PETER FELDMAN
“This is probably the most meaningful award I have ever received,” says CEO, Marc Lubner. “It is this very concept of mindfulness that my late dad, preached,” he told Jewish Report.
The awards ceremony, which took place at the Hyatt Regency, in Johannesburg last week, is an initiative that recognises visionary leaders and organisations who create a conscious business environment. It celebrates leaders who steer their companies to prosper, perform and pursue profits while placing a premium on people, community, culture and environment beyond the bottom line.
The awards comprised two categories: companies and non-profit organisations. Lubner’s organisations won in the latter category, beating two other very worthy finalists.
Outreach organization Afrika Tikkun has as its vision “a future where today’s young people are tomorrow’s productive citizens”. It sees its mission as “dedicated to investing in education, health and social services for children, youth and their families through Afrika Tikkun’s community ‘Centres of Excellence’ and strategic partnerships”. Afrika Tikkun believes that “every young person deserves an opportunity to be the best they can be”.
The Smile Foundation treats children with facial abnormalities and offers a comprehensive health care solution for children with facial conditions. Partnering with key academic hospitals in the country, it enables corrective surgery for children who would otherwise be deprived of the gift of a smile.
Lubner told Jewish Report how he had learnt about mindfulness from his father, the late esteemed businessman and philanthropist Bertie Lubner, and how important it was to focus attention on what was happening at that moment and not allow other matters to confuse the issue at hand.
“In that way people who were with him felt they mattered in that moment, and I learnt just how important it was to make people feel like they matter. Indeed, each and every person matters,” said Lubner.
“The award was in recognition of the fact that I consciously make appropriate decisions when considering other people around me, as I genuinely believe every person has value and that our differences bring colour and creativity to life.”
In his speech, Lubner said he wanted to share the award with the other finalists, Imvula Empowerment Fund and Petco, a plastic recycling company, and that they could collaborate with each other.
“My passion as a South African and as a father, is to assist wherever I can to create a better environment both physically through the projects I run, emotionally through the way I hope I treat people, and spiritually through the way I live within my own ethics, non-judgemental of others, but critical of self and always trying to improve the man I am.”
Herby Rosenberg said: “As one of the founders of Afrika Tikkun with Bertie Lubner 23 years ago, I am so proud of him (Marc), and that he succeeded me as CEO. He has achieved wonderful work in carrying out a model with his team that provides long-term sustainability.”
Lubner is also founder of The Smile Foundation, where he acts as executive chairman with a management team running day-to-day activities.
Smile Foundation is a South African NGO with a comprehensive healthcare vision for children living with facial conditions. Smile Foundation together with the country’s academic hospitals, work together to put the smile back onto children’s faces with corrective facial reconstructive surgery and treatments.
He also serves as executive chairman of the SA Israel Chamber of Commerce, which is committed to boosting trade between enterprises in Israel and South Africa by bringing technology into the country from advanced Israeli industries to help with inf
