Greg Peterson

Retired PwC Partner, Co-founder Deals/M&A business

Ayob Alli

Financial Controller - SA

Boasting an impressive 25 years of overall experience across the retail, manufacturing, project management and recruitment sectors, Ayob really takes the lead in his role as a seasoned Financial Executive here at Makosi. After completing his BCompt at UNISA, Ayob specialized in financial reporting, data analytics and governance. We love his intrinsic passion for business process improvement and his crisp ability to use technology to support and achieve business strategy.

Nano Ngwane

Global Project Manager

Nano Ngwane is an outstanding Development Specialist with 22 years of experience in strategy development, project and programme design, project planning, implementation and overall management. Nano has spent over 12 years in World Vision International managing multi-million dollar programmes funded by the European Union, USAID, Anglo American, World Vision Australia and World Vision Canada. During her time in World Vision, Nano served as the National Training Officer, Project Manager, and National Programme Manager for Education Programmes. Nano also spent 3 years working with Lingos, a USA based company managing Project Management Capacity building programmes in Southern, East and West African countries and America where she contributed meaningfully in developing the capacity of senior project management professionals. Nano earned a Post Graduate Diploma in Public and Development management at the Wits School of Governance and an International Project Management Certificate from APMG in the UK. Nano values integrity and steward leadership. Nano is propelled by the principle of Living for a Cause that is Bigger than Herself and she believes that 10 000 Kids will offer her that and more.

Michelle Roberts

Engagement Manager

Qualified Chartered Accountant, with over 3 years of audit experience at Grant Thornton, and over 2 years in the private sector. She has a diverse set of skills from having been exposed to a wide variety of industries. She has a passion for managing world-class audit teams who deliver solutions and efficiencies to any business. You can count on Michelle to handle the pressure, bring high energy and positivity to any situation.

Kubendran Sigamoney

Client Success Manager

Kubendran is an experienced audit manager, with strong professional experience in Internal Audit, External Audit, US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), IFRS and Income Tax. Kubendran has worked on several audit projects across the US, including New York, Florida and California. He's passionate about delivering the most professional and effective audit engagements to our clients.

Paul Emery

Co-Founder & Head of Strategy

At the age of 28, Paul rode a motorcycle around the world. While he was riding, he thought about quitting almost every day. But despite the bad weather, brushes with the law, mental and physical fatigue, he kept going. Today, Paul puts that perseverance to work as a member of the Makosi leadership team by delivering exceptional service and experiences to our clients.

Hameeda Bux

Journey Advocate

Passionate HR Professional with 7+ years of experience within the HR field and a BCom HR Qualification. My expertise and skills include recruitment for both experienced hires and graduates, Learning & Development as well as advising business as an HR Manager . I thoroughly enjoy getting involved with initiatives at schools and universities to help our future leaders find their passion! In my spare time, I love painting, cooking and spending time with friends and family.

Catherine McDonald

Employee Experience & Culture Coordinator

Over the past 5 years in Marketing, Catherine spent 3 of those years working closely with the Employee Experience Team, helping them plan new and exciting projects that highlighted the employees, and the role that they play in the business. Through this, she discovered a new passion for building meaningful relationships, and engaging with people. Catherine is a go-getter, and is always up for a challenge. She is also currently completing her Marketing Degree part-time.

Stefan Rossouw

Business Analyst

Stefan is a Business Analyst currently working cross-functionally with the Makosi Product team to design, develop and deploy strategies for the business environment. As a Business Analyst, he aims to effectively evaluate system performances, identifying key indicators, and discover how changes in operations will improve results. He is passionate about translating user requirements into easily understandable documents, analysis, and insights that in turn drive high impact business decisions.

Clarissa Bezuidenhout

TAS Deployment Coordinator

Running a large organization like ours requires meticulous planners, strategists and administrators. Clarissa is such a key backbone of our daily operations. Not only is she articulate, attentive to detail and eloquent in her administrative role at Makosi, her unwavering passion for structure and perfection comes as a real flex here at Makosi. We have no idea how she does it, but her expressive communication skills, dynamic adaptability and people-first approach is what makes her shine as one of our Rockstars.

Faatimah Khan

Staff Accountant - SA

Faatimah Ait-Kadi is our dynamic Staff Accountant here at Makosi. She completed her articles in the retail sector at one of the Big Four Audit Firms where she was a Senior Audit Manager, with 6 years’ experience in various sectors of audit and accounting. Following her time at EY, she worked as a Financial Manager for Organo Gold Africa (SA, Kenya and Nigeria). She started her incredible journey at Makosi in February 2022 as a Senior Audit Consultant. She is proud and excited to be one of our Rockstars and we couldn’t be more thrilled to have her on board!

Marcus Soobiah

IT Support Manager

Marcus is an accomplished IT Support specialist with over 13 years’ experience in the IT industry across various sectors. He has built an impressive track record working on complex solutions and determined to making the IT support function one that is trusted and used frequently as his belief that giving people the human element of contact is far greater than any automated response they can receive is what really makes him a Makosi Rockstar. Marcus is able to thrive in a high pressure, deadline driven environment where he is passionate about solving problems and providing world class solutions to clients, both internal and external.

Karessa Reddy

Payroll Specialist

Every organization has its own set of expectations that need to be fulfilled, and Karessa is one of the Rockstars that are a key driver of our successes. Karessa has had 10 years of experience in the field and continues to push her creativity to the max, having started out in general administration and later working her way up the corporate ladder, becoming a payroll specialist and contributing in leading teams to success. She studied marketing which allowed her to push her creativity and equipped her with an inherent understanding of both internal and external expectations of an organization. She understands the needs of employees and ensures she finds the best solution to providing the best service to all staff.

Cindy Botha

VP People Operations and Engagement

Cindy is an experienced People Leader boasting with varied industry background and experience, most of which were acquired as an Experienced Talent professional at one of the leading big 4 auditing firms before expanding her global & Africa experience at a UK based NGO. She brings to Makosi her expertise and experience, which ranges across several core enabling talent capabilities. She is driven by her passion for people, purpose driven impact and innovative pragmatic people strategies.

Karin Wessels

Lead Business Analyst

For the past 14 years, Karin has worked as a Financial Analyst, Business Analyst and Product owner across the technology and financial service sectors . She is a detailed-orientated planner, focused on delivering value to the business by gaining a good understanding of the requirements and objectives

Bernice Roux

Talent & People Operations Manager

Holding a degree in Industrial & Organizational Psychology, Bernice is an expert when it comes to critical thinking, analytical problem solving and implementing processes and procedures to make teams work more effectively. Her career experience consists of working in auditing and quality control, analytics, project management as well as operational management. Bernice has been a pioneer in the recruitment industry, having over 15 years of experience with one of South Africa's largest recruitment companies.

Wayne Kaplan

Interim CFO

After surviving a 30-year career in Public Accounting, Wayne has professionally pivoted to helping firms adopt, develop and execute a variable workforce strategy that is profitable, sustainable and flexible. Leveraging those 30 years of experience “on the other side of the desk”, Wayne is uniquely qualified to assisting clients in driving a high-performance culture that results in outstanding levels of client service excellence and full-time employee engagement and development.

Palesa Phetla

Talent & People Specialist

Palesa is a Human Capital expert with 5 years of HR Generalist experience. She obtained her BA Communications degree from the University of Limpopo. She is a passionate HR professional who understands the people dynamic and supports individuals to embrace their talents as well as be a better version of themselves, leaving people feeling empowered.

Stan Kobrin

VP of Technology

With over 20 years of comprehensive experience in the tech industry, Stan specializes in product-led growth (PLG) through product design, software development, product marketing and digital transformation. As a seasoned full-stack developer, he has a deep understanding of both front-end and back-end technologies, enabling him to lead and contribute to all stages of product development and launch. Through the alignment of technology, user experience and business intelligence, he has been able to bring a strategic approach to delivery and innovation. Stan's expertise extends to implementing Agile and Scrum methodologies, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, and promoting collaborative team dynamics. He has a strong background in DevOps, streamlining the software development lifecycle by bridging gaps between development and operations teams. Stan has a unique talent for leveraging gamification and data analytics to drive key business outcomes, and a proven track record in digital strategy and transformation. By leveraging and being an early adopter of new technologies he has been able to launch and successfully implement go to market campaigns across a wide range of industries.

Darren Isaacs

Founder & CEO

Darren is on a mission with his team at Makosi to change the way public accounting firms deliver work. This requires our clients to go global and on-demand with resourcing strategies, operate virtually as well as forge automation and data analytics strategies. His mantra is "get your hands dirty, figure things out, keep it simple and never give up".

Mabothe Mojapelo

People Operations Lead

Mabothe is a seasoned Human Capital professional with over 15 years experience in professional services, in South Africa and the United Kingdom. An experienced professional in leading the design of key processes in business target operating models and driving change through best practice methods, strategy development and implementation. She holds degrees in Industrial and Organisational Psychology and Operations Management, and is currently pursuing her Postgrad Diploma in Business Management & Administration through Stellenbosch Business School. Mabothe is highly ambitious and driven, and passionate about the development of talent and creating dynamic environments that foster collaboration.

Carly Choffo

Marketing Manager

Carly is an experienced marketing and business development professional with over 4 year's experience building brands and driving business growth. Carly is passionate about creating meaningful and insightful content for our clients, helping them take advantage of opportunities and thrive in challenging business environments.

Jean de Villiers

Engagement Manager

David Madden

Client Relationship Leader

David is an entrepreneur and considers himself lucky to have been a leader in multiple 8 figure revenue businesses. His passion is in solving problems, creating win-win partnerships, and realizing the positive impact organizations can have on people, both inside and outside their businesses.

Nadia van Coller

Quality Assurance Software Tester

Nadia is a Quality Assurance Software Tester who is passionate about ensuring that high quality software solutions are delivered to business stakeholders in supporting daily operations. The QA world is not just about finding defects, but also about ensuring that the developed product will be effective and meet the needs of business stakeholders, while ensuring that new developed features can co-exist and complement current product and processes. As a QA, it is therefore critical for Nadia to think outside of the box, understand business needs and ensure that use scenarios are catered for and met while following the correct and valued processes in the Software Testing Life Cycle.

Bhavna Patel

Journey Advocate

Taryn Hickman

Fulfillment Specialist

Taryn is a highly experienced recruiter with 13+ years of experience within the Finance niche. She holds a BA degree in HR & Industrial Psychology and is a ISPr APSO member. She has won multiple awards throughout her career and thrives on building and maintaining strong relationships in both internal and external teams, in order to achieve optimal results, for Makosi and our clients. 

Mandy Crighton

Timesheet Administrator

Mandy is an efficient, organized and structured professional who believes in delivering results. Her goal-oriented approach coupled with her vast experience has helped her excel in her field. She holds over 10 years of experience in the HR & Finance environment and her fierce approach to organization is what makes her a cut above the others in her field.

Megan Nicholson

L&D Coordinator

A driven and resourceful individual, Megan holds qualifications in both Psychology and Marketing. Megan is passionate about people and aiding in the development of strategies that will best further them towards their short and long-term career goals. With a background rooted in TAS & Professional Services Recruitment, a vast network and knowledge of the industry, Megan believes that people are the most important aspect of any organization's success and advancement.

Mankwe Motimele

Marketing Coordinator

Mankwe is a passionate Marketer and Entrepreneurship Enthusiast with experience in Marketing, Program Management, Small Business Development and Office/Legal Administration. She is incredibly passionate about accelerating change in marginalized communities and lives by the mission to discover, share and amplify impact. Before joining Makosi, she worked with over 65 Small Businesses and 10 Non-Profit Organizations, helping them identify growth opportunities and amplify their impact through innovative Marketing and Strategy solutions. She holds a BCom degree in Marketing Management, and an Honours in Entrepreneurship & Small Business Management.

Dipen Nagindas

Sales & Customer Success Enablement Specialist

Dipen has a background in business and audit/accounting spanning over 10 years. He brings unique insight in identifying the perfect talent to serve our clients based on their needs. He takes immense pride in meeting deliverables and allowing professionals around him room to grow.

Seth Gordon

Chief of Staff

Seth is a Chartered Accountant and former EY audit manager, with 4+ years of external and digital audit experience. With his varied industry experience gained on multinational audits in the manufacturing, real estate and technology sectors, Seth is able to thrive in high-pressure, deadline-driven environments, where he helps our audit teams successfully deliver on challenging and complex audits.

Riona Raghunundhun

Staff Accountant - US

Riona loves working in finance and the challenges that come with it. She’s a chartered accountant with 14 years of work experience which ranges across the Accounting, Auditing and Tax industry who is passionate about finance and is always eager and willing to learn and grow. Riona has gained both functional and operational finance experience while working as a financial manager in a Logistics corporate environment and finds meaning in her ability to get tasks done, to honor commitments and deadlines while ensuring that the right activity delivers tangible results.

Daniel Zietsman

Delivery Enablement Specialist

Daniel is motivated by the power of technology to enhance people's lives. Drawing on his experience at EY South Africa and his time as a Makosi consultant for PWC New York in their Asset and Wealth Management division, he brings a unique perspective to his role. With his CA qualifications, Daniel is dedicated to finding ways to improve processes and drive positive change through innovation. In his current position, he oversees internal delivery reporting and acts as a bridge between the Delivery Team and the Product team.

Gurdon Blackwell

SVP of Sales

Gurdon Blackwell is a seasoned sales leader with over 25 years of experience in developing and motivating sales teams across all market segments to meet and exceed company expectations. Gurdon joins Makosi having spent over 17 years at Sterling Infosystems, Inc. where he was a key member of senior sales leadership that grew Sterling from a $40M annual business to a $700M+ global leader achieving public company status in 2021. During his successful tenure, Gurdon served as an individual contributor, national sales manager, SVP of Client Success and most recently as the Head of Sales for one of the company's highest-performing verticals. Across all roles held, Gurdon developed and implemented truly differentiated sales strategies that helped grow YoY net new revenue organically by consistently acquiring global, Fortune 500 logos and some of the largest revenue-generating contracts in company history. Gurdon earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Iona University. Gurdon is grounded in a firm belief to do the right thing at all times with trust and integrity and that focus on the customer trumps all else. He currently resides in Westchester County, NY with his wife and three children.

Lindsay Gaal

Global Chief People Officer

Lindsay Gaal, Chief People Officer of Makosi, has 15 years of experience providing comprehensive and progressive HR strategy to her organizations. As Chief People Officer, she collaborates with executive leadership in creating a dynamic, thriving, and empowered employee centric work environment while aligning the people function with firm growth and profitability, Operations, Technology and Marketing. In addition to her work in public accounting, she has provided HR consulting to professional services and consumer products companies. Lindsay believes in the power of positivity and its impact on every person's professional, personal and mental well-being.

Etienne Erasmus

Technical Support Engineer

Etienne is an IT engineer who has accumulated 18 years of experience, with majority of his work concentrated in the Finance sector. His motivation stems from personal values and an unwavering drive for innovation, which has led him to provide custom-made solutions to his clients. His proficiency in the technical aspect of his work and meticulous attention to detail has established him as a dependable partner and a respected advisor. Etienne strives to exceed expectations and expand the limits of his field.

Sarah Tarr

Product Designer

Raeesa Sadik

Learning & Development Specialist

I’m a people passionate, idea-generating, individual committed to creating a culture of lifelong learning. As a qualified CA(SA) and an experienced lecturer, I have developed the unique ability to create and implement innovative learning solutions and experiences. I am organized, systematic and I always maintain a can-do attitude. As part of the learning and development team at Makosi, I aim to create an engaging learning environment that challenges learners, ignites their passions and encourages growth propelling them forward in their careers. In my downtime, I enjoy working on my acrylic painting techniques and exploring my hometown of Durban, through hikes and nature trails.

Michelle Beetge

Timesheet Administrator

Diligent, delightful and dedicated, Michelle brightens our operations as our Timesheet Coordinator. She has 19 years of experience and a background in Administration, Finance and Sales and it shows in her commitment to performance and improvement of Consultant timesheets and billing. She approaches all aspects of her expertise with a professional working mindset and her passion to succeed is driven by everything that she does and believes that to be successful the first thing to do is to fall in love with your work.

Kevin Kletz

Strategic Finance

Kevin is an experienced finance and operations executive with a varied industry background including real estate, sports & entertainment and financial services. He ensures that our teams are able to consistently deliver to our clients in a compliant and effective manner.

Janet Conradie

Journey Advocate

Drew Bonaventura

Account Executive

Drew is a graduate of Indiana University and has been residing in Chicago for the past 15 years. With his entire career devoted to sales and sales leadership positions, he has demonstrated significant expertise in the field. In his most recent role as Team Lead and top sales representative at a freelance marketplace that provides firms with fractional accounting & finance support, Drew exhibited outstanding performance. Drew values teamwork and believes that one's success is largely dependent on the team's collective efforts. He is dedicated to helping others and is enthusiastic about learning from the team while sharing his own knowledge and expertise.

Katherine Nino

VP of Sales & Client Success Enablement

Katherine Nino is a thought leader with 18 years of experience in global operational strategy and execution for client-facing organizations focused on transformation, standardization and optimization. During her long-standing career, she has excelled at partnering cross-functionally to deliver on large scale organizational projects, including the high growth journey of strategic acquisitions and initial public offering in 2021 for Sterling. Additionally, Katherine has led and developed high performing international teams with outstanding data strategy, analytical, problem-solving and interpersonal skills, a professional feat she prides herself on. Katherine is originally from Colombia and Ecuador where she lived until she moved to the US in 1999. She has a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering and a minor in Business Administration from Mercer University. Katherine believes that with perseverance, goals can be reached, and that in today’s world, speed, flexibility and adaptability are key to succeed.

Rene Oostendurp

Talent and People Operations Lead: US

Rene is an experienced senior talent enthusiast with over 14 years recruitment experience. Rene has gained experience in building and growing strategic talent sourcing capabilities which includes talent mapping expertise and talent insights. She also has vast experience in managing and growing new teams, project managing innovative recruitment solutions as well as learning and development. She is an advocate for aligning your talent strategy to the new ways of working as well as skills of the future and has a special interest in collaborative intelligence - Human, technology, and AI.

Mishkah Wiener

SAICA Training Office Reviewer and Coordinator

Mishkah is skilled in Marking, having marked Financial Accounting, Taxation and Management Accounting on various levels. Having worked in the audit industry for the past 3 years, she knows what it takes to succeed at Makosi. Mishkah is an accomplished and experienced Senior Auditor with a demonstrated history of working in different industries with a heavy focus in Manufacturing and Financial Services.

Estelle Naidoo

Site Reliability Engineer

Estelle completed her BSc in Computer Science and IT at the University of KwaZulu Natal. She has 3 years’ experience as developer and worked as a PHP developer at one of South Africa’s leading capital markets research firm. Estelle is passionate about technology and finding new ways to improve business with fresh, more efficient solutions.

Winnie Mosidi

Journey Advocate - Audit, Risk and Advisory

Winnie is a registered Industrial Psychologist whose short career of 6 years has been a diverse & exciting one in the financial industry. She attains lecturing, project change management, HR & Organisational Development experience where she focused on HR all centres of excellence work & OD work. Her love for attaining diverse knowledge & experience had enabled her to grasp to help build organisations become great places to work. She is passionate about organisational effectiveness and being part of people’s journey to growth.

Kevin Johnson

Account Executive

Kevin is an experienced recruiter and specialist consultant with 7 years of recruitment experience specifically gained in Financial Markets with 2 of the largest and most successful recruitment agencies in South Africa. He has won numerous awards across both firms and successfully consulted to some of the largest Investment firms on the continent and has also built out a successful division which is still thriving today. His unique experience and exposure is perfectly positioned to guide candidates around why the TAS team will provide them with the right exposure to amplify their career for the future.

Graham Paulsen

Chief Operations Officer (COO) People

Graham is an experienced recruitment manager with over 10 years of expertise, the bulk of which was acquired at South Africa's largest specialist recruitment firm. He has grown and lead teams across the Finance, IT and Risk fields and received various awards and accolades as a recruitment specialist and manager. He holds a BCom Marketing Management from the University of Pretoria and an ISPr designation with APSO.

Stephanie Bührer

Change Lead

As a change specialist and people enthusiast who thrives on undertaking new challenges, Stephanie uses her experience in Marketing, Research, Project and Change Management, to craft out-of-the-box solutions that work. With a background in management consulting, her focus is on using innovation and insights to ensure that positive, enduring behavioural and cultural changes are achieved so that we can continue to help our clients achieve new heights and create more room to grow.

Success Mhlanga

Project Manager

Success has more than 7 years of project, technology, and administration management experience within Audit & Accounting, Telecommunications and Financial Service industry. Managing projects between 1million to 30million. A seasoned expert in Software Project Management, certified and practicing both Agile and Waterfall Project management methods. Well-versed in technical and non-technical projects, whilst keeping spirits high with excellent communication.

Palesa Dibakwane

Talent Specialist - Audit

Palesa is a finance recruitment specialist from one of South Africa’s largest recruitment firms. She holds an Honours in Business Management from University of Pretoria and an ISRr designation with APSO. Her greatest passion is helping people and being a solution to her world. She has a large social media following where she is dedicated to motivating people to reach their goals.

Adriaan van der Hout

Engagement Manager Lead

An experienced Audit Manager with experience in among others, the following sectors: Pharmaceutical, manufacturing, energy, media and financial services. He has exposure on a local and international level, gaining invaluable experience in London and Amsterdam before returning to South Africa. He has a passion for managing, coaching and working in diverse and dynamic team environments while delivering high quality output on projects. Adriaan finds meaning in making connections and growing client relationships.

Udisha Mohangi

Talent Acquisition Lead – Audit

A true passion for people and purpose, Udisha holds an Honors Degree in Human Resources and is an experienced Talent Specialist. Majority of her experience lie in finance recruitment across various industries including Financial Services, Banking, Manufacturing, FMCG, Retail, Mining, Pharmaceuticals and Logistics. Not only is Udisha top talent, but she is also able to mentor, lead and train top talent in the recruitment industry in her unique and humble approach. More recently she has gained exposure in head hunting and securing exceptional talent for her clients internationally and exposing her top candidates to great career opportunities within the African, United States and European markets. Her strategic mindset allows her to analyze the business enabling her to streamline processes and contribute greatly as a Talent Partner to any organization.

Jodi Milosevich

Journey Advocate

As an Industrial Psychologist, I am passionate about helping organisations create a culture of empowerment, collaboration, high performance and engagement for individuals and teams alike.  Throughout my academic and professional experiences thus far, I have committed to learning about people and organisations and to turn these learnings into practical, useful and tangible results in the organisation. I strive to bring a holistic, people-centered approach to each situation, acting with empathy and authenticity at all times. I am highly organised, an optimist and detail-oriented in all that I do. In my down time I enjoy spending time with friends on the beach or going on a picnic, as far as my happy place, you’ll undoubtedly find me holed up with a book and cup of tea.

Tsholofelo Motlakeng

Talent & People Coordinator

Driven by the belief that a business should be run with a purpose, Tsholofelo has experience in both public and private sectors. As a keen learner and lifelong mind-expander she thrives in spaces that challenge and allow her to grow on a daily. Tsholofelo is a grounded administrative professional who is goal oriented and passionate about delivering results. She thrives in spaces that challenge and allows her to learn and grow on a daily. Tsholofelo has experience in both public and private sectors which she gained in one of the Big Four focusing on Diversity and Inclusiveness, Employee experience, L&D and Social corporate responsibility.

Frank Kosiba

Account Executive

Prior to joining Makosi, Frank worked in the BPO and SaaS space for more than 20 years helping large clients deliver professional services through technology and strategy. His relentless focus on sales, operations, and understanding macro-level business challenges has afforded him the opportunity to help organizations drive growth.

Simon Wheeler

Engagement Manager

Simon is a qualified Chartered Accountant with over 5 years of external audit experience. His in depth knowledge of IFRS and US GAAP is driven from his extensive audit experience in the US and European markets across a broad range of industries including, Manufacturing, retail, general and commercial. Simon’s passion for creating, driving and maintaining long lasting client and team relationships allows him to collaborate and effectively manage diverse teams allowing them to unlock their full potential.

Astrid Von Maltitz

Business Support & Logistics Coordinator

I have 19 years of experience in the Financial industry and 5 years experience in IT retail Im passionate about enhancing business processes and IT deployment.   I thrive on collaboration with people to achieve common goals to best suite the business vision. New challenges excites me and I love to be part of a high performance team

Richard Goodhead

Technical Support Engineer

Ilya Gilman

Account Executive

Ilya is a seasoned business executive with over a decade of broad-ranging expertise in consulting, business strategy and risk management. He has led business development as well as strategy consulting and risk management initiatives at one of the Big Four Audit Firms, where he worked with F500 companies, government agencies, and non-profit organizations on Corporate Responsibility and ESG initiatives. Ilya works with business leaders to help them achieve their strategic objectives. He focuses on implementing, outsourcing and on-demand resources solutions to drive growth and profitability.

Richard Fisher

Retired CHRO, EisnerAmper

Henriette Backstrom

DevOps Manager

Accomplished DevOps Manager and Certified ScrumMaster with over 12 years of experience in leading development and Scrum teams, specializing in product delivery and Agile methodologies implementation. As a Certified DevOps Leader, I have a proven track record in managing complex projects, streamlining operations, and enhancing collaboration between development and operations teams. My strong project management skills, coupled with my ability to foster a culture of continuous integration and continuous delivery, have consistently ensured the successful delivery of complex projects on time and within budget. I have a deep understanding of the software development lifecycle and am adept at identifying and mitigating potential risks and bottlenecks. As a leader, I am committed to fostering an environment that encourages innovation, promotes team collaboration, and drives high-quality outcomes. With a strong focus on continuous improvement and efficiency, I have been successful in managing large teams and delivering value-driven results in fast-paced, dynamic environments. My strategic approach and technical expertise make me a strong asset in driving the DevOps culture and achieving business objectives.

Grobra Mazambara

Engagement Manager

Grobra has 6 years of experience spanning across a wide industry base including Financial Services and Manufacturing in both internal and external audit environments. Part of his experience includes USA experience where he worked on financial services clients. He has experience in leading diverse teams in sizes and backgrounds. He is passionate about learning new skills, people and empowerment. 

Cara Van Wyk

Fulfillment Specialist

Cara’s passion and motivations lie in facilitating people ascertain their goals and dreams. She has demonstrated this over many years in the recruitment space, with a vast network and knowledge in the accounting industry. She takes immense pride in her deliverables and finds satisfaction in the success of matching business requirements with her specialist fulfillment capabilities.

Caroline Siegel

Client Success Manager

Caroline is a native New Yorker who grew up in Long Island and spent the last 10 years in NYC. She recently moved to Miami with her husband, Ben, for warmer weather and a new adventure! Caroline's hobbies include but are not limited to travel, walking with a podcast or Spotify playlist, pilates, exploring new restaurants, interior design, and as of late, flowers and plants. Professionally, Caroline has spent most of her career in account management within the technical consulting and staffing industries. She thoroughly enjoys working cross-functionally and collaboratively!

Richardt Stroebel

Delivery Enablement Specialist

Richardt is a dedicated and inventive professional who is passionate about using automation and data storytelling to empower individuals. He started his career at one of the Big 4 Audit firms, where he developed his skills as a Chartered Accountant, before transitioning to a consulting role at Makosi. Through these varied experiences, Richardt has gained a strong foundation in the financial sector. Richardt has extensive expertise in automation and data visualization and is adept at using technology to simplify processes and improve decision-making. Richardt is a highly sociable individual who thrives in team environments and enjoys establishing strong relationships with his colleagues.

Robert Balcerski

VP Global Controller

With over 20 years of experience, Robert has the capacity to adapt to new challenges with a commitment to excellence. He uses his extensive knowledge in accounting practices and procedures to deliver accurate and timely results. He prides himself on his capacity to adopt new concepts with due responsibilities while leading and advising various challenges and tasks with his comprehensive knowledge on accounting practices and procedures, including AR, AP and GL. Robert’s diverse finance and accounting background has characterized him as a strong, comprehensive, and accurate planner who leads to improve productivity, growth, and profitability. Having directed several accounting and finance initiatives, including process improvements and enhancements through quality control and risk assessments, He has become a strategic thinker with exceptional problem solving, analytical, communication, collaboration, and leadership skills.

Muhammed Lockhat

Billing Manager

Muhammed is a solution-driven CA (SA) with solid experience in financial reporting, taxation, internal and external auditing, corporate finance, client management and accounting systems & processes. Having sound knowledge of accounting fundamentals, International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and US GAAP, he is proficient at managing multiple projects at a fast pace. He has strong analytical skills paying meticulous attention to detail and possesses strong financial control and reporting skills which assist him in ensuring that all statutory and corporate obligations are met. He recently obtained his RPA (Robotics, Process and Automation) certification. Muhammed has acquired a wealth of financial services experience and his passion for technology has allowed him to incorporate IT with accounting and help better understand IT controls impacting the financial function.

Jennifer Lebethe

VP: Delivery

Jennifer is a former Deloitte audit manager, with over 4 year's experience, having worked across various industries including financial services, manufacturing and technology in South Africa as well as in Boston, Massachusetts. When she's not managing high-performing audit teams for our clients, Jennifer helps drive Makosi's impact initiatives forward.

Ilan Davimes

VP, Alliance Partnerships

Ilan believes that anything is achievable with confidence, a never-give-up attitude and smart hard work. He’s lived a colourful life of adventure and diversity playing music, meeting people, and taking part in an eclectic mix of traditional and extreme sport, travelling to exotic destinations around the world. He has founded and managed companies in multiple sectors including Finance, Cellular, Jewlery Manufacturing and Tech Start-ups. Ilan is a quintessential entrepreneur at the core and is always on the lookout for new and exciting ways to bring innovation to the forefront. It’s with this fuel, he believes, together with his colleague’s extraordinary and diverse attributes, they will drive Makosi to be an unstoppable force for good. Needless to say, it’s for these and a kaleidoscope of other reasons that make Ilan the perfect chief of staff at Makosi.

Ashona Beharilall

Talent Specialist - Audit

A driven and resourceful individual, Ashona is a Talent Specialist by profession and obtained a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Sociology and a Business and Management Development course through GIBS. She is certified by APSO as a Staffing Practitioner and passionate about people development and leadership as it is a way to make an impactful difference in the world.

Jason Naidoo

Client Success Manager

Jason is a Chartered Accountant and former EY Manager from the professional practice group. He specialized in consultations on technical matters, project management, liaising with regulators as well as the learning and development of various levels of staff. Jason has experience in auditing various industries in South Africa as well as in the manufacturing and distribution sector in the US, Minneapolis. Being innovative and results driven, he is great with collaborating and building relationships to facilitate an exceptional client experience.

Mandy Human

Client Success Manager

Mandy is an experienced recruiter with over 10 years expertise. The majority of her experience was acquired at South Africa’s largest specialist recruitment firm. She has experience across the finance function and has received many awards and accolades as a recruitment specialist. She brings her experience and unique insights to the talent team, ensuring that Makosi delivers exceptional talent and an unparalleled experience for our clients.

Kerren Walbrugh

Journey Advocate Lead

Kerren is a seasoned professional offering extensive experience in creating and steering People & Culture, Talent Management and Organizational Development strategies. With 17 years’ experience spanning Big 4 Audit Firms and more recently Mining Engineering Consulting; Kerren is an expert at building effective networks and delivering in a complex global matrix organizational structure. Creative, motivated and thrives on challenges, Kerren believes strongly that the new era of business demands an employee-centric growth philosophy to attract, retain and develop top Talent. Kerren calls Johannesburg, South Africa home, is an avid adventurer, a qualified Life & Business Coach and a professional singer.

Marlé Weideman

Fulfillment Lead

Marlé is an experienced Recruiter with over 7 years of expertise, mainly within the financial recruitment space. After completing her bachelor’s in commerce in Financial Management she started her articles and soon discovered her passion for people, and this is when recruitment found her. As a recruiter, she is passionate about changing people lives and maintaining strong relationships to ensure optimal results are achieved for Makosi and our clients.

Anna Thornberry

Client Success Manager

Insightful, passionate and incredibly experienced, Account Manager Anna is our expert in strategic consulting and problem solving with creativity and flair. She’s spent the last 10 years working alongside various auditing firms, helping them to achieve their long- and short-term goals, to make sense of their chaos and to provide valuable and constructive feedback to partners.

Ashleigh Forster

Sales Enablement & Process Lead

As a business analyst you need to be comfortable with the unknown and “making sense” in the chaos. Ashleigh ensures that requirements are clear from both the development team and the business stakeholder’s perspectives, so that we can deliver the best features to our users. She is passionate about optimizing process and bringing teams together to work towards a common goal.

Bhavir Govind

Project Manager

Bhavir, with 3+ years of experience in the financial and professional services industry, specializes in Insurance and Banking and is a Chartered Accountant who is a former auditor at one of the Big Four Auditing Forms. In leading various multinational audits, Bhavir has developed a skill set that goes beyond strategic and critical thinking. These skills, coupled with his hunger to excel as a business leader, has positioned him perfectly to manage Makosi’s special projects and other operational matters as part of the Makosi PMO team.

Grant Barnard

Front-end & UX Developer

Grant knows his way around WordPress development because he’s been doing it for over eight years. He’s fluent in HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript frameworks like Bootstrap and Foundation. Grant has a passion for solving problems with clean and scalable solutions that are built with UX/UI at the forefront.

Jessica Makua

Engagement Manager - Audit

Jessica Makua is a young, driven, dedicated, and qualified CA who is passionate about community service. She started her young career as an Academic Trainee at Monash University, after which she joined one of the big 4 firms where she was granted early sign off and qualified as a CA in 2019. After qualifying Jessica took on a secondment to McLean, VA for a 5-months. She remained in the US for two years after which she relocated back to South Africa where she furthered her audit career within consulting firms. Jessica enjoys collaborating with team members and her drive and passion to deliver effective audit engagements with our clients is her number one goal.

Deepa Naik

PMO Administrator

Deepa is a highly organized administrator with over 12 years of experience in the Recruitment and IT Project Management space. We enjoy peace of mind with a Rockstar like Deepa as efficiency and effectiveness are always top of mind for her in every task that she takes on. Her exceptional reliability, quick skill-building and customer relations savvy have seen her rise through the ranks to manage the administrative responsibilities required behind the scenes to make operations and projects run smoothly and effortlessly. Deepa stands out through her consistent delivery of quality work, as well as in her innate ability to wrangle chaos into order.

Shane Minnie

VP of Infrastructure

Shane has over 25 years of IT management experience across the healthcare, education and retail sectors, with a focus on infrastructure, project management and operations. He is passionate about technology and using it to solve problems. Shane loves working with people and helping them achieve their goals.

Bill Tomazin

Retired National Managing Partner, KPMG

After retiring from KPMG as National Managing Partner of Audit Operations, Bill has continued to follow his passion around strategy, growth and broad business transformation. Bill served KPMG’s Audit Practice for over 38 years in several leadership roles including client service, core operations, strategy & transformation, business development and total quality management. As National Managing Partner of Operations for KPMG’s U.S. Audit practice, Bill served as the Chief Operating Officer for a multibillion-dollar professional services business that included thousands of employees in the U.S. and abroad in core service delivery and supporting shared services. Bill brings Assurance, Advisory and Tax service, industry perspectives to Makosi and its’ clients around exceptional client service, strategy, growth and service delivery model transformation, as well as a clear vision around next generation service models, auditors and consultants.

Sue-ann Nicholls

Employee Experience & Culture Specialist

Amy Brenner

Legal Counsel

Amy is a qualified attorney with over 10 years’ professional experience, the majority spent as in-house counsel for JSE-listed and multi-national companies, specializing in both Commercial Law and Employment Law. From her years of experience as an in-house attorney, Amy has an appreciation of the commercial needs of a business and is committed to being a business enabler by ensuring a seamless and efficient legal process that offers end-to-end legal support, as well as being a trusted and approachable legal advisor.

Ana Fallon

Client Success Manager

Ana is a seasoned Client Success Manager and has worked with hundreds of clients to help them realize their goals and initiatives. She graduated from Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University with a Business Degree, with a concentration in marketing. Ana brings in-depth experience and a consultative approach to help audit leaders with workforce strategy and talent solutions.

Marco Pienaar

People Analytics Specialist

Marco is an experienced people professional with a background spanning across numerous industries throughout his consulting career. He is a self-motivated and critical thinking individual who is driven by people initiatives and data driven, fact-based problem solving. Marco brings with an innovative, people-focused, practical approach to Makosi's people strategies.

Kassidy Martin

Executive Assistant to Paul Emery

Kassidy is a detail oriented, list making enthusiast and self proclaimed perfectionist. These characteristics have lead her to a career heavy in her strengths as an executive assistant. She has spent a near decade organizing chaos as an EA and project coordinator, occasionally using her penchant for perfect grammar & punctuation on marketing and communication briefs.

Dewald Rupping

Delivery Enablement Lead

Chartered Accountant Dewald brings a wealth of audit knowledge and experience to Makosi. His passion for people and building meaningful relationships with teams and clients alike affirm his position as a true leader, innovator and chief of his craft. Dewald works brilliantly with diverse teams and encourages them as far as possible. He’s brilliant, focused on collaboration amongst team members and ensuring teams achieve quality results and believes in working collaboratively to achieve this.

Alla Schay

President and Global Chief Operating Officer

Alla Schay is a seasoned Executive with 28 years of experience in driving operational excellence, profitability, and client advocacy having held senior and strategic roles at Sterling, CT Corporation and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Alla joined Makosi having spent over 15 years at Sterling where she was a key member of Executive team that grew Sterling from $59M to a $700M+ global leader that went public in 2021. During her tenure Alla served as Chief Operating Officer, Chief Human Resource Officer, Chief Client Officer, and most recently as the General Manager. Across all roles held, Alla developed and implemented successful strategies to scale the company for growth, both organically and through strategic acquisitions. Alla earned Bachelor of Science degrees in Biology and Psychology from the College of William and Mary. She is a Certified Six Sigma Black Belt. Alla is guided by a firm belief that a business wins through enhancing client loyalty and her guiding principle is “take great care of your people and they will take great care of your clients – everything else will then fall into place”.

Tatika Scullard

Fulfillment Specialist

Tatika joins Makosi with 12 years experience within Talent Acquisition, specializing in professional services. She is passionate about meeting client needs and delivering to make an impact. Her focus and authenticity has won her Best Company Representative in the graduate recruitment space and she brings this energy to the Makosi family.

Muhammed Ebrahim

Engagement Manager Lead

Muhammed is a dynamic financial services professional with extensive experience in the Banking and Real Estate industries from his time at a big 4 firm and Luxembourg. He was also a member of the Financial Engineering Group at his previous company which specialises in the valuation and audit of financial instruments. He is passionate about information technology and has a working understanding of Python and T-SQL. Muhammed is an innovative individual who enjoys collaborating with team members in order to meet a common goal efficiently.

Ryan Najmulski

Director of Client Success

Ryan Najmulski has worked closely with audit, advisory, and financial services firms for over 8 years. After receiving his degree in marketing and finance, he lived in New York City and worked at a Fortune 500 company helping c-suite leaders with talent solutions. After New York City, Ryan lived in Bermuda and partnered with Big 4 and global reinsurance firms on projects and hiring related to accounting and finance initiatives. Ryan brings in-depth experience and a consultative approach to help audit leaders with workforce strategy and talent solutions. He currently resides in Denver, Colorado with his wife and red husky and is an outdoors enthusiast.

Layken Hazel

Talent & People Specialist

Human Resources professional with a huge passion for what I do. I hold a bachelor’s degree focused in Human Resource Management from University of Pretoria, and 8 years working experience in the HR field. Skilled in performance management, talent management and business partnering with a strong emphasis on employee wellbeing; and creating positive organisational change. I am a driven, ambitious and detail orientated individual, who enjoys being able to innovate, create and facilitate new ideas.

Mpho Kuenane

Talent & People Specialist

Mpho is a skilled HR Generalist with 6+ years HR experience. She has worked in small to large organizations in the Hospitality, Financial and IT industries. Mpho completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in Organizational Psychology and a Postgraduate Diploma in Management, both from WITS University. She is passionate about people and creating an amazing experience for our community members.

Jonas Viles

Senior Business Development Representative

Jonas is responsible for raising awareness of Makosi’s value proposition in the market and connecting industry leaders with the growth team, ultimately uncovering new opportunities for our consultants and new realities for clients. He’s easily excited by any opportunity to execute outreach tactics that offer the best client experience possible.

Karla Anderson

Client Success Manager

An experienced talent and relationship manager with eight years of client facing experience, including five years of external/internal recruiting, Karla Anderson’s specialty shines when it comes to working with global financial and technology organizations across the US. Her ability to communicate effectively with all levels of management, coupled with her interpersonal skills ensures successful client relationships and effective communication throughout the recruitment process. Karla is a true Rockstar! She has experience in managing teams on/offshore, training new staff, and developing relationships with new and existing clients through constant communication with hiring managers, and naturally champions the understanding of strategic projects and staffing strategies. In more recent account development achievement: Karla has started a new relationship with a high profile global data-warehouse company, who have subsequently named as their Number One external recruitment partner! Talk about a powerhouse!

Safeera Kazee

Payroll & Benefit Specialist

Passionate about payroll with 13 years of experience across various corporate industries. Highly organized with advanced proficiencies in the preparation and processing of payroll and associated systems. I possess strong interpersonal skills demonstrating the utmost integrity when liaising with internal and external stakeholders. I have completed my Bachelor of Social Science Degree (majoring in Human Resource Management & Psychology). I have also obtained a payroll diploma accredited by the Payroll Education. I truly believe there is always room for growth and therefore love to learn and experience new things. During my leisure time, I enjoy painting and improving my skills in calligraphy. I love the attention to detail needed for calligraphy with personally selecting the pen, paper and tools needed to produce beautifully hand-written letters.

Lance Adams

Fulfillment Specialist

Lance is a highly successful recruiter, with 6+ years' experience in the finance recruitment industry. He brings his experience and unique insights to the talent team, ensuring that Makosi delivers exceptional talent and an unparalleled experience for our clients.

Pieter Strydom

Head of Product

As a technology entrepreneur and former external auditor at Ernst & Young, Pieter uses his knowledge and experience to provide clients with technology they want. By leveraging industry leading product development practices, UX/UI design thinking, robotic process automation and AI, we’re building product to accelerate innovation in the audit industry.

Dylan Janos

Talent Specialist - Audit

Dylan has a BCom degree in Economics and has passed CFA level 1. He strives to build and strengthen relationships via networking and connections. Dylan is invested in coaching and sharing his knowledge and skills with our community members as a Talent Specialist at Makosi. His professional and strong linguistic acumen allows him to engage with talent from all corners of the world.

Louani Bouwer

Fulfillment Specialist

Louani is a skilled recruiter with over 8 years' experience gained with one of South Africa's largest specialist recruitment agencies. She specialized in the sourcing of Chartered Accountants as well as Account Management. She holds an ISP designation with APSO. Louani is passionate about guiding our consultants through the process and ensuring that they are client ready.

Diana Andres

Process & System Project Manager

Diana is a project manager who focuses on process improvement initiatives, definition, and documentation. She likes to work on challenges with complex processes and break them down into collaborative discussions with users and cross-functional teams. Diana lives in the Philippines with her son and husband and is currently taking up an MA in Educational Leadership and Management.

Shelby Phillips

Talent & People Operations Specialist

Shelby is an experienced accounting professional with 5 years of audit experience, as well as 2+ years' experience as a Senior Accountant and Financial Manager. Her passion for working with people, coupled with her remarkable interpersonal skills and intimate knowledge of the journey of an accounting professional, makes her ideally placed to guide experienced and young professionals alike through their career with Makosi.

Theo Matobo

Learning & Development Manager

Theo completed his articles at one of the big four Audit firms in 2018, he got an opportunity to be seconded to learning and development in his third year of articles, and this is where his passion for learning was reignited. After completing his third year he was given an international L&D secondment opportunity to Germany and after the secondment he permanently joined the firms L&D department. Theo also joined another firm where he wanted to explore a different industry and took on more of a technical training role. He is passionate about making learning happen for everyone, accounting and auditing.

Samiksha Sukdeo

Talent & People Specialist

Samiksha has 7 years of overall HR experience in various organizations, with 3 years of HR experience at one of the largest multinational consulting firms. She has an Honours Degree in Industrial Psychology and is an outgoing individual that is goal driven and people focused. Her passion for working with people coupled with her strong industry knowledge makes her the ideal candidate to work together with our employees to help them achieve their personal and career objectives.

Firdows Suleman

VP Talent Acquisition

Firdows is a skilled Recruiter and Trainer with over 12 years recruitment experience, specializing in placing financial professionals. Her expertise lies in people strategy and implementation for success. Her motto is upskill, uplift and get the job done!

Oscar Whacha

Engagement Manager - Audit

Seasoned Chartered Accountant with over 5 years audit experience in South Africa and the UK. Kickstarted career in South Africa, gaining exposure in the automotive, distribution, technology and agricultural sectors. Oscar is very passionate about developing individuals who in turn lead to better performing teams. Highly experienced in successfully leading diverse teams across different geographic locations. A firm believer in helping people in and outside of the context of work and has a great desire to see people succeed.

Dave Wells

VP of Marketing

Brand building, revenue generating market strategy and unpacking complex problems are just some of the key skills that Dave brings to Makosi. With his natural ability to decode intricate problems in a manner that aligns with customer demands and company objectives being just one of his vast and incredible skill-flexes, Dave believes that great product/services are only as good as the people who deliver them. We couldn’t agree more, Dave! Nice one!

Yashica Ishwarlall

Payroll Manager

With over 25 years of experience in the Hospitality, Motor, Clothing and Manufacturing Industries, Yashica is a passionate about people and driving efficiency. She’s at her happiest when she’s helping us build long lasting relationships. People are her passion and she is a true expert in driving efficiency in everything that she does. She thrives on a growing and everchanging environment and supports career growth through teamwork, commitment and being solution focused.

Jayson Temporas

Full Stack Developer

Ajai Murali

Senior Manager EBP

Ajai is a certified public accountant in the USA and a former senior manager with experience at Withum and Calibre CPA Group. He specializes entirely in employee benefit plans, including audits and other client services. He has executed large, complex employee benefit plan audits and brings that extensive experience to Makosi to deliver meaningful results to its clients. Ajai's main passion is teaching and building strong relationships among teams. He is fascinated by technology and gadgets and finding faster ways to do things. He holds an accounting degree from American University in Washington, DC.

Ahmed Saheb

Engagement Manager Lead

Ahmed has over 6 years of external audit experience within the Financial Services sector. He has also worked in Luxembourg where he gained international audit experience within the Real Estate sector. Ahmed is passionate about learning and development and ensures that audit teams are well equipped to run efficient audits with exceptional client delivery. Ahmed is a problem solver who thrives in high-pressure environments and works well with diverse teams to achieve quality results.

Darryl Kletz

VP of Data & Analytics

Data savant and entrepreneur Darryl is an established finance and analytics professional with a range of experience in sectors including Banking, Tech, Telecoms and iGaming. A Chartered Account by profession, Darryl co-founded and ran a Satellite Telecommunications company, before using this foundation to transition into helping businesses with their analytics. His 10+ years banking experience, together with management and data knowledge, provides a solid platform to understand the needs of Makosi and our partners when it comes to the actionable insights that allow for data-driven decisions. He’s a natural fit for Makosi and brings his passion for making sense of data to the boardrooms, making him a key driver of transformation and visualization across the board.

Alex Mirzakandov

Financial Controller - US

Alex is a highly accomplished individual, holding two degrees in accounting and psychology. His education and experience has enabled him to develop a versatile skill set, which allowed him to excel in various fields. As a valuable member of the Makosi team since 2017, Alex has contributed his expertise in accounting to help Makosi achieve their business objectives. With a passion for excellence, his commitment to delivering exceptional results and providing excellent customer service has earned him a reputation as a reliable and trusted team player.

Varish Naidoo

Head of PMO

It’s not about the idea, it’s about making ideas happen. Varish, with over 19 years of expertise in driving Strategic Planning & Execution and Portfolio, Program & Project Management, will lead the Makosi PMO with a focus on enhancing the Portfolio and Project Management practices throughout the organization. This will ensure the successful selection, prioritization, and delivery of key initiatives, enabling the optimal utilization of resources and maximizing return on project-related investments to achieve the company's strategic objectives. Varish is a firm believer that the people within an organization are key to its success and is passionate about developing individuals to reach their full potential.

Monique Faurie

Engagement Manager

Accomplished CA (SA) with over 8+ years’ experience working as an audit manager for PwC SA and PwC Netherlands. She serviced private companies, multinationals and listed companies within PwC ranging from investing to manufacturing, logistics, agriculture, hospitality, chemicals distribution and many other industries.