Libstar CFO Terri Ladbrooke reflects on her early years, career navigation and rise through the finance ranks. From a childhood in Pietermaritzburg to leading the finance function of a dynamic consumer goods group, her journey is one of determination, learning, and leadership through authenticity.
When Libstar CFO Terri Ladbrooke speaks about her career journey, it’s with a mixture of humility and reflection. Her story begins in Pietermaritzburg, where she says her upbringing shaped her values and work ethic.
Terri’s mother passed away when she was just four years old, leading to deep bonds forming with her sister and father.
“My dad has a very strong work ethic, which I’ve followed. Even my grandfather always said don’t be a clock watcher. So it's always just been ingrained in us from a young age to work hard,” she says.
That ethos, combined with her love for numbers, made a career in finance a natural path.
As a child, she enjoyed maths and the idea of becoming a chartered accountant ignited her ambition. But her father initially encouraged her to try actuarial science, thinking it would be easier to switch later if needed.
“As soon as I finished school, I moved to Cape Town to study at UCT. I did a BSc in finance and as fate would have it, I did not enjoy the maths at all. I still got through the year but then changed in my second year to a finance major,” she recalls.
A turning point
That decision shaped the rest of her academic journey. With a four-year degree behind her, she still needed to complete her postgraduate diploma in accounting – but exhaustion caught up.
“I was really over it. I was young and just exhausted from all my studies. I failed my postgraduate year and that was a massive shock to my system, as someone who was not used to failing at all,” she says.
Failure, however, became a turning point.
“Looking back, I can see that I was not in the right headspace then. But at the time I took it quite hard. And I remember being worried as to how I was going to break the news to my dad. But by the time I told him, I had a whole plan.”
She decided to complete her honours year through Unisa while beginning her articles – starting at the very bottom.
“You were paid based on your qualification, and I didn’t have my certificate in the theory of accountancy. So it meant that I was the lowest paid. Also, at that time, I thought that it would be easier studying part-time while working, however it was excessively difficult.”
Grabbing opportunities
Despite the challenge, she pushed through and passed both her honours and board exams with her peers, “catching up” through sheer determination. By the end of her articles, she was the highest-paid clerk – something she remains proud of.
“Your articles are such a unique experience. It's hard work, but you don’t really get that kind of support anywhere else in your career.”
Not certain which industry she wanted to enter after serving articles, she stayed on as a manager at Grant Thornton. But soon, opportunity came knocking.
At the end of her first year as a manager, she went on a secondment to the US. “It was amazing, travelling in a country that’s so big was such an eye-opener,” she says.
When she returned to South Africa, fate intervened again. A friend with whom she had served her articles phoned about a temporary opportunity at Libstar.
“The group finance manager was going on maternity leave, and they needed someone to cover for them. I signed a seven-month contract and went to Johannesburg for the period.”
Career leaps
At the end of the contract, she was asked to stay permanently. “I accepted the role, however I wanted to be in Cape Town.”
She took on group reporting and helped establish the internal audit function. Her growth within Libstar accelerated from there.
“About a year later, I was asked to move into one of the divisions of the Group to play a bigger role. I spent five years at Rialto, the largest importer within Libstar. I started in management accounts, then moved on to become finance executive and, ultimately, the finance and operations executive.”
Her biggest career leap came at the end of 2022. “I was asked to be the interim CFO at Libstar as of the beginning of 2023.”
It was a pivotal moment during major organisational change. The founding CEO retired at the end of 2022, and the CFO at the time, Charl de Villiers, was appointed as the new CEO.
“I consider myself incredibly fortunate. This opportunity came at the right time. Having the previous CFO still within arm’s reach to ask for advice and guidance has really made me into the CFO I am today.”
Clear strategic priorities
The timing of her appointment however meant immediate pressure. “I started on 1 January, and we have a December year-end, so it was literally trial by fire for the first audit. Since then, we’ve implemented a new strategy, changed auditors and reshaped our management team.”
As one of the few women in top finance roles in South Africa, Terri understands the significance of representation. “As a woman, everything we go through is seen through a different lens. The female leaders in our business units are delivering amazing results, our leadership awards last year were primarily female-dominated teams.”
Her strategic priorities are clear. “We’ve got a three-pronged strategy: simplify, grow and sustain. Our biggest priority is growth, not just growth of categories and channels, but also growth of our people.”
She emphasises FMCG competitiveness, especially in a strained economic climate, and the role that finance plays. “It’s one thing to launch 100 new products, but another to understand how each impacts profitability or efficiency.”
Technology is also reshaping the function. “I’m not looking to replace people - I’m looking to make our people more effective. I want them to add more value, not do mundane tasks. We use a system that automates invoice allocation and risk checks, saving days of manual processing. That’s tangible value.”
But she prefers measured adoption. “We don’t want to be pioneers. There are costs and learnings when rolling out new systems. I’d rather others pay the school fees and we come on when it’s more tested. But your base setup must be correct – if your underlying data is wrong, your AI results will be meaningless.”
Celebrating differences
Terri’s leadership philosophy is rooted in collaboration and authenticity.
“A modern CFO wears a lot of hats. It requires a willingness to trust your people and let go to an extent.”
She aims to empower rather than instruct. “I like to understand their viewpoints. If people don’t understand the why, they’re not really on the journey.”
Libstar’s leadership roadshows have reinforced this culture. “It brings visibility and connection. It’s about reinforcing that everyone is part of one Libstar.”
And for her personally, those engagements have been equally meaningful. “When you’re actually on the factory floor, it’s extremely satisfying to see what’s happening and the lives we’re impacting daily.”
Working across Libstar’s diverse portfolio of brands and acquisitions continues to inspire her.
“It’s amazing. Diversity is what makes us great – not just as a business, but as a country. Having multiple people with completely different viewpoints and experiences is the only way to grow, especially in South Africa.”
“If I could tell my younger self something,” she says thoughtfully, “it would be that failure does not define you. It’s how you respond that defines you. Hard work beats talent every day.”
