Leon Pillay

Leon Pillay has worked in the DEI and Media brand space for the last two decades. He started his professional career as a media development practitioner for a leading Newspaper organization in South Africa. His responsibilities were around continuous improvement through brand marketing and business growth for new media initiatives.

His qualifications within the media space was a Diploma in Prepress Print, Design, and Marketing [Photolithography] He then went on to do a Business Administration qualification at the Business Studies Unit from the Durban University of Technology. He learnt in Marketing Strategy and Organizational Behavior. In the early 90s, he was afforded the opportunity to read at Wits University Dept of Public Management on the Diversity Management program.

This was made possible by The Diversity Institute and Argus Newspapers South Africa. He then joined The Diversity Institute as a Senior Consultant within the DEI space. Leon then went on to open his own business consultancy, Tazhlati Training Solutions (TTS) which provided capacity within the transformation of business in SA.

He presently develops and facilitates awareness workshops on DEI, Unconscious bias, anti-racism for a few institutions within the country. His program also looks at multi-cultures in today's world of brand and promotion. He is also a Head Instructor/Associate Instructor/Assessor (Part-time) for Get Smarter/2U.

Assessor - Get Smarter/2U

(2026)

University Of Cape Town: Change Management; UCT-CHM-2026 current

• Responsible for academic theory with practical executive execution.
• Evaluating Practical Assignments: Assessing against marking rubrics.
• Grading components that build up to the final certification.
• Providing constructive feedback to participants.
• Maintaining academic quality and compliance.
• Collaboration with lead and associate instructors.
• Resolving grading queries.

Associate Instructor/Assessor - Get Smarter/2U

(2020)

Live. Northwestern University: Weinberg: Leading Diversity, Equity, Inclusion. NU-DIN: 2020-2024. [4 cohorts per year]

• Build and maintain internal faculty resources related to assessing student knowledge and skills through 2U’s tech environment
• Use of plagiarism and proctoring software
• Engagement with academic team on participant support.
• DEI Program Facilitation: DEI Landscape, Dynamics, Challenges, Transformative change, Communication Strategy, DEI Metrics/Data

Assessor - Get Smarter/2U

(2021 - 2023)

Live. Yale School of Management [Ex Education] Leading Global Virtual Teams. YALE-GVT: 2021-Present. [2 cohorts per year-6 weeks]

• Ongoing engagement with Academic Lead/Academic Head
• Build and maintain internal faculty resources related to assessing student knowledge and skills through 2U’s tech environment
• Use of plagiarism and proctoring software
• Engagement with academic team on participant support
• Effective written feedback on graded activity to participant

Head Instructor-Assessor - Get Smarter/2U

(2022 - 2024)

Northwestern University: Medill School: Content Marketing and Strategy: Brand and Business Growth. NU-BRM: 2021-2024. [2 Cohorts per year-6 weeks]

• Review the performance of participants on the cohort assigned to the program.
• Continuous developing of community of practice linked to subject matter to further grow an understanding of adult learning.
• Facilitation on the learning platform through Group/class discussion
• Assessment of all graded activity attached to the learning program

Assessor - Get Smarter/2U

(2022 - 2024)

University of Toronto Rotman: Enabling Impact Through Inclusive Leadership. UTOR-DEI: 2022-2024. [2 cohorts per year-6 weeks]

• Build and maintain internal faculty resources related to assessing student knowledge and skills through 2U’s tech environment
• Use of plagiarism and proctoring software
• Engagement with academic team on participant support
• Need for specialist skills on Diversity, inclusion, equity, belonging, also unconscious bias and racism.

Assessor - Get Smarter/2U

(2022 - 2024)

University of Toronto Rotman: Leading Strategic Change. UTOR-LDC: 2022-Present. [2 cohorts per year-6 weeks]

• Build and maintain internal faculty resources related to assessing student knowledge and skills through 2U’s tech environment
• Use of plagiarism and proctoring software
• Engagement with academic team on participant support
• Need for specialist skills on business transformation, change management and leadership vision

Leadership development/Talent Pool Consultant - DSV-Global Transport and Logistics

(2010)

• Facilitation of DEI in Leadership workshops
• Develop Learning interventions around Diversity, Equity, Inclusion And Racism.
• Project manages change initiatives.
• Assess cohorts of Leadership participants with written assignments.
• Facilitation of DEI & Belonging for DSV Owner Drivers Program
• Facilitation and consultation on Workplace racism, Employment Equity [EE] and Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment [BBBE]
• Lead facilitator for DSV Enterprise Development Program for Entrepreneurs.

Diversity, Inclusion, Equity Consultant [Contract-part time] - Nedbank

(2008 - 2016)

• Maintain internal faculty resources related to assessing DEI workshop knowledge and skills through the financial institutions transformation initiatives.
• Engagement with the Organizational Development team.
• This entails the need for specialist skills in Diversity, inclusion, equity, belonging, also unconscious bias and racism.

Diversity Management Facilitator/Assessor - Nedbank Group Technology

Foundation for Personal Leadership

• Facilitation and coaching on DEI for Leaders.
• Assessment of participants written assignments.

Senior DEI Consultant and Key Account Manager: Lead Facilitator - The Diversity Institute (South Africa)

(2008 - 2016)

• Engaging DEI programs with business Leaders, HR, OD and Transformation Managers.
• Development of DEI programs, customized to suit the various customer organizational needs.
• Report writing.
• Consult with HR on DEI selection and recruitment.
• List of Clients I have consulted/facilitated in South Africa: Valuing and Managing Diversity, Inclusion and Equity. Racism In The Workplace, Unconscious Bias
• Independent News and Media, Cura Software, Imperial Bank, Motor Finance Corporation, Arcellor Mittal, Anglo America Mining, De Beers Mining, Murray and Roberts Construction, Aveng Construction, Shell,HSBC Bank, City of Ekhurleni Municipality, NCP Chlorchem, Lexis Nexis,

Continuous Improvement Manager - Independent News and Media

(1988 - 2004)

• Pre-press planner and co-coordinator.
• Responsible for Production Team's learning and development requirements
• Internal Facilitator/Change Initiatives/Member of the Production leadership team: Chairperson of the Change Team [ERG]
• Member of the Production Leadership Team (PLT).
• Responsible for implementing the strategic change initiative for the Production department.

Grade 12/Matric - Raisethorpe High School (1979 - 1983)

Diploma in Photolithography - Print Media Publishing Studies - Sastri College (1884 - 1988)

Business Development Diploma - Business Studies Unit - Durban University of Technology (1997 - 1999)

Certification Diversity Management - Faculty/Public Management - University Witwatersrand (Wits) (2001 - 2002)

Certification Assessor/Facilitator - Learning Performance Link (Canada) (1997 - 1998)