Across many organisations, early careers hiring still focuses on filling entry-level roles rather than building the next generation of leaders. But as competition for high-potential graduates intensifies, forward-thinking employers are redesigning their graduate programmes to identify leadership potential earlier, hire with greater confidence, and invest in development from day one.
In this session, Vinolia Singh, Director – People & Culture and Aavi Maharaj, Head of Internal Assessment at Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA), share how CCBA built an accelerated leadership programme for graduate and early-career talent across 13 markets. By embedding assessment data throughout the hiring and development journey, CCBA has created a more consistent, objective, and scalable approach to identifying and growing future leaders.
What you’ll learn:
- How CCBA identifies high-potential graduates using assessment data
- Designing fair, scalable graduate hiring processes across multiple markets
- Linking early-careers recruitment directly to long-term leadership pipelines
- Using development reports to engage, motivate, and retain graduate talent
- Creating a graduate programme that delivers both hiring and leadership impact
Agenda
23 April 2026
10:00 – Opening announcements
10:10 – Guest speakers panel discussion
10:40 – Live audience Q&A session
10:55 – Closing comments
11:00 – Event close
Event Partner
SHL is a global leader in talent assessment and workforce solutions, helping organisations hire, develop, and mobilise top talent. With over 45 years of scientific research and innovation, their industry-leading solutions enable employers to make objective, data-driven decisions.
Their AI-powered technology ensures a seamless and engaging, hiring experience, empowering companies to build diverse, high-performing teams. With millions of data points on Early Careers and Graduates talent, SHL helps its partners to benchmark talent pools using objective data models, ensuring they continue attract and retain the best candidates.
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Vinolia Singh is a dynamic People & Culture Executive known for driving strategic people initiatives that align with the future of work. Combining operational expertise with visionary leadership, she shapes talent strategies that enhance organisational performance, foster sustainable growth, and build high-performing teams. Leveraging data-driven insights, AI-powered solutions, and human-centred approaches, Vinolia helps organisations modernise their people practices, unlock talent potential, and create agile, inclusive workplaces.
Aavi Maharaj is a registered Industrial Psychologist and Talent Metrics specialist with extensive experience in recruitment strategy, psychometric assessment, and organisational analytics across Africa. He currently leads Talent Metrics and Assessments strategy for Coca-Cola Beverages Africa. Aavi was previously nominated as an Emergent Psychologist of the Year and an Innovation Award by SIOPSA, recognising his contribution to advancing data-driven approaches in talent assessment, assessment design, and organizational decision-making. He is passionate about innovation within the assessment space.
Melandi started working in a private management consulting firm as a Research Analyst and later a Junior Consultant. There she gained initial experience in job grading, talent management, and organisational development practices.
She then moved on to becoming a partner in an independent practice focusing on assessments to guide career counselling, special educational needs projects as well as clinical support. After gaining her independent registration, Melandi was appointed as a specialist in an international retailer, where she took the leading improving psychometric assessments across the talent management cycle as well as heading up the graduate recruitment portfolio.
Melandi joined SHL as a Consultant in 2018, and through her innovative contribution and ranged client delivery she moved into the Team Lead role for the services function and later into the Head of Professional Services function for the Africa region.
Natasha Preocanin is the Managing Director for In-house Recruitment (IHR), the largest and most engaged community for In-house Recruiters. Our 20,000+ community benefit from over 70 live and virtual events each year ranging from our 1000-strong exhibitions and high profile awards to exclusive half-day breakfasts and targeted dinners for Recruitment Leaders. We also produce industry leading digital whitepapers, webinars and leadership videos alongside high value community forums and an all-inclusive supplier directory.
With a background in events, Natasha's joined the company in 2012 as an Events Executive and quickly progressed up the ranks to her current position as MD. She now leads the company in becoming the go-to resource for all In-house and Talent Acquisition teams who are looking to become better recruiters. Natasha can often be seen on stage, hosting our events or behind a microphone, interviewing a host of industry experts.