Strategist, business improvement and organisational change specialist, Thalita is the Managing Director of Alona Advisory. She has over 20 years’ advisory services experience, with specific focus on financial services, mining, FMCG, oil & gas and public sectors. She has a unique ability to synthesize information creating concise implementable solutions driven by business strategy, optimising business processes, aligning organisational culture, values and people in order to provide enhanced delivery and profitability within required governance frameworks.

She was previously a Director at KPMG, Group CEO at Maxima Global Consulting and a Senior Consultant at KMMT Inc. Outside of her activities at Alona Group, she serves as non-executive Director of Tsebo Solutions Group, Sasol Khanyisa and Verifone Africa, where she chairs the Social and Ethics Committees. She previously served as non-executive Director of Sasol Inzalo Public Limited and Sasol Inzalo Public Funding Limited.

She has undying passion for leadership development. In 2007, she pioneered an Annual International Leadership Conference centred on the concept of “Legacy Leadership”, in partnership with the University of Johannesburg. The first conference themed “The 360-degree Leader” featured the world-renowned leadership guru, Dr John C Maxwell. She has been profiled, along with many other global leaders, in Dr John C Maxwell’s book “Put Your Dream to the Test” and has also been invited by academic institutions such as the University of the Witwatersrand and Gordon Institute of Business Science to deliver papers on Change Management, Performance Management and Productivity Management.

Chris is a life, strategy and business coach with over twenty years’ experience.  She is a generative change agent working in corporates in human capital development, strategy, organizational design, performance management, programme management and change management.  She has consulted extensively in the Financial Services Sector for First Rand Group, FNB, WesBank, Standard Bank, Nedbank, KPMG, Liberty Life and KPMG.

She created and launched the Phenomenal Women Initiative which became a R56 million project in partnership  with SABC 3 and Hollard Insurance Company, reaching 3000 women directly and millions more through airtime on SABC3. She is the author of “Chris Kennedy’s Phenomenal Women – Your Journey to Phenomenal Life” which was commission by Random House and is still available as an eBook.

She has been a visiting lecturer for Duke University Women in Leadership Programme, has advised on the Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equity Bill and has lectured on change to International Labour Organisation of the United Nations.

Lewis is a seasoned advocate, psychologist and HR specialist, focused on assisting public and private sector organisations to become more effective and efficient by providing value adding solutions to address: Strategy; Human Capital; Restructuring; Organisation Design; Performance Management; Diagnosis & Assessment; Valuing, Managing and Leading Diversity; Change Management and Branding; Competency Frameworks and Shared Service Centre design and implementation.

He has led the Public Sector HR Practice for Deloitte Southern Africa and was a director of KPMG Consulting.

He has extensive experience with multi-national companies, government and non-government organisations. He specialises in three distinct areas: Legal – contracts, loss of earnings, labour law and internet law; People Management- organisational development, talent management, performance management, job profiling and evaluation; Benefits Management – remuneration and benefits structuring.

He has led the teams that conducted the human resource due diligences for Old Mutual’s listing on the London Stock Exchange and the proposed merger between Kumba Coal and Eyesizwe Coal. 

He developed the performance management systems for organisations as diverse as The Presidency, Tshwane Municipality, City of Cape Town and Pikitup.

Ronel brings over 30 years-experience in the Financial Services Sector, leading statutory audits with BDO, working with Len Konar & Associates as Manager of Internal Audit, lecturing in accounting, auditing, risk management and ethics.  She has lectured in accounting and allied subjects for SAICA AT(SA), Deloitte Consulting and educational institutions and municipalities throughout the country. 

Ronel has managed audit and internal audit teams for the JDA, NHC, RHLF, Sentech, Department of Housing, Department of Health, Department of Public Works and Mango Airlines.  She consults to the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants on the AT(SA) qualification, Deloitte Consulting client’s: The South African Reserve Bank and Western Cape Municipalities.

She is an accomplished professional in the provision of independent assurance that an organisation’s risk management, governance and internal control processes are operating effectively. Ronel also provides mentoring and training to clients on Internal Audit, Risk Management, Corporate Governance, Ethics, Supply Chain Management, Public Finance Management Act and the Municipal Finance Management Act, as well as compliance to Treasury Regulations. She has extensive knowledge and experience in governance, risk and compliance, internal audit bringing a blend of corporate knowledge and with academic insight and understanding.