Meet The Bizskills Team

Our Management

Darryl has always had a passion for education and has been in the education sector both locally & internationally for the past 30 years. Being an ex-educator provided an understanding of what professional development should be. Ensuring that educators are given the best possible chance to impact learners in their classrooms and at the same time to ensure that educators are impacted in their professional lives and their personal lives is what making a difference in education is all about.

Dawid joined the company in 2016. He is based in Johannesburg and takes care of the greater Gauteng area. I have enjoyed seeing the company grow over the years and the continued positive impact it has had in the school environment.

Marieta joined Bizskills in 2022 and immediately made an impact. Marieta is based in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) and manages schools in the Eastern & Southern Cape as well as KZN. Having had more than 17 years of experience in the school environment as an educator & principal, Marieta brings great insight into the needs of schools as well as the challenges. Marieta has an incredible passion for both educators and learners and this is clearly visible with her interactions with schools.

Willemien Vorster is a valued member of the Bizskills team, playing a crucial role in overseeing admin, data logging, and providing dedicated support on the Bizskills Platform. Her unwavering dedication to excellence shines through in every task she undertakes. With a commitment to delivering exceptional results and a deep-rooted faith in God, Willemien brings a spirit of loyalty and passion to all her endeavours. Her contributions are pivotal in driving Bizskills' mission of empowering educators and transforming education.

Philippa Fabbri is a teacher, remedial therapist and education consultant. With over 30 years in the schooling system and working closely with parents and educators over the years, finding solutions and different educational opportunities for children who don't always learn the traditional way, Philippa completed her doctoral thesis on "supporting children with anxiety in the classroom" and believes that every child, with the right support and in the right environment, can thrive. Philippa is the Founder and CEO of Education Services - providing guidance and support to schools and teachers on learning barriers and learners with special educational needs.

Onke Mazibuko has over ten years’ senior management experience; leading teams, developing staff and creating organizational culture. He also has over ten years of experience working in youth development. He has worked in different settings, including corporate; tertiary institutions; schools and non-profit organisations. As a psychologist, his expertise is in designing mental health interventions for individuals, groups and communities or organisations. Onke is a Canon Collins Scholar (2015) and an International Visitors Leadership Programme Fellow (2018). He holds master’s degrees in Psychology (University of Fort Hare) and Public Health (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine). He is currently registered for a Ph.D. in Creative Writing (University of Pretoria). His debut novel was published in 2022 by Penguin Random House. Working in private practice, Onke provides one-on-one therapy for adults and adolescents, couples and families. He works closely with management within organisations and institutions to develop staff, create a culture of inclusivity and navigate the process of organisational change. He specialises in programme design, the delivery of workshops and talks and the continuous development of individuals to meet needs and goals.

Karen Muller is one of the leading experts internationally on crimes of sexual violence against children and other vulnerable groups. She has also spearheaded an interdisciplinary approach towards safeguarding children from violence by capacitating stakeholders to prevent, respond to and protect children from this violence. She is a policy developer, a legislative reviewer, an expert on specialist criminal justice models and a proponent of a multi-disciplinary system response to violence against children. As an example, her expertise was acknowledged when she was appointed as one of 5 international experts on the Selection Committee of the Spotlight Initiative’s Civil Society Global Reference Group. The uniqueness of her expertise lies in her multi-disciplinary approach to violence against children – she reflects the objectives of the UN INSPIRE strategies. She works within both a psychological as well as a legal framework to address and combat the abuse and exploitation of children. As the CEO of the Child Witness Institute, Karen has conducted numerous research projects, has contributed to the development of legislation and developed policies, guidelines and advanced training courses on child safeguarding, sexual violence prevention and response strategies, and specialised services and models for child witnesses and other vulnerable groups. Karen conducts her work at national, regional and international levels.

Karen Hollely complements the work of the Child Witness Institute through her expertise on the psychological issues affecting child victims of sexual abuse and exploitation. She has brought forensic psychology into the specialist approach developed by Dr Muller and, as such, the Institute enshrines the doctrine of multi-disciplinary work pertaining to issues affecting child victims of violence. As the Chief Operating Officer of the Institute, Karen ensures the implementation of all projects undertaken by the Institute. She specifically advocates for the impact of serious crime to be recognized as a significant part of the criminal justice process and that specialised services should be made available to victims of serious crime to address this impact. Like Dr Muller, Karen has published widely on topics pertaining to child abuse and gender-based violence. She contributes to the development and presentation of specialised training on issues of child safeguarding, child forensics, child witnesses and complex system reform to combat violence against children.

Jeanne Harito is a dedicated drama educator with 12+ years of experience. Passionate about education, she advocates for educator well-being. Jeanne fosters a dynamic learning environment through innovative methods, individualized instruction, and integration of neuro-linguistic programming and Emotional Intelligence. She goes beyond the classroom, organizing workshops and training sessions to support teacher well-being.

Emilise Rautenbach is a highly experienced behavioural consultant and coach with a Master's degree in psychology and an international coaching accreditation. Through coaching and courses, she equipped learners, teachers and management teams to excellence. Her background as a teacher in Primary and High Schools gave her a solid foundation to understand the educational environment. With more than 20 years of experience, she uplifts and supports a school until excellent behaviour is a given in every relationship of the school, or its people.

At birth, JL’s heart stopped. Medical intervention left him with nearly no movement in his right leg. The prognosis was dire and he was advised that he would never be able to walk properly, let alone participate in sport. This did not get in the way of JL going on to achieve miraculous achievements in his life. He played rugby in the Craven Week in Primary School. He also played Provincial Cricket for many years. On his 16th birthday, he left school, completing his Grade 10, 11 and 12 academic modules in 6 months. JL started playing professional tennis the following year. Driven by the desire, passion and determination that only true champions possess, JL demonstrated an inspirational commitment and drive to succeed and became a top 10 doubles player in the world. His story of tenacity and passion will leave you feeling inspired and keep your team engaged.

Elwyn van den Aardweg is a professional educator with thirty-eight years of experience in South African State and Independent, boarding and day schools. His emphasis and belief in focussing on developing strong and healthy relationships between all role players in a school from the Governing Body and Alumni right down to the youngest student has been a hallmark of his leadership. After twenty-two years as principal of an Independent Boys High School he currently enjoys inspiring staff in schools across South Africa by sharing in a pragmatic manner, his wealth of experience.

Clive Vanderwagen is a seasoned trainer, facilitator, speaker, and coach. He works with top corporations in South Africa, has spoken on numerous platforms, and is a TEDx speaker. With a passion for educating others, Clive uses Transactional Analysis (TA) and Emotional Intelligence to train people to respond consciously to situations they face. TA is a modality that focuses on the psychology of human relationships and is an operating system for human interactions. Clive has used TA powerfully in his training sessions to show how positive behaviour change can be achieved in all aspects of life.

Eric is an old hand in the education sector, who feels that being a teacher is not simply something you DO, but rather is something that you ARE. He has 18 years of experience in both private and public primary and high schools, 10 years of experience in school management positions, and 12 years of experience in the higher education environment, where the focus of his teaching was been the preparation of the next generation of South African teachers.

Eric holds a Ph.D. in Education Law Management and Policy from the University of Pretoria and has published a number of articles in accredited local and international journals. He is also an experienced post-graduate supervisor, with 14 master’s degree graduates to his credit.

The focus of Eric’s master's Dissertation (for which he was awarded a distinction by international examiners) was school safety, and this is a topic for which has a strong and enduring passion. Another of his passions is the development of a human rights culture in schools, as he feels that a strong human rights culture can have a significant impact on discipline and on the way the right to education is implemented in schools.

Eric is married to the lovely Shirley and has an 8-year-old son, Caleb, and a 3-year-old son Jesse, both of whom are the apples of their father’s eye.

Being a leader is one of the most stimulating, frustrating, exhilarating, draining, energizing, challenging and life-giving experiences – regardless of your area of influence. Some of your leadership seasons might leave you feeling burnt out or disconnected from everyone and everything you deem important. Other seasons might leave you falling short – with a persistent invitation towards what comes next. Johan will share those leadership battle scars and can make you believe that things can be better! With more than 23 years of leadership coaching experience, Johan has had the privilege to partner with thousands of local and international leaders to navigate the leadership adventure successfully. Johan is grounded in not only his own lived experience but also years of academic study and research.

Dr Ken Resnick is a registered educational psychologist, practising since 1987. He has had 20 years of experience as a school counsellor/ psychologist at a private co-Ed school in Johannesburg.

He has done numerous presentations and workshops for parents and teachers both in South Africa and the UK.

He has also presented at numerous NAPTOSA conferences.

He developed and evaluated by way of a doctoral thesis a parenting programme that has proven very effective in assisting parents and teachers in understanding their role as educators in guiding a child to adulthood.

During his research, he came to the conclusion that it is the quality of parenting that is the key factor in the healthy development of the child. This includes virtually all childhood disorders ranging from ADHD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), anxiety disorders and many others.

During his teacher workshops, the educator is given insight and knowledge which assists them in understanding how different parenting styles retard or enhance a child’s development.

Teachers are also given practical ideas and tools that they can implement in the classroom.

A compassionate and proud South African who has made it her life’s work to help others flourish, using education, coaching and therapy. Yolanda has made invaluable contributions to education as an educator, a director and a specialist wellness counsellor. She has worked extensively in leadership, staff development and mentoring and the extension of gifted teens, as well as assisting academically challenged teens to thrive. She now runs her own private practice where her focus is on contemporary challenges such as trauma, anxiety, gender identity, depression and stress, using the wellness model.

Rex Hunt is driven by a passion to educate all societies on the dangers of Substance Abuse and empower people to say NO! Rex has not come from an addiction background yet has gone on to become a Specialist Accredited Addiction Recovery Coach and a Mental Health Coach. Rex removes ignorance with well-presented knowledge giving people the understanding of the power and destruction of mood and mind-altering substances, from Vaping to Injectable Drugs, including online gratification.

Scott used to be a teacher and now teaches teachers about technology and teaching trends that are shaping the future of education. Scott taught in the UK for ten years before coming back to South Africa, and during that time he was exposed to the latest technologies that supported and molded not only his teaching but his students' success. The Technology Training Academy focuses on pedagogy within its teaching approach, resulting in a complete training experience for our teachers. Our supportive approach of materials left with you after our sessions, ensures you maximize your earning experience. Scott lives and breathes technology and believes that a teacher of today shouldn't be teaching or doing admin without it

Bruce is a passionate, confident and innovative educator and visionary with a four year

Bachelor's Degree from the University of Pretoria. Bruce has had huge success as a senior leader. He prides himself in strong relational skills with a passion to mentor and empower

others to be the best they can be. He is a self-motivated hard worker. Bruce is an experienced connector and relationship builder.

Manie is an innovative leader who can inspire those who work with him, with “out of the box” ideas and a passionate vision. He guides people through the things that are important to them and his style challenges people to discover their own identity and purpose.

Mani’s unbridled passion for life and unlimited energy are a refreshing contribution to any team and a valuable asset with an infectiously optimistic outlook on life. For the past 20 years, he has perfected his unique skills and exceptional talent as a speaker to communicate primarily with the new generation to encourage them. He does this by mentoring and inspiring in personal or team/group contexts and guiding young people to discover their strengths and individual potential in a purposeful and powerful way.

Desmond Zeelie is a passionate South African with a heart for education and an ambassador for sustainable change in schools, institutions, organizations, and the broader community in South Africa and throughout Africa. He has contributed invaluably to state and independent school systems in both the classroom as Educator, as Headmaster, and now Specialist Consultant.

Chris van der Mescht is the founder of My Code - (www.mycode.solution), which was established to explain the relevance of brain health and laterality in education and support educators to use the understanding of neuroscience and laterality to create a learner-centric learning environment.

He works as a wellness practitioner and represents Fitstats Wellness in Africa. Fitstats Wellness offers an educator and/or learner wellness monitoring programme that provides real-time visibility of wellness as an enabler of learner readiness. This visibility can be utilized to support educators and learners and enhance the learning experience.

Currently, Chris is in the process of completing a master's degree in Neuroscience in Education and has recently obtained an international trainer's certificate in Vedic Math.

Peter Anthony studied at the University of Pretoria and obtained a B.A. Degree, majoring in English, History and Psychology – a Higher Diploma in Education (HDE) and a Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology (M.A. Psych). He has a background in both educational and psychological fields which has enabled him to understand the numerous challenges that all management and educational staff face on a daily basis. In his seminars, Peter has attempted to fuse his knowledge and past psychological and teaching experiences in order to motivate, inspire and educate candidates. He has delivered motivational seminars to a diverse number of companies and institutions and continues to lecture at business colleges on a part-time basis. Peter’s presentations illustrate the reality of life and are intended to inspire individuals to make a positive difference in the lives of all people they interact with.

Jacqueline is a Personal Development Coach, with an authentic passion for supporting individuals and/or teams in a meaningful way. She is enthusiastic, compassionate, and committed to each of her clients in the various pieces of work that she is involved in. Jacqueline loves to be challenged in areas that she feels passionate about. She strives to provide opportunities to people that offer the space to learn, grow and make a meaningful difference.