Shoni has been working in the media, communications and reputation management sector since the late 1990s. He has started and run two businesses, turned around two others and held senior positions in JSE-listed companies, as well as advising multinationals and large parastatals on corporate and business strategy, corporate governance best practice and building and managing corporate reputation.

Shoni’s first professional employment was as a financial administrator at First Rand Group before joining Business Report, initially as a sub-editor and later as banking and insurance reporter. While at Business Report he was awarded a scholarship to Cambridge University, UK, where he did research in the financial services sector as part of the Wolfson Press Fellowship programme, sponsored by PwC.

Before launching Ambani Reputation Management, Shoni held several senior positions both in corporate and agency environments including media relations manager at Nedbank; associate director at Empowerdex, the country’s first BEE advisory and rating agency; associate director at Nkonki Inc., an auditing and business advisory firm. As MD of MS&L, he led teams that launched some of the most iconic global brands in South Africa, including Virgin Mobile.

Shoni has also served as a training facilitator at The Institute for the Advancement of Journalism (IAJ). He was also one of the 14 members appointed by the Minister of Tourism to the tourism sector’s BBBEE Advisory Charter Council.

Shoni is also a non-executive director at Housing Company Tshwane (HCT), where he Chairs the Finance and Risk subcommittee of the Board. He mentors young entrepreneurs through the Pretoria-based chapter of the Black Umbrellas.

He has an MBA from Regenesys Business School.