Pam
Yako

Pam Yako has spent her career moving between two worlds that don't always talk to each other well: government and business, and finding what makes people and institutions actually work. Today she leads Zenande Leadership Consulting, a firm she built to help leaders and organizations navigate change with clarity and confidence.

Her own leadership was forged in some of South Africa's toughest public-sector roles: as a Municipal Manager, and later as Director-General of both the Department of Environmental Affairs and the Department of Water and Forestry, where she helped shape the country's environmental laws and water security strategy. That grounding in public service still shapes how she works today, with a strong sense of purpose and a deep respect for the people affected by the decisions leaders make.

As a coach, Pam is known for her warmth and her insistence on seeing the whole person. She draws on the Enneagram and her training in emotional maturity to help leaders understand themselves before asking them to lead others. It's an approach shaped by years of learning under respected international trainers, and it shows in how patiently she works with the executives, teams, and boards she supports.

Pam has also stayed close to the causes she cares about most, particularly the environment. She has advised the Presidential Climate Commission, the World Bank, and Anglo American on climate strategy, and chaired the national panel that reviewed South Africa's policies on elephant, lion, leopard, and rhino management. She currently serves on the board of South African Airways and previously chaired South African Tourism and South African National Parks, where she is now helping shape its Vision 2040.

She holds a B Com from Rhodes University and a Master's in Business Leadership from UNISA, and is a certified coach and accredited Integrative Enneagram Practitioner. When she's not consulting, she writes a bi-monthly blog reflecting on the leadership lessons she's picked up along the way.