diet. After going vegetarian in March 2009, Frazier qualified for the prestigious Boston Marathon with a time of 3:09:59, more than an hour and a half […]
Chetan Bhagat is an Indian author, columnist, screenwriter, and speaker. All of his books have remained bestsellers since their release and four have inspired Bollywood films. In 2008, The New York Times called Bhagat “the biggest selling English language novelist in India’s history. Time magazine has named him one of the “100 Most Influential People […]
John Smit TLP was one of Rugby’s most successful players of all time. He was the captain of the South African Rugby team (with an astonishing 111 caps), leading the Springboks to World Cup glory in 2007 and was inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame in 2011. He is currently the CEO of Sharks […]
John Klukas was born in St. Paul, Minnesota. After receiving his B.A. in Psychology from the University of Minnesota, his interest in pursuing photography brought him first to Bangkok, Thailand and presently to New York City. Klukas works primarily in fashion photography and his work has appeared in a range of art and editorial publications […]
These remain the property of its owner and are not affiliated with or endorsed by WeSpeak Global.
Our Mission
© All rights reserved 2025. Created using VOXEL THEME
