Madalein Fourie has joined the Eastern Gauteng Chamber of Commerce and Industry (EGCCI) as its marketing and admin director.
She has been involved with the chamber for over 10 years, first as a member, a member of the board and now working for them.
The mother of two said she hopes to help the chamber achieve its goals.
Who is Madalein Fourie?
I have lived in Springs for the past 20 years. Both my children went to schools locally and they are young adults now.
I moved here as a child from Boksburg and I’ve stayed here ever since. My eldest daughter is a psychologist in Auckland, New Zealand, and my youngest daughter has her own beauty salon in Brakpan.
I am passionate and I love people. I am available if they just want to talk and get some advice about their business.
I have a nursing background and studied BCom marketing.
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How did you move from nursing to BCom, those are two very different fields?
I was a medical rep for 22 years and in that period I was appointed by Life Healthcare and Life Springs Parkland Hospital and Netcare Linmed Hospital as a marketing manager for the hospital group, and that’s where my involvement started with the chamber.
As marketing manager at Parklands, which is also a member of the chamber, I represented them on the commercial and executive committee, and Anita Greef and I used to arrange the Springs Trade Fair that took place for seven consecutive years over 10 years ago.
I was very involved with the chamber from the commercial side as well as the trade fair and also assisted the chamber on a freelance basis.
How has the chamber changed over the years since you’ve been involved with them?
Those years, it was like an old boys club and I think in 2002, things started to move away from only men being part of the chamber and ladies were incorporated.
Suzanne Finley was the first female president of the chamber, which made such a big difference when it comes to equality.
We want to change people’s perception of the chamber. We’re really there to add value and change business because remember, the success of our businesses relies on the fact that Springs, Brakpan and Nigel need to survive and be economically strong and grow, otherwise we’re going to lose everything here.
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Aside from your work with the chamber, what else do you do?
I also have my own business, which I handle part-time.
What do you do to relax?
I’m a proud owner of a capuchin monkey. Her name is Madison and she is the light of my life.
She was my foster baby initially and she’s been with me for two years. She is a clever little thing. She takes up a lot of my time.
I love reading and I’m not really a fitness freak. I also do furniture painting, where I distress furniture and that’s actually my hobby.
I always say I distress furniture to destress. I really try to maintain a balance. I’m also a qualified diabetes educator and I assist where I can with diabetic patients; that’s part of my community service.
I also have a diabetes monkey group because capuchins also get diabetes.
Do you have any grandchildren yet?
No. I said to my children, you’re too slow for me, I’ll get my own grandchild.
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