Francis Herd is a moderator, author and is one of the most recognised broadcast journalists in South Africa. Millions of people have let her into their homes as they tune into the nightly news, and she has appeared across prime-time news platforms for around a decade. She is known for her strong and pithy interview style and she has questioned local and global leaders across business, politics and academia. In a world of misinformation, truth still exists and Francis believes her job is to find it.

Francis found her voice as a reporter on the ground for Talk Radio 702. After a brief stint as a communications manager, she returned to journalism and followed her dream of pursuing a career in television. She specialized in business news and, whilst arming herself with an MBA, she launched a business show on the SABC News Channel. Since 2016 she has been a trusted face of the nightly news dealing with business and general news.  In January 2024 – as a homecoming of sorts – she returned to eNCA to anchor South Africa Tonight between 6 and 8pm every weekday.

Over the years, Francis has spoken to many executives and leaders facing corporate crises. She became fascinated with crises that can represent existential threats to businesses but can, paradoxically, be wonderful opportunities for leaders to show their ethics and build trust. After exploring academic literature across different fields and real-life crises from around the world, she co-authored When Crisis Strikes with renowned academic, Nicola Kleyn in 2020. She now trains executives based on their philosophical framework that applies to all crises – the 10 rules of crisis management.

Francis Herd is an engaging moderator who can handle technical high-level business subjects and also have a bit of fun. Her inaugural keynote address is titled Examining Crisis Management through the Lens of Love.