Ascendis Health
Nokukhanya Sikhosana is a seasoned marketing professional with extensive experience in digital marketing and strategy. Currently serving as the Digital Category Marketing Manager at Ascendis Health, Nokukhanya manages campaigns for various health brands, focusing on digital channels, social media presence, and performance measurement. Previous roles include Marketing Executive at ICG Medical and Digital Marketing Coordinator at ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions, where Nokukhanya honed skills in SEO, content development, and lead generation. Nokukhanya holds an Honours degree in Strategic Communications and a Bachelor's degree in Strategic Marketing Communications from the University of Johannesburg, complemented by earlier experience in public relations and academic advisory roles.
Ascendis Health
Background Ascendis Health is a health and wellness company founded in 2008 and listed in the healthcare sector of the JSE in November 2013. In 2015, the Group embarked on an international growth strategy and acquired four businesses in Europe: Farmalider in Spain (2015), Remedica in Cyprus (2016), Scitec in Hungary (2016) and Sunwave Pharma in Romania (2017). Today Ascendis Health has a global reach with well-known brands and products sold to more than 120 countries across all continents. Strategic focus Against a backdrop of too much debt and limited operational flexibility we have set out a three-pillar strategy with the following focus areas: Pillar1: Stabilise (‘Fix the balance sheet’) • Set the medium-term portfolio strategy – which companies we should keep and which we should sell • Restructure existing debt to match the long-term portfolio strategy • Introduce sufficient new money to restore operational flexibility and ability to execute ‘Optimise’ Pillar Pillar 2: Optimise (‘Right-size and create platform businesses’) • Set the operating model to align with portfolio strategy and reduce complexity • Implement Project Office discipline to drive efficiencies, capital allocation optimization, and margin management strategies in each Business Unit • Create Business Unit specific incentivization programs and develop owner-manager mindsets Pillar 3: Grow (‘Maximise value and grow the platforms’) • Deleveraging strategy to take onto account the interim cash conversion profiles of the underlying business • Remain flexible to access attractive market windows • Deploy capital to underpin steady state portfolio