1. What does it mean to be the CEO of an annual event like the Loeries and what does your job entail?
a. I often get asked what I do for the rest of the year! Actually, the Loeries is a non-profit company and we have a year-round focus on promoting the value that creativity adds – building the economy of ideas.
I believe this is especially important in South Africa where we are challenged with so much unemployment. Every opportunity we can provide to youngsters for employment – to make use of their own potential – makes a difference to a whole community of people.
2. The Loeries are like the SA Oscars for the advertising industry. What are the challenges in running it and what are the highlights?
a. In an industry that values creative excellence above all else, we obviously have a tough crowd and have to ensure that we do everything to the highest standards and keep inspiring everyone to do great things. The highlight is being in a creative environment – working with incredible people and having the opportunity to create new things all the time.
3. You are an engineer and scientist by training. How did you find your way into this industry and then to the Awards?
a. I finished my studies in the 90s and for me the most exciting thing at the time was the Internet which was in its infancy. I began building websites and then had to try and sell websites to people who had never had one, and didn’t know why they needed one. I worked in New York for five years where I got involved in developing Internet-based management systems for awards shows – and then I was asked to come back and run the Loeries in 2005, at a time when it was in a bit of trouble.
4. What drew you to engineering first?
a. I’ve always believed in creativity and to me maths and science are areas of great stimulation and innovation. Our society pigeonholes everyone – creativity is “the arts” while maths is on the other end of the spectrum. We hold up Einstein as a creative genius – yet who was a theoretical physicist.
5. Your surname, Human, is not the most obvious sounding Jewish name. Tell us the story behind it.
a. My dad was an Afrikaner, and my mother’s family Russian Jews. My dad was actually born in Humansdorp in the Cape – the family town.
6. Being Jewish means a lot to you and you are a pivotal part of your shul community. Why? What does it mean to you?
a. I enjoy the constant learning. Judaism offers an enormous amount of wisdom, and I enjoy the ritual of separating from the day-to-day and having time to reflect on this. It is also a very important part of my relationship with my two sons.
7. Why is advertising important in SA and, particularly, for the community?
a. As I mentioned earlier, I believe the creative economy offers much to South Africa in terms of employment of our youth. Advertising is vital for a competitive and healthy economy, allowing successful brands and new products to flourish.
9. What do you believe is particularly great advertising?
a. Great advertising is always the unexpected. Often it seems so obvious when you see it, and makes so much sense – but it wasn’t there before.
10. The advertising industry has had to reinvent itself along with the media. How has it changed since you started at the Loeries?
a. There have been huge changes in media platforms – we have things like social media which is massive today but didn’t exist only a few years ago. However, everything is still driven by the idea – without a great idea you have nothing.
11. How is it going to change?
a. The moving image – film, TV, video – is still king. It’s migrating onto different platforms but it’s still what works best with us humans (excuse the pun). I think virtual reality will make great advances over the next few years and this will take our experiences to the next level.
