Thomas Leremi was one of the first people on our team, and he has spent the last 24 years living our values. His commitment to learning, added to a flair for language, have seen him move from driver to national presentation consultant.
THEN
Joined in 1993
as driver
NOW
Multi-lingual
presentation expert
STRENGTHS
Passion,
Commitment
HIGHLIGHTS
Courses in Management,
Negotiation, Presentations
24 years of defying the odds
Thomas Leremi joined Discovery when it was still called Momentum Health in June 1993 as a driver messenger – he also collected and sorted the post and did the banking for the group.
His family background meant that he did not have the formal education he so longed for, but he did not let this stop him from defying gravity.
The day everything changed
One day, Tom returned from his deliveries to find a computer installed on his desk. Barry Swartzberg told him that the computer was his, and it came with a promise that, one day, Tom would know how to work on a computer.
“I thought that maybe there was a new employee who was going to use my desk because I couldn’t work on a computer - I didn’t even know how to switch it on!”
Destined for more
John Robertson registered Tom for a computer training course, as well as presentation and negotiations skills courses. Tom also completed a short course on Management and Development.
Taking flight
Thomas can speak all the South African languages fluently, and was moved to the Marketing team to assist with presentations in multiple languages across the country.
Part of the new position involved air travel – a fact that nearly pushed Tom to resign. His wife agreed, as she didn’t want him to die on an airplane.
Once again, Barry Swartzberg assisted Tom in overcoming his uncertainty. After a lot of prayer and a nervous first flight, he landed safely and since that first flight Thomas has travelled the length and breadth of South Africa.
“Today I know South Africa like the back of my hand because I have been lucky enough to travel a lot.”
A love of learning
Thomas has a simple approach to encourage young, new Discovery employees.
He maintains that this is a learning environment that offers those who are willing to learn and grow the chance to do just that – and he is a living example of this mentality.
Today Thomas travels around with a laptop, a result of his commitment to learning and unmatched willpower.
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