Palesa Sekel

10+ YEARS OF EXECUTIVE SUPPORT, STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT & OPERATIONS COORDINATION

I bring 8+ years of hands-on experience supporting senior leadership across two industries: retail at Massmart Holdings (Walmart-owned, South Africa's largest retailer) and mining at Sibanye-Stillwater (NYSE: SBSW) via Bupa Tshepo.

My career has been built on the core functions of executive support: managing complex schedules, coordinating teams, preparing executive-level reports, handling confidential communications, tracking budgets, processing invoices, managing compliance documentation, and serving as the communication bridge between leadership and internal/external stakeholders.

HOW I HAVE SUPPORTED SENIOR LEADERSHIP:

At Massmart (Walmart-owned), I managed the Research & Stakeholder Engagement function, reporting directly to Walmart Corporate Affairs in the United States.

• Compiled and delivered 12+ executive reports annually to ExCo (Executive Committee)
• Coordinated 50 field researchers across 4 provinces, managing schedules, quality control, and deliverables
• Built and maintained a 500+ contact stakeholder database in Excel covering government, NGOs, suppliers, media, and industry bodies
• Managed NGO and government sponsorship budgets of R700K–R2M, tracking deployment and impact
• Monitored social media risk across Massmart, Walmart, and all divisional brands (Game, Jumbo, Builders Warehouse, Cambridge Food), escalating crisis situations to Walmart Corporate Affairs per protocol
• Designed research instruments, defined sampling methodologies, and ensured data quality across all projects
• Ensured all engagement activities aligned with Walmart's global stakeholder engagement policies and ethics framework

At Sibanye Stillwater (via Bupa Tshepo), I managed end-to-end contract operations for an R2M mining installation project:

• Supervised 15 employees across 4 operational teams, handling recruitment, onboarding, daily scheduling, overtime coordination, payroll inputs, and performance tracking
• Delivered all 6 project milestones on time with zero missed deadlines across 24 months
• Processed 10–30 invoices monthly, tracked all project expenses, and managed milestone-based billing
• Maintained comprehensive safety and compliance files, passing 100% of monthly audits for 24 consecutive months
• Served as primary liaison between Bupa Tshepo ownership and Sibanye Stillwater's client development leadership, managing reporting, issue resolution, and stakeholder alignment across both organisations
• Coordinated sourcing, procurement, and secure transportation of materials to prevent production delays

WHAT I HANDLE FOR CLIENTS:

• Calendar and schedule management across time zones
• Email management, triage, and correspondence on behalf of leadership
• Meeting preparation, agendas, minutes, and follow-up tracking
• Research, data analysis, and executive report preparation
• Budget tracking, invoicing, and expense management
• Stakeholder communications and liaison
• Project coordination and deadline management
• Database management and data quality control
• Travel coordination (domestic and international)
• Compliance documentation and audit preparation

TOOLS: Google Workspace (Gmail, Calendar, Docs, Sheets, Slides) • Microsoft 365 (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams) • Zoom • ChatGPT • Claude • Excel (Advanced: databases, dashboards, formulas) • SharePoint • OneDrive • Dropbox

Currently expanding toolkit: Slack, Asana, Trello, Calendly, Loom, Canva, Notion

REMOTE SETUP: Based in Johannesburg, South Africa (GMT+2). Full overlap with UK business hours. US East Coast coverage: 2pm–10pm SAST (8am–12pm ET), flexible for extended hours. Dedicated home office with high-speed fibre internet, UPS backup power, dual monitors, noise-canceling headset, and webcam.

BCom Marketing — University of the Free State.

Open to Hubstaff time tracking. Available full-time.