What is your role within EBSCO?
Publisher Relations Manager.

Explain your job as you would to a 5-year-old?
I call lots and lots of book makers to gather their stories into a big group with many other stories, so that people who want to read them can find them easily in one place.

What is the best aspect of your job?
Working with amazing people.

How long have you worked at EBSCO?
5 years.

How has your work changed in recent years? How do you think it will evolve in the future?
Hybrid working. My job hasn’t changed much, other than the fact that 80% of my work is now done virtually, with less need to meet with publishers in person. But the core aspects of what I do - selling and establishing partnerships with publishers, signing license agreements - remain the same. 

I don’t think it will change much, as developing and maintaining relationships with our publisher partners will always be central to EBSCO’s ability to provide quality information resources to our customers.

Did you attend college/university? If so, what did you study? 
Yes, at Midrand Graduate Institute (now, called Eduvos). I studied Psychology, specialising in trauma.

What excites you most about the EBSCO’s future?
To see how we adapt to the needs of our customers and continue to develop our products to meet these needs.

What was the last book you read?
The Myth of Normal by Gabor Mate

What is something you would like to learn? I’d love to learn to play the piano or to speak French.

How do you deal with stress?
Music is my therapy. Whenever I am stressed, I listen, sing, and dance to all my favourite songs.

What is the best way to reach you?
It’s best to reach me on email fdhlame@ebsco.com or call the office on 011 380 1800

Learn more about the publisher partnerships that Fikile and the publisher relations team help to nurture

With several decades of experience as an intermediary between publishers, technology providers and libraries, EBSCO is a trusted partner with a global footprint.