Janine Hills

About Janine Hills

As CEO of Janine Hills Authentic Leadership, her business knowledge, skills, and intricate understanding of leadership are the outcome of more than 40 years of experience across many industries.

Specialising in Telecommunications, Mining, Financial Services, Hospitality and Aviation. Authentic Leadership has developed unique development programmes for C-Suite to unlock their full potential, build brands and reputations as well as guide organisations on how to prevent and manage crisis situations.

Janine believes trust is key to improving business relationships with all stakeholders, supported and enhanced by integrity in business practices – including transparency, discipline, accountability, and fairness. 

She believes in being consistent, sincere, responsible, reliable, committed, clear, steady, and maintaining effective communication at all levels, in good times and bad. 

She values the opportunity to share with clients the fruits of her business experience, particularly her understanding of the principles of visionary leadership. 

Janine has built a culturally diverse group of alliance partners who understand Africa and have years of experience in these areas. Alongside her team, she is working to equip both new and experienced leaders with the mindsets and practices to be excellent.

Boards and Directorships

  • Member of The Institute of Directors South Africa (IoDSA) (2023)
  • Strategic African Woman in Leadership (SAWIL) Advisory Board (2020-24)
  • Brand South Africa (2016 – 2019)
  • International Women’s Forum South Africa (IWFSA) (2016 – March 2020)
  • UNICEF – Influential Women’s Circle
  • Circle of Lift (Investment Company and NPO)
  • International Brand Reputation Community (INBREC) Global – Advisory Board
  • International Brand Reputation Community (INBREC) Africa – Founder and Chair (2017 – March 2020)
  • 2CareForCarers NPO during Covid (2021 – 2022)
  • Merchelles Collective Advisory Board (2022 – 2023)
  • Kaizer Chiefs (1998-1999)
  • Ster-Kinekor (1998-1999)
  • Ster-Kinekor Home Entertainment (1998-1999)
  • Ster-Kinekor Licensing (1998-1999

Executive leadership consulting to help you through times of uncertainty.

Who We Are

Janine is the founder and former CEO of the country’s first reputation management company which she turned into an African company with global potential before embarking on her new journey.

Held senior positions at Southern Sun and Sun International, Vodacom and Primovie (a division of Primedia), and she has sat on the boards of Kaizer Chiefs, Ster-Kinekor Home Entertainment and Ster-Kinekor Licensing.

Former head of group communications for First National Bank’s (FNB) internal and external communications division, Janine was a founding member and part of the team that drove innovation at FirstRand Group, introducing South Africa to FNB’s eBucks.

She was extensively involved in the formulation and the implementation of the multi-brand strategy, internal communications, and e-commerce initiatives of the financial services group.

Lecturer, professional speaker and trainer at several tertiary institutions, including Henley Business School in the UK and in South Africa, Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) and University of South Africa (UNISA). She is also an approved lecturer for African executive education provider Duke Corporate Education (Duke CE).

"When you see people as equal, you create opportunities that are equal together. This is about equal opportunity."

- Janine Hills, Authentic Leadership

Notable Achievements

  • Finalist, Standard Bank Top Woman Awards (Fast Growth Woman-Owned SMME Award)
  • Finalist, Standard Bank Top Woman Awards (Top Female Entrepreneur of 2018 Award)
  • Winner, Gender Mainstream Women Empowerment in the Workplace Awards (non-JSE Listed Organisations category), 2015
  • Finalist, Standard Bank Top Women Awards (Female Entrepreneur category), 2015
  • Finalist, Standard Bank Top Women Awards (Top Gender-Empowered Company: Fast Growth Women-Owned SMME category) 2014 & 2015
  • Nominee, Standard Bank Top Women Awards (Africa’s Most Influential Women in Business and Government) 2015
  • Wrote and published a white paper on Gender Diversity and the Impact on a Board’s Reputation, Deakin University 2015
  • Finalist, Topco Media Business Awards (Fast-Growth category), 2014
  • Finalist, CEO Magazine Award for Africa’s Most Influential Women in Business and Government, 2014
  • Winner, Global Awards for Brand Excellence (Brand Leadership category), 2012
  • Winner, BBQ New Innovative Business Award, 2012
  • Nominee, International Who’s Who of Professionals, 2009
  • Winner, CEO Magazine Meritorious Award, and finalist, South Africa’s Most Influential
  • Women in Business and Government Awards (communications category), 2008
  • Finalist, Topco Media Top Women Awards (entrepreneurship and excellence in Business and Public Service category), 2008
  • Marketing Director at Primemovie 1999
  • Board Member of Kaiser Chiefs Football Club, Ster Kinekor Theatres, Primemovie, Ster Kinekor Entertainment
  • IMM Sales Person of 1996 and Vodac Sales Person of 1996
  • Qualified in the Management Advance Programme (Wits Business School), 1992
  • Start-up employee of Vodac, Vodacom, 1991
  • Janine has authored notable contributions amongst which a chapter in Expert Mavericks, stories of 13 South African business leaders taking you on a journey of their trials, tribulations, and victories to become the Mavericks they are today.
  • Janine contributed the chapter on Effective crisis communication for the recently published e-book Managing Organisations During the COVID 19 Vortex https://krlibrary.co.za/product/managing-organisations-during-the-covid-19-vortex-ebook/