About CEO Jenny Breakey

As the Founder of Building Best Businesses, Creating Your Career by Design, and The Online School for Best Businesses, I bring decades of executive leadership and experience in HR and business.

My mission is to champion fairness, inclusion, and ethical success across all levels of business, and to help, inspire, and empower executives, leaders, managers, and employees, wherever they are and whoever they are in business, to build ethically sustainable businesses and fulfilling careers.

I want to equip everyone in the workplace with the necessary tools and techniques to ensure fairness and equity, free from bias and discrimination, and I want to champion building best businesses and to help you create your career by design. We spend most of our time at work, and our personal and professional lives overlap with each other. So, it is now time to set the right mindset to help you succeed in both. It is possible to succeed at work, and be happy and ethical in the process.

My career has been extensively in the Human Resources field for three decades, helping leaders build best businesses through sound policies, procedures, and best business practices, alongside codes of good practice. I grew through the ranks, learnt every aspect of employee/employer integration and the different facets of a business, and went on to become an HR Executive and Director. My business portfolio is extensive and I held accountability for all the functions below:

  1. Succession Planning for key roles within the Business
  2. Labor Law Compliance and Advice to Management
  3. Union Negotiations & Consultations
  4. Risk Security
  5. Annual submissions of Government legislated documentation
  6. Environmental Health & Safety
  7. Occupational Health
  8. Coaching, Mentoring, Training, Development and Facilitation
  9. Recruitment & Terminations
  10. Disciplinaries, Grievances, and Sexual Harassment Cases
  11. Employment Equity Manager for the Business
  12. Multi-faceted Chairperson

I acted with integrity, dignity and respect, with no bias or discrimination, regardless the situation, and I believe that it is not only possible, but fundamentally essential, for all business leaders to do the same. I believe in making HR responsible for this benchmark. I have a lot to offer businesses, thus making The Online School for Best Businesses affordable and accessible to as many people as possible. This is the best way forward for helping me have the global impact that I want in helping Building Best Businesses globally.

Personal and Professional Values

Core values help guide you through challenging times, and you need to stand firm in your core values, without compromise. Create a meaningful life both at home and at work, filled with purpose and passion, and one that will be of service to others.

These are my core values:

  • Consistency: Deliver reliable, dependable, and predictable results, and maintain high standards across all areas of the organization.
  • Honesty: Be truthful and transparent in all my business dealings and communications, and keep commitments made.
  • Respect: Value others by treating them with dignity, respect, fairness, and courtesy at all times.
  • Integrity: Act with honesty, strong moral principles, and consistency in words and actions.
  • Simplicity: Work towards clarity, ease, and streamlined processes to eliminate unnecessary complexity, and make easy solutions more accessible.
  • Transparency: Operate in an open, honest, and clear manner, especially in all your communications and decision-makings.
Your workplace values should align in some form with your own values, and this is the foundation from which you will operate and make decisions which could have a far reaching effect.

Testimonial - Glenn Ford, USA

Glenn Ford – COO Bequall, Inc. – Set Vision, Strategy & Plan to Get There | Product & Operations Captain | Lean Manufacturing Expert | Establishing Real Fiscal Responsibility | Data-driven Decisions | P&L Management | People Rallyer COO Bequall, Inc. – Set Vision, Strategy & Plan to Get There | Product & Operations Captain | Lean Manufacturing Expert | Establishing Real Fiscal Responsibility | Data-driven Decisions | P&L Management | People Rallyer. Glenn was senior to Jenny but didn’t manage Jenny directly.

No matter what task you give to Jennifer, she will accomplish it! Her excellent demeanor and “get it done” attitude is what really makes Jennifer stand out. She is a person who has two numbers….0 and 100; 0 is for anything that’s negative, unneeded, wistful, or needless consumption; 100 if for attaining goals, meeting challenging situations, winning and just plain making it happen. I’ve witnessed Jen’s positive work attitude during my short time in South Africa and her intelligence as well. But I have to tell a short story…

I’m an avid hiker, and as such being in Cape Town South Africa, I wanted to hike Table Mountain. Jen agreed to go with me on the hike, but after we started the uphill climb, it was quickly apparent that she didn’t really understand how challenging this hike would be. Jen was lagging in the back of the trail. Nonetheless, she wasn’t about to let this huge mountain defeat her. Moreover, she immediately asked for help. I simply stated…”You’re hiking the entire trail instead of only the next 10 or 20 yards!” She quickly understood and adapted. The next thing I knew Jen, was leading the hike. This is a testament to her approach on just about everything in life.

As a result of witnessing both her professional work ethic and physical determination, I readily recommend Jennifer for just about any professional business challenge. You can place a bet that Jennifer will accomplish the task assigned with stellar results. If you want a winner around you, be sure to keep Jennifer close by.

(Note: Glenn Ford was my mentor while I was studying ACE (Achieving Competitive Excellence), through the ISO University in the USA. (I was still in South Africa, and studying online.) Glenn then came to South Africa for a short stint to help me with the launching of ACE in our company nationwide. It was an absolute honor to work with someone with such a high work ethic, and with someone who is able to effortlessly show you the best way to overcome obstacles and challenges within the working environment.)

Testimonial - Steven Barry, former Regional Managing Director, Chubb Security, RSA

Jennifer reported to me during my tenure at Chubb Security. In her role as Regional Human Resources Manager she was responsible for all HR and employee support activities within a very complex business with a large and diverse labour force.

I found her a pleasure to work with, she tackled all assignments with dedication and purpose.

Her interpersonal skills are exemplary and appreciated by everyone she works with.

Though she was an asset to our HR Department, Jennifer was also helpful in many other areas of our business, and through this she broadened her horizon and was able to add value in other areas of the business.

With her motivation and knowledge, Jennifer would bring a wealth of expertise to any organization.

Character Reference - Dr D. J. Looringh van Beeck M.B.Ch.B (UCT) D.B.G. (Stell.), RSA

I have known Jennifer since 2008 in my capacity as Company Occupational Medical Practitioner for Robertson and Caine, where she worked as the Human Resources Manager (side note: and was a Senior Manager in the Company).

I am a medical graduate of the University of Cape Town, South Africa, and have been in medical practice since 1983. I consult at Robertson and Caine on a sessional basis as their Occupational Medical Practitioner twice a week.

Jennifer has been instrumental in helping establish an Occupational Health and Safety service. This has required determination and perseverance and has benefited the employees and helped the company comply with legal requirements.

I have found Jennifer to be a caring and compassionate person, able to balance the wellbeing of the employees with the needs of the company. She has dealt with difficult Occupational Health related human resource matters with clarity and decisiveness.

It has been a pleasure to work with someone who is so dedicated and committed. I will miss working with her, and wish her well with any future ventures.

(Note: We worked together for 8 years.)

Reference: The late Gary Steinmetz (also the former Vice President of Toyota, South Africa)

Reference: Stephen J. Mundy (Group Managing Director of Chubb in Southern Africa)