About Me

Qualifications

In 2015, I obtained a Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing Management from the Independent Institute of Education (IIE) in Cape Town, South Africa. During my time there, I was the Head of Student Representation, and was responsible for facilitating fluid communication between the student body and the university's management team. I chaired Council meetings, appointed Group Representatives, acted as the spokesperson for student concerns, and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the experience. 

I subsequently obtained a Bachelor of Commerce Honors degree in Strategic Brand Management from the IIE in 2016. The research I conducted during the course of my degree was quantitative in nature, survey-based, and related to the required characteristics of marketing graduates entering the South African retail industry.

In mid-2019, after 18 months of research, I completed a Master of Business Science in Marketing at the University of Cape Town (UCT). My research was qualitative, interview-based, and investigated the degree of generational transfer of brand loyalty in the Western Cape's FMCG sector. You can view my degree certificates here, and my ResearchGate profile here.

Career

With over 6 years of full-time experience in marketing, human resources, and operations, I have a demonstrated ability to work independently and with others, work according to strict deadlines in fast-paced environments, and provide a wide spectrum of support to various team members and departments.

I began my journey in commerce while I was still studying. I noticed that there were no mandatory practicum components as part of any of the major commerce degrees on offer, and took it upon myself to gain practical work experience before entering the industry full-time. I worked as an Intern in the Loyalty Team for Woolworths Holdings Limited, one of South Africa's largest retail chains, during my 2014 - 2015 summer vacation.

I then worked as a Strategy and Research Intern for W5 Partners, a business development consultancy, for the first half of 2016. During the entire 2016 year, I was also the head of the Communications Hub for the Marketing Association of South Africa. Subsequently, I worked full-time as a Junior Campaign Manager for Hitch Digital, a digital advertising agency in the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town.

From 2017 to 2021, I was Relocation Africa's full-time Marketing Assistant. The company provides corporate relocations into and out of countries all around the African continent, and has immigration, research, remuneration, and expatriate tax divisions as well.

I reported directly to the MD, and was responsible for all day-to-day marketing operations, vendor relationship management, tracking the marketing division's finances for budgeting purposes, conducting brand audits, market research, and competitor research, and developing strategies to support the business' growth in the internatioal mobility market. 

During 2021, I worked as Sunset Candles’ Administrative Co-ordinator. The business manufactures designer, home décor candles for global export markets.

I was responsible for the business’ overall marketing direction, which includes strategies for online growth, sales promotions, brand audits, social media management, designing and developing the company website, and client communication channels.

Furthermore, I supported two owners with a wide range of administrative duties, including the development of new product classifications systems, online ordering systems, reporting, tech support, company document design, and archiving and records management.

Since mid-2022, when I moved to Edmonton, Canada, I have been samdesk's People Coordinator.

I fulfil the People & Culture function at the company, inclusive of recruitment (posting ads, communicating with candidates, screening applicants, and participating in interviews), onboarding (pre- and post-start date tasks such as organizing equipment and special accommodations), checking in with new team mates during probation, working with team leads on issues relating to people management, offboarding (exit interviews and managing staff departures), tracking compensation and benefits (including ensuring performance reviews take place smoothly), coordinating employee benefit programs, interpreting and explaining relevant policies and legislation, coordinating employee engagement initiatives, administering key People systems, and and building structure, policies, procedures, and a great culture for all our samsters! I also support my team with a variety of operational responsibilities.

My current team is fantastic, and the culture aligns directly with my personal values. Working at samdesk has been an extremely fulfilling experience thus far, I'm grateful for having seen the value I've added in my role, and I'm excited about what we're capable of doing together going forward.

My Approach to Work

I strongly believe in being tactful when getting to know my fellow team members, suppliers, and business partners. I also think it's important to immerse myself in my company's culture, and employ an attention to detail that ensures my work aligns with the business' goals and values. I carry both of these approaches with me wherever I go.

I'm well acquainted with managing a diverse range of responsibilities in a busy work environment, and having to prioritize and manage my own tasks, with strict deadlines, and without supervision. While I work well in teams and enjoy collaborating on projects, I have had to spend a significant amount of time working independently as well. I take pride in my communication (both written and verbal) and interpersonal skills, and enjoy relationship building, both inside and outside the workplace. I have been told I have a calming nature during times of chaos/stress, consider my words carefully, take confidentiality seriously, and have a professional yet open deameanour.

I delve into the tech platforms I've worked with and my soft and hard skills here, and have shared information about a number of work-related projects I've led or been a part of in the past few years, and their impact on my workplace, here. You can view a PDF of my résumé here.

Volunteering

I was a volunteer for the International Social Marketing Association from 2019 to 2022. As part of the Communication Team, I started off as iSMA's Website Coordinator, and, along with another volunteer, was responsible for designing and developing the iSMA website through WordPress, reporting to the Board of Directors. From March 2021, I was iSMA's Web Manager, taking over all web responsibilities. I frequently participated in content strategy and member acquisition meetings with iSMA management. I also managed and edited the volunteer blog submissions for the website. You can view my iSMA Volunteer Spotlight here.

From mid-2017 to early 2019, I volunteered with Vumatel, a local telecommunications company, as part of their fiber roll-out across my city. My role involved educating local communities about the technology - online and at town hall meetings, in order to facilitate positive interactions between stakeholders - residents, Vumatel, and the municipality.

I have, as and when I've had time over the years, also been a volunteer editor for the Wikimedia Foundation, and have been contributing towards articles and uploading content to the Commons since early 2013. As a result of my efforts, I was selected as a Wikipedian in Residence for OpenAfrica15, which supports Open Advocates in Wikipedia outreach activities.

On a more personal note

I think including information about who I am as a person is just as important as that about my career. As far back as I can remember, I've enjoyed a good balance of being structured and analytical, as well as flexible and open-minded. I appreciate the fact that my personality has that blend, so that I'm able to be organized, but also adaptable and open to embracing change.

I refer to myself as an ambivert, in the sense that I'm never the one shying away from public speaking, being in large groups, taking the lead if necessary, and meeting new people. However, I do enjoy time to myself. I'm able to switch easily between the two.

Personal growth really is huge to me. I've found that I've become a lot more open-minded, self-aware, and empathetic over the years, as well as developed a really strong moral compass. Authenticity is extremely important to me - being able to feel comfortable and confident enough to be your genuine self is something really powerful, and I value that in myself. I love meeting new people, learning about new cultures, and diving into deep, philosophical conversations or chatting about human psychology (I'm extremely driven by people in perhaps all aspects of my life).

Growing up in South Africa has shaped who I am today, and I'm proud of that heritage. The country has a vibrant culture and rich history, filled with traditions and languages, and today, has a strong regard for democracy and equality. It's also host to incredible biodiversity, and some great cuisine. I'm really grateful for having been born in beautiful Cape Town, and being able to enjoy all these things over my decades of living there.

My family and small group of close friends form the focus of my non-work time. I believe growth continues throughout life, and since I have a love for learning, I spend some of my free time either reading up about developments in spheres that interest me, or teaching myself new skills. My interests include technology and politics.

I also enjoy spending time in nature - whether that's gardening, or being at the beach, in a forest, on a waterfall hike, walking around a wine farm or farmer's market, or walking a dog on a trail - and often end up doing some amateur photography whilst I'm exploring. I've put some of my favorites on this website here, and will continue to add more over time.

The causes I strongly support include LGBTQ+ rights, animal rights, environmental protection, access to good quality public education, and the upholding and strengthening of democratic institutions, free and fair elections, and freedom of the press.

To learn a bit more about me, visit my FAQ page.

That's about it from me! I'm always open to networking, so feel free to reach out to me via the contact details on this page. I hope you enjoy browsing the rest of this site.