Dr Wendy Mahoney has made history as the first PhD graduate of The Vega School at Emeris and as the first recipient of the school’s Black Pencil Award for Excellence. She was recently conferred the qualification IIE Doctor of Philosophy in Brand Leadership at The Vega School at Emeris Umhlanga’s Class of 2025 graduation ceremony.
Reflecting on receiving her PhD after a three year part-time journey, Dr Mahoney described the moment as deeply emotional and meaningful. “This is the most incredible feeling. I am deeply honoured, blessed and grateful to every single person who cheered me on,” she said.
“It was such a profound moment for me because The Vega School at Emeris has been such an intricate part of my personal journey. What made the occasion even more meaningful was the immense pride I felt in the room for this achievement. It was not just my achievement - it was our achievement”.
Dr Carla Enslin (Dean of the Postgraduate & Research Centre at Emeris) said the launch of the IIE Doctor of Philosophy in Brand Leadership in 2021 was a significant moment for The Independent Institute of Education (IIE) and for The Vega School at Emeris.
“It’s a first of its kind qualification and breaks new ground both locally and internationally,” she said.
“The PhD purposefully produces original frameworks, original models, creative insights to innovative and meaningful brand building. We expect our PhD graduates to be the individuals advancing the values-based leadership that grows an organisational culture and the practises that transform communities, businesses, environments,” continued Dr Enslin.
Dr Enslin said the research based programme required candidates to produce original outputs that met both academic and industry expectations. “We are remarkably proud of Wendy Mahoney’s contribution to brand leadership. Her original work on the interplay between the empathy and innovation, in terms of brand leadership, is sure to make a significant difference in how we go about building brands with integrity”.
Before pursuing academia, Dr Mahoney enjoyed an accomplished sales and marketing career in media locally and internationally. After experiencing multiple burnouts, she made the life changing decision to leave the corporate world and rethink her future.
“I thought to myself if I could start my life all over again, what would I do? I realised that throughout my career I had always been passionate about unlocking human potential and helping people grow into who they were meant to become. That’s what led me towards lecturing,” she recalled.
She founded Newmella and Associates in 2015, an innovation consultancy focused on placing and creating executives who fit the future, not just the job description, and she joined The Vega School at Emeris Umhlanga in 2016 as a lecturer.
“Working with the students was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I still love guest lecturing,” she said. “One of the fantastic things about The Vega School at Emeris is that many lecturers bring real-world industry experience into the lecture room while integrating academic theory. It really is wisdom with magic. I found my purpose in the pursuit of my purpose and the Vega School played a big role in that journey. For that I will be forever grateful and loyal to the Vega brand”.
Not one to stand still, Dr Mahoney also completed her IIE Master of Arts in Creative Brand Leadership cum laude before pursuing her doctorate.
“I was very adamant that my PhD was part of my long term vision. After multiple burnouts, I wanted to find a new way of sustainably leading and doing business that was academically reliable and valid,” she said. “I’m incredibly purpose driven and passionate about the value of inclusion within the workplace, as it relates to innovation, change and well-being”.
While achieving her doctorate remains one of her proudest accomplishments, she admitted the journey tested her resilience and endurance. “The last year was definitely the most challenging. I had to redo some chapters multiple times and had to dig very deep in order to do so”.
“I experienced extreme cognitive fatigue during the process, but what emerged from my PhD research were two models I am extremely proud of. The one that I am most proud of emerged after being asked by my supervisors to re-do my findings chapter for what I recall was the fourth time. Sometimes you just need to trust the process”.
Throughout her journey, Dr Mahoney prioritised her well-being and intentionally made time for family, friends and nature. “I made sure I wasn’t just sitting in a cave studying. Walking on the Umhlanga Promenade, hearing the sea and listening to music helped keep me grounded”.
Encouraging students to pursue postgraduate studies, she said further education allowed people to deepen their passions, discover their purpose and create something unique.
“A postgraduate qualification not only differentiates you but also gives you the opportunity to go deeper into what you truly care about,” she said.
“The confidence I have now when I speak is different. I speak with conviction because my work has been peer reviewed and academically validated”.
Sharing advice for young South Africans navigating their own journeys, Dr Mahoney encouraged them not to fear setbacks.
“I’ve had many challenges in life, but they taught me valuable lessons and skills. Failure is the path to success. Failure is prototyping in innovation, that is how you learn. Courage is doing things anyway, despite the fear of failure. I believe everything happens for me, not against me”.
Dr Mahoney was also awarded the first Black Pencil Award for Excellence at The Vega School at Emeris.
Her research supervisor Dr Sean McCoy praised her determination, resilience and contribution to the field of brand leadership.
“Wendy has worked extremely hard and demonstrated remarkable courage, determination and scholarly excellence throughout her PhD journey,” he said.
“She has shown exceptional critical thinking, thought leadership and a fierce pursuit of excellence. It has been a privilege to partner with her on this journey”.
