Vernon Cresswell (South Africa)

"How can you use some of the more powerful lessons found in nature and apply them to your everyday business or personal interactions?" Vernon Cresswell is an entrepreneur in the financial services and wealth management sector in his native South Africa. He established a private bank for Standard Bank, which is now a highly successful part of the group and went on to head their Wealth Division. Vernon approaches business armed with the knowledge he gained from observing the behaviour of animals in the wild.

A regular writer on business and financial topics, Vernon's regular column, Smart Money, ran in the South African Sunday Times for over a decade. In his book, Natural Teamwork, he describes how to attain business success using lessons from nature. He argues that teamwork and the recognition of interdependence are as important in a business context as they are in the ecosystem of the bush.

Vernon and his family spend as much time as they can in the Sabi Sands area of South Africa. His interest in nature has led to him becoming a qualified trail guide and he is an expert in snake identification and handling... a useful skill in the financial services world.

In his presentations, which are illustrated with striking images from nature, Vernon discusses the need for clear and effective communication, strong relationships and the need to grow youth and inexperience. He says that in the competitive business arena, as in nature, only the strongest survive.

JLA Client Comments

"Vernon is uniquely qualified to speak on trust, teamwork, ethics and communication." Toyota