CEO of Hogan Lovells SA on having empathy for less fortunate South Africans ahead of The Sun International CEO SleepOut™
CEO of the South African plant of multinational legal firm Hogan Lovells says that The Sun International CEO SleepOut™ is an opportunity for busy corporate leaders to reflect on what less fortunate South Africans go through daily. Listen to May-Elaine Thomson's reflections on this initiative.
CEO of Hogan Lovells SA, May-Elaine Thomson reflects on her participation at the inaugural The Sun International CEO SleepOut™: “I did it last year - it was definitely a life-changing event. It was the first (The) CEO SleepOut™ in South Africa, so I felt I had to be a part of it; it was phenomenal! But it hit home what many South Africans have to deal with everyday.”
May-Elaine walks us through the experience of staying up all night in the open: “We actually ended up sitting together as a small group - we couldn’t sleep. We sat up the whole night, chatting, agreeing on things that we we gonna commit to for the year and it really gives you time to sit and reflect. We’re all so busy in our lives and you sometimes forget to sit back just a little bit to have that awareness and have that empathy, which all South Africans do actually have.”
May-Elaine Thomson is the Chief Executive Officer of Hogan Lovells in South Africa. She is responsible for the day‑to‑day management of the firm and assists the chairman and executive committee with strategic issues, such as client development and marketing.
Although her background was initially in administration (operations), she has gained experience in the management of law firms over the past 20 years.