Most of my working life has been in the NPO sector, and I was privileged to lead the Cotlands team for many years. I took over running the organisation at the height of the HIV epidemic, and our primary focus at that time was offering in-patient and home-based palliative care to babies and young children with end-stage AIDS. Joining a consortium to take the government to court to secure treatment for pregnant moms, and piloting ARV treatment for children with Bara, ensured that we were at the forefront of reducing the number of babies born positive and providing effective treatment for those that were.As the years passed, we reached a point where our palliative services were no longer required and were able to close down our hospice and home-based care programmes. While this was cause for celebration, we needed to find a new vision that would keep us relevant in the present day. Having a deep understanding of the impact of early deprivation on school performance, we developed innovative non-centre-based early development programmes to serve young children living in marginalised communities. After successfully taking Cotlands through this transition, I decided to step down from my position as CEO, as there were ECD specialists within the organisation far more qualified to lead the team in this new direction.For the next few years, I supported Cotlands and various other NPOs with their fundraising efforts, mostly through proposal and report writing, until retiring in 2023. However, I quickly realised that retirement is not all it is said to be, and I was fortunate to be offered a chance to learn new skills in a field I had never worked in before, as a researcher for an executive placement agency. At BossJansen, I am able to leverage my experience as a seasoned professional to contribute to executive placements and connect talented individuals with their ideal career paths. I am excited to bring my passion for making a positive impact to this new role, where I have the opportunity to foster meaningful connections and play a pivotal role in shaping successful careers.