Toastmasters International, Southern Africa elects its youngest CEO

26-year old Andrew Tsuro, takes on strengthening a hub of the world’s leading Organisation devoted to communication and leadership skills development as he becomes the youngest District Director of Toastmasters Southern African.

Toastmasters Southern Africa has welcomed Andrew Tsuro as the 44th CEO of the region, the youngest to be elected to that office. Tsuro has been elected for a one-year term at the organization’s 2022 annual regional conference, which is being held virtually. His term will begin on 1 July 2022 and will end on 30 June 2023.

As an ardent advocate for millennial leadership, entrepreneurship and skills development in various organizations across Southern Africa, Andrew becomes the highest-ranked officer in the region who will bring a wealth of leadership experience to his new role.

“I am honored and excited about the opportunity to serve in this new role under Toastmasters International, to build on the momentum my predecessor and team have created in advancing leadership skills and communication development. I want to the opportunity to thank the leadership and members of Southern African Toastmasters for electing me and other District leaders who will be serving in this coming year. We are fully equipped to advance leadership transformation in Africa” says Andrew Tsuro.

In his new role as District Director, he will be responsible for directly empowering, overseeing and managing Toastmasters hubs in Southern Africa including Zambia, Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. Andrew, a Corporate Trainer, Speaker, and TEDx speaking coach, expects his success will hinge on collaborations within and outside Toastmasters International, his Toastmasters and professional experience.

He is a two-time recipient of the Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) award for excellence in Communication and Leadership – the highest accolade bestowed by Toastmasters International and the Chief Executive of the eHub, an entrepreneur’s hub that helps professionals transition from corporate to entrepreneurship with mentorship to alleviate the plight of the Africans.His work credits include extensive training at corporates across Southern Africa, such as Mercedes-Benz South Africa, Exxaro, University of Witwatersrand, Afrox Linde, Bidvest Bank, and many others in different industries. He has been actively involved in setting up and mentoring Communication and Leadership Development programmes in corporates like Multichoice, Vodacom, FSCA, Standard Bank Southern Africa and Malawi, and various other organizations.

“Andrew has been a pivotal pillar for us as Mercedes Benz Toastmasters. His unwavering commitment to leadership development is an excellent example to us, especially young people who aspire to make a mark in the continent. We are confident that he is the right leader to carry our strong momentum forward and create significant value,” Mzonjani Nkomo, Mercedes Benz Toastmasters President.

A Toastmaster since 2015, Andrew is a member of Entrepreneurs, L’Avenir – an Anglo francophone Toastmasters Club in South Africa. He has held several high-profile leadership positions within Toastmasters. An entrepreneur and passionate leadership coach, Andrew was 2021 JCI Ten Outstanding Young Persons, 2020’s 50 Under 30 Emerging Leaders and 2018’s Top 10 Global Young Future Leaders recognized by the, HR.com’s LEAD Leadership Excellence awards. He is described by many colleagues as an enthusiastic entrepreneur and pacesetting leader who thrives in exceeding expectations.”

Andrew will work closely with the newly elected Executive Committee for 2022/2023 (1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023) to help fulfill these responsibilities and empower the regional leadership team to work together toward the regional mission, while supporting them in their development as a leader.