Vernon Cresswell is known and respected in the corporate community, Vernon has decided to combine lessons from his strong business background with something even stronger – his passion for nature. His on-the-job experience in corporate SA and business in general for the past 20 years, coupled with Vernons  in-depth understanding of nature makes him a truly unique individual when it comes to understanding the intricacies of team dynamics.

Raised in Mpumalanga, South Africa, Vernon Cresswell was introduced to the wonders of nature at a very early age. After graduating with B Com LLB Degrees and Higher Tax Diploma and Company Law Diplomas, he decided to pursue a career in business – a decision that proved to be highly successful. In later years he and a few colleagues built their own financial planning business which was later sold to a large corporate. After serving a restraint period, Vernon was headhunted in 2001 by Standard Bank and appointed to start up their Private Bank, now a highly successful part of the groups Retail Bank. Following these illustrious successes Vernon Cresswell was later appointed as Head of Standard Bank’s Wealth Division. After remaining in this position for a period of time, the urge for Vernon to take up a new and exciting challenge was too great – resulting in him devising and developing a presentation enabled to assist others in the corporate environment to reach their own levels of true success when working as a team.

Vernon’s Cresswell's unrelenting passion for nature has never faltered during his 2 decades in business. If anything, his interest has grown. Together with his wife Barbara and children Sean and Kelly, regular visits to their ‘hide away’ in the Sabi Sands are something they love doing and hold close to their hearts. Vernon’s keen interest in nature has resulted in him successfully completing a multiplicity of nature related qualifications. Field Guides Association of Southern Africa Level 2 Trails Guide, First Aid, Snake Identification and Handling as well as photography – to name but a few!

His vibrant presentation openly confirms that we need to adapt the way we operate as a team today in order to survive tomorrow. 

Vernon Cresswell’s presentation is ideally suited for employees from all levels within small entrepreneurial organisations all the way up to large corporates. The presentation encompasses some of the following issues:

You can’t fly solo - Know when to back off - Specialist vs. Generalist - The weakest link - Succession Planning - Communication - Competition - Trust

Each presentation lasts for approximately one hour.

Presentations can be conducted at any suitable venue provided that the following technology and sound specifications are available: Large screen, Data projector for laptop, Laptop with CD Rom Facility, Speakers and amplifier with connection to laptop, Cordless lapel microphone when presenting to groups of more than 50.

Both dynamic and inspiring, Vernon is a presenter with paramount appeal. His ability to combine various business principles with hard lessons we can learn from nature whilst still delivering this message with dynamism and humour, makes a presentation from Vernon Cresswell a truly unique and valuable asset.

A vast majority of my working life has been dedicated to some kind of business environment – either my own business or as part of a large corporate. Whether it be starting up a new venture or simply managing an existing business, one thing has remained constant: Lessons from nature are ALWAYS applicable to business. And, as always, akin to nature, different lessons need more focus and attention at different stages of the business lifecycle.

As well as being involved in the corporate environment I have also been privileged to have spent a large part of my life in my favourite place – the bush. Here I have learnt that the law of the bushveld is no different to that of the corporate world. The truth of the matter is that things don’t get more real than they do in a natural habitat. Both the corporate world and the bush each have to face the dawn of a new day with the struggle of ego’s, politics and cut-throat competition. It’s all about survival.

Over two decades in business has taught me numerous lessons. The most important being that people will never succeed unless they are willing and able to work effectively together as an intricate team. My passion and mission is to move individuals and teams in the corporate world from the bottom of the food chain to the top - becoming the valued kings of the jungles