Our Woman Crush Wednesday is the HR extraordinaire Tshepo Wadipeba, with almost two decades of experience under her belt providing strategic HR leadership, as well as human capital management solutions and interventions. She is currently the Chief Human Capital Officer at Botswana Oil Limited where she leads the company’s people agenda.
Having witnessed firsthand the negative impact of poor corporate cultures, and now in a position of power and influence, Tshepo seeks to “create safe spaces for employees to excel and bring their best to the workplace.” She is driven daily to contribute to the business bottom line through an emphasis on people-centric solutions and interventions. At the centre of her work is a profound dedication to empathy in HR practice. She regards employees are human beings and not tools for the company’s attainment of profits, as such their mental, physical and emotional health must always be a priority. People create these profits, and taking care of them translates to great work that improves the bottom line.
Tshepo holds a bachelor’s degree in social sciences obtained from the University of Botswana; completed an executive HR leadership programme at the University of Stellenbosch Business School; and has undergone numerous short-term courses and programmes. She is a Senior Certified HR Professional, and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in business leadership at the University of South Africa (UNISA).
She learnt the nuts and bolts of HR in Botswana’s Department of Building and Engineering Services, and has gone on to work in several government parastatals, non-governmental organisations and private companies. Prior to joining Botswana Oil Limited, she was the Head of Human Capital for the Local Enterprise Authority and led transformation initiatives and leadership development programmes that aligned its culture, people strategy, and business strategy. In the corporate governance space, she is a member of the board at Legal Guard, a legal insurance company, and also serves as the Chairperson of its HR Committee. She is also a board member at Babereki Investments, as well as a ministerial appointee to the Human Resource Development Council Appeals Committee. She is often called upon to speak at conferences, and has participated in the 2021 Strategic HR Conference, 2021 Organisation Development Conference, and 2020 HR Leaders Roundtable, among others. Tshepo also makes an effort to help young female HR professionals succeed by offering guidance and mentorship.
When she’s not working, she enjoys travelling around the world with her family, or working with them at their livestock farm. With her proven track record leading companies to positive, long-term transformation anchored on a people-centric culture, we at Pride Magazine Nigeria applaud Tshepo Wadipeba.