u003cpu003eu003cstrongu003eBeing independent in every sense of the word is very important to the Managing Director of brand and communication company Black Martini. She pursued an intensive career in the corporate world before moving to Mauritius to set up her own agency.u003c/strongu003eu003c/pu003eu003cpu003eBorn in South Africa, 50-year-old Leoni Field-Richards spent most of her life in Johannesburg before setting up camp in Mauritius in search of a better quality of life, armed with considerable years of experience within high-profile corporate enterprises.u003c/pu003eu003cpu003eHer professional journey first starts in 1986 when after a Higher Diploma in Food and Clothing technology and a Diploma in Strategic Marketing she moves to Durban to integrate the Mr Price Group as a Fashion Buyer at Miladyu0026rsquo;s, where she is later promoted to Senior Fashion Buyer and then to Marketing Executive. She will end up spending 12 years within this group, acquiring valuable experience along the way.u003c/pu003eu003cpu003eThis also meant travelling the world four to five times a year and often on short notice, but it was a very glamorous career for a young girl, says Leoni Richards. One of the most marking moments for her was when she was called upon to take up the position of her mentor in the marketing department, who passed away.u003c/pu003eu003cpu003eu0026ldquo;u003cemu003eIt was sad and inspiring at the same time because I had big shoes to fillu003c/emu003e,u0026rdquo; she states. The urge to found her own enterprise will however take over and in 1998, Leoni Richards opens her own consulting business, specialising in loyalty programmes before joining the JD Group as Group Marketing Executive.u003c/pu003eu003cpu003eWhile at JD, she was promoted to Chief Executive Officer of BoConcept UK, a retailer of Danish furniture with stores throughout the UK. u0026ldquo;u003cemu003eMy role was to make sure that the different low to high-end brands the group never cannibalised each other. It was very tough but I liked it,u0026rdquo; she declares. One of the toughest challenges as part of the JD Group, Leoni Richards recalls, was assisting the UK segment of the business which was in severe financial trouble. u0026ldquo;It took me 18 months to wrap up the business, fill up some of the stores, close some of them and find new jobs for those who had been laid off. We were able to leave the UK with a very good reputation regardless of whether the business had survived. It was a good experience overall.u003c/emu003eu0026rdquo;u003c/pu003eu003cpu003eIn 2005, upon her return to South Africa, she is appointed Managing Director of Maravedi Financial Solutions, a joint venture between Absa Bank and Thebe Investments, where she succeeds in bringing about a return to profitability in six monthsu0026rsquo; time. From that point, Leoni Richards decides she has had enough of the corporate adventure and thus joins The Firehouse, an advertising agency in Johannesburg, as Managing Director of the African operations before being hit by an epiphany: this is not her long-term life goal.u003c/pu003eu003cpu003eu0026ldquo;u003cemu003eA third of our life is monopolised by studies, while the second third is spent building a career. What do you do with the last third?u003c/emu003eu0026rdquo; questions Leoni Richards on a philosophical note. u0026ldquo;u003cemu003eI wanted to pursue something I passionately loved, through which I could put to use what Iu0026rsquo;ve learned from other people and I said to myself:u003c/emu003e u0026lsquo;u003cemu003eWhy donu0026rsquo;t I create my own agency?u0026rsquo; This is how Black Martini was born,u003c/emu003eu0026rdquo; she recounts.u003c/pu003eu003cpu003eWhere does Mauritius fit into this equation? Leoni Richards explains that she had visited the place a few times before and saw the potential for a brand and communication agency. The most important reason for moving here however, she pursues, was to get in touch with reality again. u0026ldquo;u003cemu003eSometimes you can get drawn into a pretentious world and Johannesburg is a very easy place for that to happen. There is a beautiful life balance in Mauritiusu003c/emu003e,u0026rdquo; she admits.u003c/pu003eu003cpu003eBlack Martini will celebrate its sixth anniversary in March and since its creation, has worked with big groups and companies such as CIEL and Alteo (Anahita), Indian Ocean Real Estate Company (Azuri), AfrAsia and Phoenix Beverages. Why the name Black Martini, one may ask? u0026ldquo;u003cemu003eThere are several reasonsu003c/emu003eu0026rdquo;, Leoni Richards answers with a smile.u003c/pu003eu003cpu003eFirstly, she wanted a name she loved, which was memorable and fun as well. u0026ldquo;u003cemu003eMy nickname when I was in the corporate business was u0026lsquo;the silver bulletu0026rsquo;, and it is also another appellation for a Martini. Its definition is that it is clear, potent and never misses the mark. The name u0026lsquo;Black Martiniu0026rsquo; was eventually chosen because of that and my love for the colour blacku003c/emu003e,u0026rdquo; she confides.u003c/pu003eu003cpu003eOutside of Black Martini, which is her major passion in life, Leoni Richards describes herself as quite an easy-going person who enjoys spending time with her friends and her husband, Mark. She also likes dinner parties, watching sunsets, being out on a boat or simply digging into a good book. u0026ldquo;u003cemu003eI was mad about diving until recently but I overdid it, so Iu0026rsquo;m taking a break from it right now and concentrating on getting my skipperu0026rsquo;s licenseu003c/emu003e,u0026rdquo; she adds.u0026nbsp;u003c/pu003eu003cpu003eDoes she not regret having trodden on the path of her dreams earlier? u0026ldquo;u003cemu003eThere are times I wish I had done it earlieru003c/emu003e,u0026rdquo; she replies. u0026ldquo;u003cemu003eThen again, I would not have had the knowledge I had six years ago when I founded my agency. There are lots of things that are watersheds in your life. I learned tremendously from my business experience in the UK, for exampleu003c/emu003e.u0026rdquo;u003c/pu003eu003cpu003eAnother marking moment in her life has been falling in love with and marrying her closest friend, which is the best thing that can happen to anybody, she says. u0026ldquo;u003cemu003eMy husband and my family, back in Johannesburg, whom I visit regularly, are important to me. They are what keeps me stableu003c/emu003e,u0026rdquo; she confides.u003c/pu003eu003cpu003eThis free spirit thus intends to continue her journey guided by a motto quite befitting her personality: u0026ldquo;u003cemu003eDream, because if you donu0026rsquo;t dream, you have nothing to aspire tou003c/emu003e.u0026rdquo;u003c/pu003e
Leoni Richards: A free spirit with a twist!
