Noah’s senior staff

Our team is made up of extremely capable and committed people. Although we are a non-profit organisation, Noah is run like a business. Each staff member has a specific job description and measurable goals to work toward.

From left: Karen Reader, Skhumbuzo Thabede, Riaan Swanepoel, Beverley Sebastian,
Michelle Conning, Rachel Compaan, Joslyn Walker.
Absent: Tremel Pounasamy

About us

Karen Reader (Chief Executive Officer)

Karen comes from a solid corporate background, having last worked in telecommunications for many years, and has a strong combination of people, operational and financial skills. She completed her B.Compt (Accounting) Honours degree and subsequently involved herself in numerous management and development courses and programmes. Karen adopts an integrous and dynamic approach to leadership and is dedicated to achieving the vision Noah strives toward. She aims to do this by improving relationships, systems, processes and efficiencies.

Michelle Conning (Chief Financial Officer)

Michelle joined Noah in January 2008, having previously been employed as Chief Financial Officer at Clothing Textile Footwear SETA. Prior to this, Michelle was the Financial Director of Stocks and Stocks for 9 years. Michelle has a BComm in Industrial Psychology and BCom with Accounts 3, and she completed a CPA bridging course.

Riaan Swanepoel (General Manager: Operations)

Riaan joined Noah in January 2009. Before joining Noah, Riaan owned his own company which he has since sold back to partners. Before this, Riaan was CEO of Ntabazimbi Local Municipality, a municipality previously under-developed as a result of apartheid practices. Riaan has been awarded a Masters of Business Administration and completed a B Admin with primary focus on Municpal Administration. Riaan is driven by a desire to build capacity in communities and improve the human capital of communities.

Rachel Compaan (Manager: Operations in Gauteng)

Rachel is a qualified social worker with more than 20 years’ experience with children who have suffered trauma. She joined Noah in May 2007 and has been an invaluable asset as we have built our OVC Activities department to include peer education, computer literacy, Early Childhood Development, community outreach and bereavement counselling.

Skhumbuzo Thabede (Manager: Operations in KwaZulu-Natal)

Skhu came to Noah with a passion for human development and a strategic and logistic background that he developed through service in the Department of Health. He is a skilled and determined leader with strong coordinating, communication and developmental skills.

Beverley Sebastian (Manager: Monitoring & Evaluation)

Bev is passionate about programme development with a strong focus on Qualitative Data Assessment. Bev has extensive experience in the NGO sector with a strong focus on HIV/AIDS activism. She joins Noah from Hope Worldwide, where she was a programme manager.

Joslyn Walker (Manager: Communications)

Joslyn joined Noah in July 2007 with a passion for children and the importance of their role in South Africa’s future. She is motivated by a sense of social justice and securing hope for children that often feel abandoned and frustrated by their circumstances. Joslyn has previously worked for Phumani Paper, an NGO building entrepreneurs through the utilisation of environmental waste products. She has a BsocSci honours in Life & Environmental Sciences.

Tremel Pounasamy (Manager: Human Resources)

Tremel has a largely corporate background, having worked for companies such as Toyota SA, Blake International and ArcelorMittal. As HR Consultant for ArcelorMittal, Tremel coordinated the Corporate Social Responsibility efforts of the company. As a result, she has a clear and defined understanding of the importance of community development. She has solid HR generalist knowledge and experience and excellent IR skills. Tremel possesses a B.Com degree in Business Management and Human Resource Management and is currently completing an honours degree. She believes: “A great leader’s courage to fulfil his vision comes from passion, not position.” – (John Maxwell)