I have spent considerable time in sales in my life and have generally found it easy to relate with others through a mixture of humour and empathy.

I have certainly been able to tweak and refine my public speaking skills through Toastmasters, for which I am genuinely grateful.

Where I have benefitted he most, however, is in the realm of leadership.

It is true that after joining Toastmasters, I was able in the years subsequent to that, to become:

• A City Councillor in the capital city of South Africa (Pretoria);
• Deputy Regional Chairperson for a political party which now leads the governing coalition in the city I live in;
• An Area Director (where I oversaw the performance of a number of branches and mentored and assisted them to be the best they could be).

I have learnt a great deal about working with teams, motivating people and have gained in confidence at the same time.

I wholeheartedly encourage any corporate entity to harness the benefits of Toastmasters for its employees.

 Shaun Wilkinson,

Former Area Director /Ward Councillor