Thank you to everyone who joined us for another insightful Eminent Speaker Breakfast hosted by the Old Johannian Association.
We were privileged to hear from Rui Morais, Chief Executive Officer of Dis-Chem, who shared powerful insights into leadership, innovation, digital transformation, and the future of healthcare in South Africa.
The discussion explored how innovation must be customer led, with a strong focus on solving real customer challenges and removing friction from the consumer experience. Guests heard how X, bigly labs was established as Dis-Chem’s innovation and transformation hub, bringing together data, technology, analytics, and customer insights to drive measurable impact across the business.
Rui also spoke about the rapid growth of digital consumption at Dis-Chem and how the business is evolving into an integrated healthcare ecosystem that combines physical retail with digital convenience and customer engagement.
A key highlight of the conversation was the evolution of Better Rewards, including the vision behind creating more meaningful and immediate value for customers. The discussion unpacked how loyalty programmes are shifting from transactional points systems to customer experiences that create real everyday impact.
The audience also gained valuable insight into leadership, culture, and organisational transformation. Rui reflected on the importance of quantifying culture, evolving leadership styles, and building a shared sense of purpose across a growing organisation. He shared that culture change has become one of the company’s greatest drivers of success as Dis-Chem continues to evolve.
Guests enjoyed hearing about a typical day in the life of the CEO of Dis-Chem, as well as Rui’s inspiring personal journey from CFO to CEO. Having joined the business in 2010 and later becoming one of the youngest CFOs of a listed South African company, Rui reflected on the lessons learned through leadership, transformation, and innovation.
Thank you to all who attended and contributed to a memorable morning of meaningful conversation, insight, and connection.
