I am an experienced business person who has worked in both the public sector ( as an independent (non-party) politician and Council leader during the transition period in South Africa) and in the private sector, as Executive Manager and major shareholder of Peter Martin & Associates, a large construction company, 25 years in age. My qualifications and experience focus on organisational and business development, corporate governance, business policy and strategy formulation, facilitation of economic development best practice methodology, processes and approaches. I understand business, government and civil society, their inter-dependence on each other and enjoy finding innovative ways for them to work in harmony and equally beneficial to all, which provides a unique advantage to the type of work G:ENESIS is offering. I have worked closely with GIZ, (formerly GTZ - Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit – German Economic Development Agency) the European Union, USAID, UK Development and Business Agency, provincial governments, district and local municipalities across all nine provinces in South Africa, Rwanda and Swaziland. I have initiated and lead business related organisations at a local and provincial level in South Africa. Eg: Business Against Crime Mpumalanga, Provincial / Local Chambers of Commerce and have presented papers at the University of Pretoria on Africanised Management Principles. I am passionate about my work and compassionate in my work, am energetic and pay intense attention to detail. My verbal and written communication skills are structured and always assessed for appropriateness and usefulness in a particular work environment. I am process driven and use innovative methods to facilitate participative communication. With regards to problem solving, I believe that most challenges can be addressed through honest and open dialogue with all affected and involved parties, in an environment of respect and learned understanding and that the solution often comes from the very people who are an integral part of the problem. As a mediator, there are many methods available to address problems which should be empowering and educational to all concerned. My organisational skills are excellent and I practise sound time management, having capacity to manage many different tasks and contexts at once. I practise consequence management when working with a team, for the purpose of continual learning and people growth and would rather provide a “hand up” than a “hand out”.