• Lead and oversee a team of 20 artists, fostering collaboration and communication within the team while providing mentorship, constructive feedback, and guidance under the Design Manager’s direction.• Act as the key link between the creative department and other business functions, facilitating workshops and meetings with buyers to ensure design goals align with broader business objectives.• Ensure the implementation of approved design strategies and processes, addressing any deviations and monitoring adherence.• Conduct regular trend research to identify relevant design trends and prints, ensuring brand designs remain innovative and competitive.• Identify opportunities for process improvements and collaborate with the Design Manager to implement necessary changes.• Manage and coordinate creative workshops with buyers, ensuring smooth sessions based on the Design Manager’s calendar.• Set up and manage Miro boards for effective team collaboration and workflow organization.• Brief the art team on project requirements, including strategic direction, trend insights, and buyer feedback.• Review all artwork to maintain brand consistency and design quality.• Act as the primary point of contact for all design-related queries and issues for assigned brands.• Build and nurture strong relationships with buyers, ensuring their needs and preferences are fully understood and integrated into design work.• Attend overseas reviews, executive run-throughs, and feedback sessions, ensuring insights are communicated back to the team.• Maintain a flexible in-office presence, working on-site at least two days a week and as required for buyer meetings and team sessions.

• Working within the Trend & Design department.• Creating and crafting commercial artwork for the retail and fashion industry, including textiles, rotaries, screens and placements commercially for the South African market.• Collaborating with emerging designers on trend experimentation projects.• Achieving recognition with multiple in-house top seller listings for my designs.• Gaining a reputation for pushing creative boundaries and introducing fresh and innovative ideas.• Being chosen repeatedly to pilot concepts for our specialty range, Project, which encourages exploration of unique artwork and styles beyond the company's standard approach and closer to current trends.• Appointed as the custodian of the Ladies RT Casual artist brand, our largest in-house brand catering to trendsetting and fashion-forward customers.• Responsibilities include close collaboration with buyers and trend teams, conducting trend research, briefing, generating, supervising, and reviewing artwork in partnership with my team.• Exploring and incorporating AI technology to enhance creative processes and outputs.

• Currently in the Ladies RT Casual department which is the biggest brand in ladieswear and appeals to junior / early trend adapter market. Previously working within the Ladies essentials & Denim department.• Selecting merchandise for essentials and RT Casual tops which aligns with the target market and meets the needs and preferences of customers.• Performing all assigned tasks related to the development of new clothing lines.• Engaging in negotiations with suppliers to secure mutually beneficial agreements.• Making valuable contributions to the seasonal strategic planning process.• Assessing and documenting past season performance for future analysis and improvement.• Collaborating closely with the marketing team and other various departments to uphold the brand's mission.• Conducting research to stay updated on current and pertinent trends.• Gaining a deep understanding of customer preferences and requirements.• Fostering an entrepreneurial mindset to drive success.Key Achievement:- Buying my own graphics capsule for quick response from trend to trade.- I am actively engaged in bridging the gap between graphics and buying. Following close collaboration with the trend department, I proposed and implemented a graphics testing strategy, which has been well-received. I regularly meet with the graphics head to explore opportunities for further enhancing our collaboration.

• Working within the Trend & Design department.• Creating and crafting commercial artwork for the retail and fashion industry, including textiles, rotaries, screens and placements commercially for the South African market.• Collaborating with emerging designers on trend experimentation projects.• Achieving recognition with multiple in-house top seller listings for my designs.• Gaining a reputation for pushing creative boundaries and introducing fresh and innovative ideas.• Being chosen repeatedly to pilot concepts for our specialty range, Project, which encourages exploration of unique artwork and styles beyond the company's standard approach and closer to current trends.• Appointed as the custodian of the Ladies RT Casual artist brand, our largest in-house brand catering to trendsetting and fashion-forward customers.• Responsibilities include close collaboration with buyers and trend teams, conducting trend research, briefing, generating, supervising, and reviewing artwork in partnership with my team.• Exploring and incorporating AI technology to enhance creative processes and outputs.Key Achievement:- Leading the way in brand custodianship, I played a key role in the growth and definition of the Head of design’s role. This involved empowering team members with greater responsibility and encouraging collaboration with other departments. Additionally, I revamped the team's collaboration methods, fostering a more cooperative working environment and facilitating the sharing of valuable skills and insights within the team.

-Lead and oversee all creative processes for Freshbread Digital, ensuring high-quality creative assets align with client objectives and brand standards.-Provide leadership and creative direction to a team of designers, copywriters, and digital artists, guiding them through concept development, design, and execution to meet client expectations.-Generate and implement digital strategies tailored to clients' business goals, integrating creative concepts with strategic insights to maximize impact and engagement.-Oversee the production and delivery of creative assets, ensuring timely execution and alignment with client briefs and overall digital strategies.-Collaborate closely with clients to understand their vision, translating it into compelling creative work that drives engagement and meets business objectives.-Offer ongoing mentorship and support to the creative team, fostering an environment of innovation, growth, and creative excellence.-Serve as the primary point of contact for client discussions, presenting strategies and concepts while ensuring ongoing client satisfaction and collaboration.-Work cross-functionally with account managers, developers, and strategists to ensure seamless execution of creative campaigns across various digital platforms.-Conduct ongoing trend research and analysis, ensuring that Freshbread Digital stays at the forefront of creativity, innovation, and technology in the digital space.-Ensure all creative work aligns with client brand guidelines, maintaining consistency across all platforms, including websites and social media.-Oversee project management, including timelines, resource allocation, and budgets, to ensure that all deliverables are on time, within scope, and meet client standards.-Leverage analytics tools to track campaign performance, optimize strategies, and ensure creative outputs drive business growth and engagement.

-Working as a freelance illustrator on a variety of creative projects across digital and print platforms, delivering high-quality visuals tailored to client needs.-Produced commissioned artworks, creating custom illustrations based on unique client briefs, ensuring creativity and originality in every piece.-Collaborated with clients to translate their concepts into engaging visual artwork, maintaining consistency with brand identity and artistic direction.-Developed illustrations for diverse platforms, maintaining a high standard of professionalism and meeting project deadlines

• Providing instruction in basic Photoshop courses for beginners.• Teaching Illustrator and InDesign to first-year students.• Aiding the NOW gallery in exhibition setup and takedown, while also contributing to sales efforts and fulfilling curator roles and responsibilities.Key Achievement:- Contributed conceptually by choosing exhibition themes and successfully pitched the idea of establishing a gallery at the college.

• Complete creative solution, conceptualization and execution of various design and illustration briefs across the various platforms making up the organization, namely Railways Cafe, IMake Africa and the IMakers Foundation• Head illustrator and designer

Degree completed

- Promotional work during studies

I am passionate about collaborating with diverse individuals. This role provided a platform to enhance my leadership abilities as I led diving excursions, instructing clients or guiding proficient groups in deep-sea explorations. Interacting with varied cultures and personalities, I managed merchandise sales, conducted client briefings and debriefings, and handled general administrative tasks, including logistics, payments, and accounts. This experience was incredibly fulfilling, allowing me to express my creativity, social skills, and engage both physically and mentally.

Instructing IT programs to mine employees involved training in computer usage, developing modules and educational materials, and conducting surveys across the entire mining operation. Notably, I was chosen to author the user guide for the GSAP program, a resource adopted by all BHP Billiton companies globally.