When I asked him to send me a short biography, Carl, clearly modest, provided me with information about his love of motoring which was sparked at the tender age of four, driving old Fordson tractors with his brother.
A neighbour scraped the local kids a track of sorts and soon three-wheel Lambrettas with the roofs cut off, go-karts with the Lambretta engines and much more were put through their paces.
As a teenager Carl discovered motorcycles starting with a 50cc but soon upgrading to his first dirt bike, a Suzuki 400cc single cylinder, which saw him competing in off-road racing.
He also developed a passion for rallies and would follow the Total Rally in his Peugeot 404 hoping he would be mistaken for a participant!
Not to be limited by tyres, Carl next discovered motorboats and partook in endurance waterskiing events and water gymkhanas.
Carl did his national service in the air force. He was stationed in Waterkloof, Snake Valley and the Namibian border in the Missile Sector.
Having mastered two and four wheels on the ground and boats in the water it was aviation that next caught Carl’s attention. The love of flying would be inherited by Carl’s son, George, who qualified as a pilot and has a BCom aviation degree.
Potchefstroom University was Carl’s alma mater. He shared company law classes with Johan van Zyl and Toby Venter. He completed his CIS diploma and also completed an MBA degree in financial management in the United States.
In 1980 Carl married Annelize Zeelie, the love of his life. They have two children, George and Chanette. Thankfully Annelize didn’t mind the approximately 37 cars Carl has owned through the years.
The above information was all Carl provided me with, but I knew there was so much more to him than a passion for cars.
Carl and Annelize are a formidable pair, whether as life partners or business partners.
CEO Global is so much more than just CEO Magazine.
The Wepeners initiated the Most Influential Women in Business & Government (MIW) Titans – Building Nations, a recognition programme for powerful women and men throughout Africa who are shifting the African landscape for the purpose of sustainable growth and ongoing development of their nations.
MIW & Titans – Building Nations, an annual publication, celebrates various organisational successes, focuses on climate change and the carbon footprints and related business practices.
Being a publication that is aimed at the top level of business leaders, the magazine enriches even the most experienced leader with high level quality thought leadership articles.
CEO’s Africa’s Most Influential Women in Business & Government publication which has been a flagship programme in South Africa for many years and was expanded to include women across Africa.
Since its inception the awards have grown considerable and enjoy eminence in the marketplace as a credible identifier of women in business and government who are willing to put their influence to work for the benefit of Africa’s economy. To reach women across the continent their Road Show goes to new countries in Africa each year.
A final continental recognition event takes place to elevate the achievements of men and women who have contributed to continental growth, identifying continental winners from the pool of regional winners and lifetime achievers. Nominees are put through a stringent judging process and regional events take place across the continent, including a symposium which brings men of influence and their female counterparts together to tackle critical issues.
It would seem that all of the above was still not enough and CEO Global introduced Mentor Me 24/7, seven years ago. This impressive programme is designed to develop young African women to become confident in whichever leadership path they are following.
Being mentored by leaders in society will allow these women the unique opportunity to gain all the benefits that a formally structured programme offers. Their mentors will become their teacher, guide, counsellor, motivator, sponsor, adviser, role model, referral agent and door opener.
Thirty candidates (mostly in South Africa but expanding to other African countries) are selected each year to participate.
Covid-19 may have made this process impossible in 2020 but they are planning to induct 50 candidates (young men and women) a year from 2021.
Carl is passionate about the upliftment of especially the youth and women in South Africa. Their mentoring programmes, as well as their CEO Global Pan African Awards for Most Influential Women in Business and Government and Titans Building Nations, have had phenomenal success in South Africa and in the rest of Africa over the last 20 years.
The fact that independent judges judge nominees through a three-tier programme, ensures that winners are very credible and worthy before an award is bestowed upon them.
Africa is close to the Wepeners’ hearts and they also own a plot on the Nile River in Uganda.
CEO Global has started its Pan African Awards in Africa and divided the continent into eight regions.
To quote an email from Carl: “The calibre of people, the dedication of the people and the respect they showed us made them realise that Africa should also benefit through all their programmes and thus they have been active in Africa for the past ten years”.
Carl Wepener may be modest, but he certainly is not modest when it comes to uplifting of others.
We are extremely honoured to have him as our chairman. We wish him luck for his tenure and look forward to exciting developments under his leadership.
