Lara Gouws

Experience

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  Synergy Computing

  Jun 2006 - Dec 2006

  Junior Coordinator & Personal Assistant

   All secretarial duties including filing, faxing, photocopying, postage and couriers, administration and typing documents; Handling telephone calls, dealing with key customers requests and queries and working with a switchboard; Interface with the National team and internal contacts including the Managing Director and Shareholders; I managed the Branch Managers diary and other personal tasks; Arranged travel bookings and expenses for the whole office; I was the first contact with incoming clients, meeting and greeting them on arrival; Maintaining the office stationery, ordering and managing new stock; Coordinating training by confirming attendance, printing and collating training material, setting up the area, welcoming attendance, ordering lunches and setting up for tea breaks, organising and arranging last minute requirements and queries; I gained financial awareness and experience of planning and handling a budget; Event management for conferences, I had to find venues, arrange meals, equipment and accommodation and keep a spreadsheet of the expenses; and I set up a new office from scratch, from arranging the lease agreement to arranging for carpeting, internet, phone lines and a switchboard to be installed and I had to order new furniture and equipment for the whole office, included in this task was maintaining an expenses spreadsheet of all the purchases made. Show less

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  Kroll

  May 2007 - Aug 2008

  Financial Investigations Team Assistant & Managing Director's Personal Assistant

   Personal Assistant to 2 Managing Directors: Extensive personal assistant duties; including travel arranging & management; diary management; meeting arranging; management of time entry; handling of expenses & Visa bills; typing, scanning & copying; postage & couriers; & invoice & file management. Team Support: Full support to Financial Investigations & Business Intelligence teams; full travel management, meeting organisation & communication with international offices. Office Set-up: Managed the full set up of a new office in Bahrain for Kroll Financial Investigations team. Show less

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  Spur Corporation

  Feb 2009 - Feb 2018

   Brand strategy: Development & implementation of strategic plan & direction. Financial management: Full brand budgetary forecasting, implementation & management. Relationship building: Supplier collaborations & implementation of national promotions; Individual restaurant attention & marketing strategy implementation; External agency management, briefing & project completion. Event planning & implementation: Create strategy & direction, manage budgeting & finances; Execute full event plan including managing multiple suppliers. Digital & Social Media management: Guide, oversee & approve budget & content plan. Execution of & management of Digital Advertising Campaigns. Platforms; website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, SEO. Reporting & Presenting: Presenting Strategy, Budgets & Brand Direction to Executives & Senior Franchisee councils. Brand Building: Co-ordinate & implement the strategy for a new brand into the market; helping to create the brand, build a strategic direction. Line Management: Managing, assisting, guiding, teaching subordinates in skills development & marketing orientated thinking. Show less

  • Panarottis & Casa Bella Marketing Brand & Project Manager

    Nov 2012 - Feb 2018

  • Spur Junior Brand Manager

    Mar 2010 - Oct 2012

  • Marketing Executive Personal & Departmental Assistant

    Feb 2009 - Feb 2010
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  Bottlebooks GmbH

  Mar 2018 - Nov 2019

  Project Manager & Team Administrator

   Project Management: Set up, implementation, management & completion of system projects, communicating between clients & Business Development Team. Creation of Business Process Manuals: Collation of all information & systems to create comprehensive training process manuals for the business across multiple departments. Team Administration: Management of multiple tasks of varying priorities & managing time & expectations; extensive travel management; implement systems ensuring consistency is obtained. Show less

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  Tricycle Europe

  Nov 2019 - Feb 2024

  My role requires me to understand the customer goals and objectives and align it to Tricycle Europe offerings. Once aligned I manage programs end-to-end with customer satisfaction as our number 1 goal.My key responsibilities include: Customer Success: Meeting, building and management of relationships with stakeholders of all levels including c-suite, to understand and deliver on their needs.  Project & Program Management: Lead programs within the business - scoping, planning, stakeholder mapping and co-ordination, implementation and post-program reporting and analysis. Communication: Maintain open internal and external communication channels keeping all parties up-to-date on the status of programs. Communicating across all levels and ensuring clear understanding when delivering a message. Time Management: Deadlines are set to be made. Co-ordinating and planning allowing execution to flow, this also allows for agility when the ever changing environment requires adjustments.  Reporting: Constant analysis, during and on completion of all programs, followed by the creation and development of results driven reports to deliver to clients. Process Development: Creating processes within the Project Management team to help efficiencies. Optimising existing processes to see where innovation can be introduce to again improve work efficiencies.Client list: Microsoft; Accenture; Citrix; Salesforce; Avanade; SAP; BMO; KPMG; Brisker Group; Signify; KPN; Visma RAET; QBS. Show less

  • Senior Project Manager

    Aug 2022 - Feb 2024

  • Project & Team Success Manager

    Nov 2019 - Feb 2024
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  Lara's Little Dreamers

  May 2024 - now

  Baby & Toddler Sleep Coach

  Many people think sleep comes naturally, but it's actually a skill we all need to learn starting from the earliest days of life. Good sleep isn't just important for our little ones to feel rested, it also helps develop their brains, emotions, and bodies, fostering stronger family bonds. After all, it goes without saying that a well-rested baby (and parent) is a much happier one! Our personal family motto, engraved into our wedding bands is "Our life of Adventure," this really underscores the importance of being well-rested for embracing life's adventures. This new journey of mine speaks not only to me but to my family as a whole.In my approach, I provide gentle, holistic methods that avoid 'cry it out' techniques. By considering your little one’s age, temperament, and development, I am able to provide you with a personalised sleep strategy that fosters independence and healthy sleep habits through hands-on techniques and in-room support. Every baby and family is different, which is why I listen closely and share useful information about evidence-based sleep science to help you understand the “why” behind the “how”. Together, we'll work on effective strategies to create a nurturing and secure sleep environment and make bedtime a positive experience for everyone. I believe in being open and transparent about everything, so you know exactly what to expect and can achieve sustainable results. I look forward to helping make the journey to better sleeping habits a positive one for your whole family! Show less