OUR KEY PEOPLE

Dr. Rooksana Rajab is the founder and director of the company, is an expert in organizational development, with a particular focus on systems change for transformation. Using a systems thinking approach that emphasizes innovation, research, and development, she helps organizations to lead effectively, work collaboratively, and achieve their goals and long-term vision. Dr. Rajab prioritizes human-centeredness, inclusivity, and collaboration, and is also a published researcher, motivational speaker, and qualified personal and leadership development coach.

She currently leads and manages Resonance Consulting Services, which has a broad spectrum of clients from government, the nonprofit sector, and private corporate companies.

She consults both in South Africa and internationally. She willingly shares her knowledge and experiences at national and international conferences and has recently supported the Commonwealth of Learning in establishing and managing systems change project in Zambia.

 Rooksana is a senior Associate of the Da Vinci Business School, JET Education Services and the Commonwealth of Learning. Through JET she has been instrumental in the establishment of the National Association for Social Change Entities (NASCEE) in 2020 – 2021. She was also lead consultant in the PSET CLOUD project for five years from 2018 – 2023. 

 

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She was appointed at the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) in 2000, a pivotal time in South Africa’s history when the National Qualifications Framework was newly established. Her work in policy development enabled her to work with the newly established Sector Education and Training Authorities that were mandated to ensure skills development improved the lives of people and contributes to the creation of employment opportunities especially for previously disadvantaged people.

She served as an active board member of SAQA whilst setting up and establishing her own businesses that specialise in people development, empowerment, diversity and improved organizational performance.

“This is when I began to see how vitally linked an organisation’s structure, culture and performance really are”.
“Early in my career, I realised that the development of people and their ability to succeed comes from being able to share insights and experiences so that each individual understands the organization and themselves better”.

She has held numerous leadership roles:

  • The National Skills Authority (NSA) Board and Exco member
  • The South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) Board and served on several sub committees
  • Board member of the ETDP SETA
  • Chairperson of the Association of Private Education, Training and Development (APPETD)
  • Regenesys Alumni Board
  • JET Advisory Panel (research on Work based values in TVET colleges)

Dr. Rajab began her career as an academic in higher education at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, before transitioning to national policy development at the South African Qualifications Authority. She co-founded a successful skills development company that focused on providing work skills for unemployed youth throughout South Africa, before eventually establishing her current organizational development consultancy. Dr. Rajab has also served on the boards of organizations such as the National Skills Authority and the South African Qualifications Authority, and holds a Doctorate in Management, Innovation, and Technology.

ASSOCIATE

Lorretta Barbour

Position: Organiser for change 

Armed with a B.Sc. (Physics & Applied Mathematics) from University of KwaZulu Natal Durban and a Post Graduate Diploma in Management Information Systems from University of Liverpool, Lori draws heavily on her experience in technology product, project and programme management. She has worked within the multinational companies of CellPoint Systems and Sourcecode Technologies, to balance the need for structure and process with the advantages of embracing a more open and spontaneous approach.

“I am probably best remembered for advocating for work-life balance, introducing and implementing systematic project and product management practices, including user documentation”.

ASSOCIATE

Phumzile Booi

Position: Organiser for change 

Phumzile Booi has spent most of her career building organisations that she both leads and works in. These companies have diverse offerings from her first line of work.

She commenced her work life in social work, counselling and facilitating an enabling environment for adults and children in distress. In order to be pro-active rather than re-active, Phumi moved onto developing and running Pre-school readiness workshops and Supplying of Preschool Educational Equipment which provided the tools to achieve the success stories she was looking for. Having worked with major corporates who participated in funding these initiatives, she was inspired much later on to shift her focus onto organisational development and was curious about how companies grow and thrive.

“If are not learning we are slowly dying”

ASSOCIATE

Julia van Biljon-Heidemann

Position: Organiser for change 

An Investment Banker (with JP Morgan) in her previous life, for the past 15 years Julia van Biljon-Heidemann has consulted independently to mining companies. Julia has a deep understanding of the financial and business realities which lead to successful projects. She is highly experienced in translating the underlying geological, technical, and engineering characteristics of mining projects into financial terms. Her financial modeling serves her clients to price M&A transactions, drive project go-ahead decisions, side-step hidden pitfalls, and optimise business models.

She holds a BSc Geology from the University of Witwatersrand, followed up by a Postgraduate study in mineral economics, accounting, economics, and finance. She is a Fellow of the Geological Society of South Africa and a Professional Natural Scientist (Number 400099/12).

Julia recently moved to Germany and is passionate about leveraging the technical education systems in Germany for the benefit of South Africa.

By working together we all grow stronger.

Dr. Ornellas
ASSOCIATE

Dr. Abigail Ornellas, PhD

Position: Organiser for change 

Dr. Abigail Ornellas has a social sciences background, with a doctorate in social work and seven years of research experience. She has been involved in several research projects both locally and internationally. Her social work-specific experience has been focused on mental health, health policy, the impact of socioeconomic and political policy on social service functioning, and the role of social workers in welfare delivery.  Her research and project experience has required the unpacking and understanding of social policy and holistic social protection and she is particularly interested in micro and macro linkages. Dr. Ornellas has published several peer-reviewed articles and presented at conferences worldwide. Dr. Ornellas’ areas of expertise include Qualitative Data Collection and Analysis; Social Protection; Social Development System Linkages; Socioeconomic Policy; Academic Writing. 

Elzeth Zastrau
ASSOCIATE

Elzeth Zastrau
Position: Organiser for change 

Mrs. Elzeth Zastrau has over seven years of experience in social and economic research and project management within Africa and Asia, with a background in environmental management (Masters). She has worked on multiple projects focused on social and economic development and has extensive experience in both qualitative and quantitative research. Mrs. Zastrau’s expertise is in the designing, collecting, and interpreting of data for reporting purposes. Throughout her career, Mrs. Zastrau has worked closely with government agencies and large-scale NGOs to develop, design, and implement social protection policies and projects. Mrs Zastrau has experience in GIS, STATA, SPSS, NVivo and Atlas.ti. Mrs Zastrau is currently completing her M&E Masters at the Stellenbosch University.

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