Winner of the Pan African Profile Awards for excellence in Science and Technology Journalism (Health): Off My Chest
A finalist in the Discovery Health Journalism Awards in Johannesburg where excellence in investigative reporting was recognized: Cold Case File
Skills and strengths
- A high level of self-motivation
- An insatiable curiosity
- I have run my own business for many years and I am used to being accountable for every task.
- Extensive experience in converting complicated information into readable, digestible and importantly, interesting copy. This may be in the form of an interview, a feature or adapting and corporate copy into a ‘story’
- The ability to write at all levels and teach your employees to identify and correct common errors so that their correspondence is professional, clean and easy to understand
- Experience in working with a cross section of people. From heads of state to the most disadvantaged people in South Africa. There is a continuous process of adaptation to these specific environments and to the small or larger team. I am equally comfortable interviewing a neurosurgeon, a state hospital patient, the CEO of a large corporation or a homeless person with a story to tell. For me it is always the angle that determines the success of the story.
- A completely mobile office with internet access
- A confident speaker with excellent writing skills
Education
- BA Degree (distinction) at the University of Stellenbosch majoring in English Teaching Diploma at the University of Stellenbosch
- A Diploma in Public Relations (distinction)
- A number of feature writing and journalism courses
- Workshops and seminars in utilising social media.
Experience
- 1983 – 1988: Senior school English teacher at Fairmont High School in Durbanville
- 1988 – 1990: Editor of the Goldfields Black Mountain Mining Magazine
- 1990 – 2010: Communication Consultant for companies and organisations. Travelled extensively in Europe as the communications Consultant for South Africa for a large American Corporation.
Membership and active involvement in professional organisations
- Public Relations Institute of South Africa (PRISA). Past committee members
- PR-Net active membership
- Member of the Guild of Motoring Journalists
- Member of SAFREA (The South African Freelancers Association) Committee member
- Member of Cape Town Press Club
Community Involvement
- Part of a team which conceptualised and set up the Burns Rehabilitation Unit at the Red Cross Children’s Hospital together with the head of paediatric surgery, the chief anaesthetist and a burns rehabilitation and pain specialist. Worked on a voluntary basis on this project for five years. Assist in promoting the hospital and staff whenever the opportunity arises.
- The ‘Doctors in Art’ art exhibition at the Life Hospitals where part of the proceeds are donated to charity. Organized editorial, interviews, features and general publicity on two occasions
Personal
Interests: Finding out more about everything. Writing and reading, all sport (watching and participating), passion for the outdoors and all forms of exercise.
Favourite thing: Humour, hearing a child’s laughter and being near the sea
Least favourite things: Injustice and suffering.
Reference
Les Aupiais
Editor: Private Edition
If you want to get rich from writing, write the sort of thing that’s read by persons who move their lips when they’re reading to themselves. – Don Marquis