Carolynne Waterhouse

My story takes place predominantly in the Southern Hemisphere, across two continents - Australia were I was born, and Africa, where I grew up, launched a fulfilling career, fell in love and have become a very lucky wife and Mother, blessed to be part of a close-knit extended family, committed to "esprit de corps"! My personal travels over time have however included Asia, North and South America (plus Hawaii), Europe, the UK and parts of Africa, North of South Africa. After graduating from Natal University with a B Soc Science in 1991, I traveled overseas for 18 months, living off casual waitressing and aupair jobs, essentially learning about resilience and gratitude, which travelling on a shoe-string teaches on fast-forward! On returning to SA, a little older but immensely more worldly, my career kicked off at Unilever SA, which gifted me with a robust understanding of traditional marketing principles with a healthy appetite for marketing and communication innovation. I then moved into a public affairs/marketing roles in retail financial services, which propelled me into the wholesale/business-to-business landscape of corporate and investment banking, with Rand Merchant Bank. Essentially RMB caters for large corporations across their range of requirements for complex financial solutions, together with wealth management for high net worth individuals. In short, my work has enabled my passion for possibilities, as in addition to starting and heading the marketing division for RMB, one of Africa's leading corporate and investment banks, I have been a Trustee of the greater Group's corporate social investment vehicle, The FirstRand Foundation, since its inception in 1998 (now in my 19th year). RMB's belief in my respect for courageous creativity, has allowed me to help build and curate the bank's powerfully diverse art collection, all of which is sourced locally - often from young artists trying to establish themselves as "collectible". Our approach to the leveraging possibilities between the Art of Business and The Business of Art, has attracted huge accolades for RMB, as believer in the ultimate potential of South Africa's creative economy as a country differentiator. Two arts partnerships I am particularly proud to have both initiated and delivered as public RMB brand-builders were : William Kentridge's Mozart's Magic Flute production in 2007, which enjoyed a sell-out season in SA. Bringing Handspring's War Horse production "home" to SA, also for a sell-out season in 2012. In the broad course of my work I get to spend discretionary time with artists, musicians, producers, gallerists, philanthropists, crafters, curator, many NGOs - and the odd banker or three during my day job! When it comes to being connected, I have underutilized technology, but stretch human connectivity, preferring to surround myself with non-like-minded people who excel in areas when I am weak. I am never the cleverest person in the room, which could explain why everyone I meet is always happy to keep in touch and expose me to their world. So in addition to all the riches of my home, family and working life - I live a vicariously exciting existence through a great many other, hugely and diversely talented people!

...about the many intersections between humanity, nature and creativity. I am passionately disturbed but what I mostly see as HumanUNKIND and feel sure that re-connecting humans with nature in creative ways, will go some way towards HumanKIND being more prevalent!

arts, brand-building, Communication, culture, financial services, heritage, Marketing, networking, publicity, realtionships, sponsorships, stage productions, writing

What appeals to me enormously about TED, is the fact that it brings international diversity and positive change-agent energy together on a global stage, where EQUAL BUT DIFFERENT is the catalyst for sharing smartness and innovation! I have always soaked up and fed off and into the good energy of other people, blocking negative energy, where it challenges positive progress. I see TED as an environment abuzz with creative energy and would truly love to experience it personally - ideally on my home continent of Africa.