Page 71 - Powerlist 2020

Vanessa Kingori MBE

Publishing Director, British Vogue

In January 2018, Vanessa became Publishing Director of Media, Publishing & Entertainment
British Vogue in all its guises, the first female publisher
in its 103-year history. At the time, Vanessa was Condé
Nast UK’s youngest publisher and the first black or ethnic
minority publisher throughout the company.
Vanessa joined Vogue from British GQ where she was
publisher of the multi-platform brand for three years.
Her time there this marked an array of key firsts.
During her tenure at GQ, Vanessa gave particular focus
to building the brand’s digital revenue and credibility while
simultaneously growing and maintaining the print elements
of the portfolio.
The year 2016 marked her first full year as GQ’s Publisher,
and became the brand’s most successful year of revenue
generation of the past decade. Vanessa implemented
and managed significant change including retraining
and restructuring her largely print-heritage team. Digital
revenue, in particular, rose steeply.
As a result, GQ Publishing won several awards including
‘Best Branded Content’ at the 2017 Digiday awards and
the Condé Nast International award for the best native
advertising performance across all CN global brands.
She now brings this insight and strategy to running Condé
Nast UK’s flagship brand, Vogue. Yolisa Phahle
Vanessa has a keen interest in youth development.
In her role as Visiting Fellow at the University of the Arts CEO, General Entertainment
Multichoice Group Africa
London, she supports students through mentoring, panel
discussions and project evaluations. She has judged the
Black British Business Awards since 2015 with a personal A star of the corporate media industry, Yolisa continues to
emphasis on corporate rising stars and entrepreneurs go from strength to strength. In 2017 she was made CEO of
focused on media and the arts. Multichoice Group Africa, the biggest TV operation in the
In May 2018, the Financial Times listed Vanessa in second continent, broadcasting to 50 countries.
place on their ‘EMpower100 Ethnic Minority Leaders’ list, In the 2019 South African Film and Television awards,
which highlights those business leaders making British MultiChoice walked away with the most nominated shows in
workplaces more diverse. all categories – more than 150 in all.
In 2018, Vanessa was awarded an Honorary Doctorate She previously served as the Chief Executive Officer of
from UAL for her services to the media and fashion M-Net, Africa’s most successful pay TV company.
industries. She received an MBE in 2016. Although born in the UK, it is Phahle’s roots – her parents
left South Africa in 1965 – that led her to her this role, one of
the most influential in South African TV.
She cut her teeth as a musician, training at Guildhall
School of Music and Drama where she majored in the piano
and violin. As a session musician she shared a stage with the
likes of Duran Duran, Soul II Soul and Jamiroquai, before
joining the BBC World Service in 1996 as a studio manager.
In 2004, she moved to South Africa, joining M-Net as head
of its Channel O. She then became channel director of its
Special Interest Channels, where she was instrumental in
launching many successful local networks.
Yolisa says she aims to be part of the transformation of
the South African TV and film industry: “We need to
create opportunity for young black entrepreneurship.
There is abundant talent and many wonderful stories
that need to be told.” She has called for greater opportunities
for women in senior roles in television.
Speaking about a major new TV production about the
Zulu king, Shaka, Yolisa said. “Starting this journey
is history in the making… we are looking forward to
showcasing the deep pool of talent that lies within
South Africa.”

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