Professional background and experience:

Geraldine has a diverse and extensive career across legal, governance, ethics, and employment law roles. She initiated her professional journey as a state prosecutor and later transitioned into the role of mediator, investigator and arbitrator. Her 20-year career spans four main categories: disciplinary hearings, arbitrations, investigations and directorship expertise. Geraldine is an accredited mediator in commercial dispute resolution with Conflict Dynamics, in family mediation with Family Mediators’ Association of the Western Cape (FAMAC) and in employment arbitration with MIBCO.

Geraldine has held various prestigious roles as a dispute resolution practitioner, including as a member of the Conflict Dynamics mediation panel, Commissioner at the CCMA, and arbitration and mediation panellist at Tokiso Dispute Settlement. She has also served as a panellist for the Transnet Bargaining Council, Motor Industry Bargaining Council (MIBCO, and mediator for the Community Schemes Ombudsman Services. 

Her expertise lies in resolving disputes related to staff grievances, unfair labour practices, sexual harassment, and employment equity discrimination. Geraldine has assisted multinational organizations in addressing workplace grievances, demonstrating her ability to handle complex and sensitive cases. Her extensive experience and expertise make her a highly skilled mediator, facilitator and chairperson.

Mediation experience and style:

Geraldine’s approach to conflict resolution and mediation is analytical, and process-driven, and she prioritises impartiality at every stage. Combining her communication and negotiation skills, with her expertise in legal drafting and risk / legal compliance she is well-versed and resilient in managing disputes.

Facilitation experience and style:

Geraldine has facilitated numerous Boardroom interventions, tackling even the most entrenched cases of board ineffectiveness. With unyielding resolve, she confronts and resolves debilitating boardroom conflicts, bullying, and governance breaches, providing expert facilitation and guidance that awakens boards to their full potential.

Her mastery of governance, fiduciary duties, ethics, and assurance empowers boards to confront and overcome inefficiencies, achieving transformative breakthroughs in board performance. Her comprehensive reports and strategic recommendations are designed to make a profound impact on governance outcomes.

Geraldine has experience in mining community and stakeholder conflict facilitation and has assisted in resolving conflict through town hall meetings. She has been the lead consultant in a mining community human rights investigation.

Chairing enquiries and investigations experience:

Geraldine has extensive experience in chairing disciplinary inquiries and conducting investigations. She has also been an employment arbitrator. She specializes in gender-sensitive interviewing, protection measures for victims and witnesses, and investigating sexual exploitation, abuse, and similar HR-related matters. With strong diplomatic and negotiation skills, Geraldine is adept at managing investigation missions in challenging environments, drafting concise reports, and analysing electronic evidence for potential fraud or corruption. she has experience in chairing complex disciplinary enquiries for executives and has chaired high profile matters. Geraldine is a panellist of the Institute of Directors SA Disciplinary Panel (IOD).

Comments from clients:

“I recall some 10 years back you mediated a dispute. I represented the employer, and the employee was self-represented. You sat as an arbitrator but encouraged the parties to consider a mediation exercise in an attempt to settle. You expertly aligned parties' emotions and expectations and guided them to settlement. I was exceptionally impressed.”

“You are certainly an effective facilitator of conflict.”

“I am not surprised by your appointment. Our work with you is a testament to your diligence tenacity and pragmatism.”