Principal Associate/Mining and Community Development

Nutshell

I define myself as a Sustainable Development Strategist. I am fascinated by the challenges of demystifying the concept and helping organisations at all levels, and at all stages of existence, to understand that sustainability is about survival – of the business itself, its communities, and its environment. It is therefore an integral part of any business. I believe that the concept of “the triple bottom line” is an incomplete measure, as business needs to deal continually with, and be measured continually on, FOUR bottom lines – social, economic, environmental...and governance. There is a perception that governance is simply the tool that drives sustainability. I promote the idea that this is not so! It is itself a bottom line of sustainability.

Expertise

Innovative, imaginative, out-of-the-box thinking, coupled with the ability to select key issues out of a mass of input and explain them in non-academic language. A strong teamwork player, with good leadership skills and a commitment to building partnerships at all levels. Negotiating skills gained from 20 years of working between local communities, corporates and government. Strong presentation skills – certified as a Competent Toastmaster, and experienced as a speaker at international conferences.

Experience

10 years experience as a school teacher and head teacher, followed by 25 years in the mining Industry (5 years in Human Resources and 20 years in Community Relations/ Public Relations). Recent experience in the property industry. Career highlights have included: Participating in the Kwa Zulu Natal Indaba (a committee planning for the conversion to a democratic South Africa); Managing corporate involvement in the Sullivan Code (an employment code for American companies operating in South Africa during the Apartheid years); Serving on the advisory committee to the Kwa Zulu Natal Minister of Education; Serving as a founding board member of the Zululand Chamber of Business Foundation and leading its business - education partnership, which developed a highly successful Edupark based on the community college model; Receiving both National and International recognition for the Community projects I led for a mining company; Embedding the concept of sustainable development throughout a mining operation; Publishing on the sustainable development concept; Participating in the development of Social and Labour plans for a mining company.

Qualifications

BA – University of Witwatersrand (1971)
UED (Teacher’s Diploma) – University of Natal (1972)
HDPM (Post-graduate Diploma in Personnel Management) – University of Witwatersrand (1979)
MED (Dissertation topic: Business-Education Partnerships) – University of Natal (1979)