Experience

Sonja Lombard Consultants (Pty)Ltd

• South Africa
• Business Consulting and Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Executive Management Consultant

  • Jun 2018 - Present



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• Executive Management Consultant

  • Feb 2016 - Present

  Assist organisations within the Mining, Manufacturing, Retail etc. industries to solve problems, create value, maximise growth and improve business performance. Provide objective advice and expertise and help an organisation to develop any specialist skills that it may be lacking.Identify options for the organisation and suggest recommendations for change, as well as advising on additional resources to implement solutions.Key Functions Delivered & Project Involvement:OD analysis for a manganese mine.Human capital workstream lead to transition from an owner/ contractor miner business model to an owner/ miner business model.OD analysis for a multi-site business in the manufacturing sector.Project managed and restructured Go to Market channels (Retail) with supporting job profiles and key competencies in the after- market automotive parts industry.Developed and collaborated with University of Cape Town's Graduate School of Business and CEB customized content for a Senior Leadership Development Programme. Successfully recruited 3 senior positions within one week.Applied Prosci's Change Management methodology (ADKAR) to successfully manage the change for a multi-site, national project.Developed a learning and development framework and career paths, with supporting training passports.Developed and gave training to support the new management behaviors to ensure the sustainability of the changes.Provided alternative dispute resolution services to various industries.



Sonja Lombard Consultants (Pty)Ltd

• South Africa
• Business Consulting and Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director

  • Feb 2010 - Jan 2016

  Established annual operating plans to support the organisation’s short and long term operations strategy in collaboration with executive leadership.Develop and execute the company’s business strategies to attain the goals of the board and shareholders.Prepare and implement comprehensive business plans to facilitate achievement by planning cost-effective operations and market development activities.Ensure company policies and legal guidelines are communicated all the way from the top down in the company and that they are followed at all times.Nominated as a best speaker at the Attractions Africa conference in Cape Town, June 2015. I assessed and mitigated the principal risks of the organisation’s business within operations. Boosted Facebook followers from 2000 to 30000+, and increased the funds by R40 million. I acquired Fair Trade Tourism and Proudly South African accreditation in 2013. I spearheaded performance management processes to measure and evaluate progress against pre-defined objectives.The following are highlights of the value I have brought to Voortrekker Monument, Nature Reserve and Heritage Foundation:Enabled the Blood River to secure number 1 position, and VTM to secure number 6 position in the Trip Advisor Traveller’s Choice Awards 2015 for the top 10 “must see landmarks” in South Africa.Received 2012 Tshwane Tourism Award, and PMR Africa Diamond Award for consistent four years, 2012 to 2015.Helped the VTM to secure a gold winner position in the category overall performance at the China Outbound Travel and Tourism Market in Beijing, April 2013.eceived the Solidarity honorary medal for special work in the field of heritage conservation for both the Voortrekker Monument and the Heritage Foundation, April 2015.Invited by the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory to address an international delegation concerning role and contribution of the VTM in the new democratic South Africa.



Umsobomvu Youth Fund

• Government Relations Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• National Project Manager

  • Oct 2007 - Feb 2009

  Collated contract documents, and processed relevant data for effective contract management. Designed and executed a wide range of cost-effective plans for completion of project following a logical pattern for efficient utilisation of resources. Ensured serviceability of all offices (human resources, support services, security, hardware, software, and office furniture). Generated reports on supplier performance against the contractual requirements and feedback to the internal system.A few key achievements in this tenure include:Twelve new national offices were completed on time and within budget (R32 Million) without interruption of services to clients.A new corporate image was created, also regarding the appearance of all the offices. Ensured that all the offices were serviceable (human resources, support services, security, hardware, software, and office furniture).The institution saved more than R2 million by negotiating before the early expiration of two leasing contracts. Negotiated favorable leasing contracts for offices.



CCMA

• Government Administration
• 400 - 500 Employee

• Registrar/ Operations Manager

  • May 2004 - Jul 2006

  Consistently got a 5-performance rating (on a scale from 1 – 5).Project managed relocation to new premises without compromising on efficiencies. Had the best productive month in the history.Secured a new lease with 60% saving in cost per square meter.Negotiated with landlord to cover all alteration costs and include cleaning services in rental price.Set up a new office in Pretoria and recruited personnel. This was done within six months.Successful recruitment and retention of 30% of payroll as this was the vacancy rate when I joined the CCMA. I achieved this within the first six months of joining.96% representation of previously disadvantaged groups on the payroll.A turn-around time of less than 7 days for grievances.Implemented measurable performance contracts for all managers.Decreased absenteeism with approximately 30% using an absenteeism model.Decreased queues by 75% by designing and implementing a best practice model.Increased the effective financial management by designing a pro-active financial management model. Stopped overspending.Grew management skills of managers by empowering them and transferring skills. They all have passed the management assessment in the CCMA for the first time.Restructured the operations to support new business challenges.Re-engineered workflows and operations and therefore increasing productivity and effectively.



Inzuzo Business Consultants CC

• Executive Management Consultant / Managing Member

  • 2000 - Apr 2004

  Consulted at the Department of Transport and Public Works, where I project managed the successful implementation of a best practice model for the vehicle licensing offices on the East Rand, focusing on the prevention of crime and improvement of customer care processes. Major achievements included:Design of key event schedules and reporting structures for the team, which subsequently became the most successful team on the project.Turnaround of a non-performing district to ensure that deliverables were met. Design of a best practice model for the Helpdesk.My promotion to project coordinator within three months of the project commencement.Promotion to project manager of Nokeng Tsa Taemane and Kungwini.Appointed to direct the strategic positioning of Ster Kinekor’s Catering Division, including the development of best practices for operations and production, the establishment of formal financial policies and standards, and the design of a catering analysis system to maximize profit.Led a business analysis study at De Beers Corporate Administration and assisted them in the development of formal policies and procedures.



SA Post Office

• National Operations Manager/ National Marketing Manager

  • Sep 1990 - May 2000

  National Operations Manager: Organisational Restructuring, Work- Study, Business Process Re-engineering, Management Operating System, Change Management, Project Management, Financial Management, HR.National Marketing Manager: Product development, stakeholder engagement, franking machine migration, business planning, financial management, HR.Youngest female manager ever to be appointed at the time.Successfully migrated old technology to new technology utilizing a remote.meter setting. The project involved five stakeholders with an estimated annual income of R30 million.Part of a project team, in collaboration with international consultancy company Proudfoot (Pty) Ltd) that affected an R8 million saving on the Wits project, and a R3 million saving on the Cape Town project, by restructuring operations and implementing comprehensive BPR strategies.Succeeded in migrating the existing management information system from an unstable spreadsheet system to a database system.



House of Assembly

• Work- Study Officer

  • Sep 1989 - Aug 1990

  Organisational restructuring, business process re-engineering, time and motion studies, report writing, HR Organisational restructuring, business process re-engineering, time and motion studies, report writing, HR