WorldWide

Born on outskirts of Belgrade – Serbia in family of 4. Immigrated to South Africa in 1991 “running away” from civil war. Even though that I came to South Africa without papers, money, job or being able to speak English, I made this beautiful country my home. My career took me from being a waiter in the restaurant (my first job here) to Restaurant Manager, Sales Manager in Timeshare Company to MD and CEO of ZA Galvanizing. At the end of the August this year I left my last position of Regional Sales Manager of EXIM International. When it comes to business, I am dedicated, punctual, loyal and organized with the skill set that made me achieve any task in front of me with the high rate of success. Privately, I am nature and animal lover, a bit of the environmentalist and lifelong naturist. I am one of the funders and first Chairman of Western Cape Naturist Association – WCNA and South African National Naturist Association – SANNA. Passionate follower and supporter of South African Rugby and F1 Grand Prix.

I am passionate about my work. Because I love what I do, I have a steady source of motivation that drives me to do my best. In my last job, this passion led me to challenge myself daily and learn new skills that helped me to do better work. I am ambitious and driven. I thrive on challenges and constantly set goals for myself, so I have something to strive toward. I’m not comfortable with settling, and I’m always looking for an opportunity to do better and achieve greatness. I am an excellent communicator. I pride myself on making sure people have the right information because it drives better results. Most business issues stem from poor communication, so I feel a responsibility to keep everyone on the same page. I am results-oriented, constantly checking in with the goal to determine how close or how far away we are and what it will take to make it happen. I find this pressure inspiring and a great motivator for the rest of the team. I am highly organized. I always take notes, and I use a series of tools to help myself stay on top of deadlines. I like to keep a clean workspace and create a logical filing method so I’m always able to find what I need. I find this increases efficiency and helps the rest of the team stay on track, too. I’m a people-person. I love meeting new people and learning about their lives and their backgrounds. I can almost always find common ground with strangers, and I like making people feel comfortable in my presence.

I am 56 years old and love life ! and am engaged to a wonderful man and we have been together for 9 years. I have 1 son who lives in Houston, Texas with his lovely wife and my 2 beautiful grandchildren. I have 1 sister who is sadly disabled. She has Motor Neuron Disease and is paralysed from the neck down. She has had this debilitating illness since 1998. I care very deeply for her and continue to walk this hard, painful journey with her. I would love to one day open up a strung of Care Homes called Mandy in honour of her. Watching your disabled sister struggle every day has been heart breaking but through this I have learnt the art of caring, giving and kindness. To be able to help and be there for those less fortunate than you is a heartwarming experience and exceptionally rewarding. My passion is travelling – I absolutely LOVE IT ! My sport is Golf and because I have such an adventurous, extrovert personality I also love a lot of other things like Boating, Fishing, Cooking, Drinking wine and socialising. The list is so long because I am always willing to try new things and experience new places. I am an extrovert in personality and love bringing out the best in people. My profession at the moment is a Key accounts Manager for a Surgical Equipment company. I have been with them for 14 years. I have vast experience in Sales and Customer service and represent my company by calling on all Hospitals – Private and Provincial throughout the entire Eastern Cape. I work with doctor’s in theatre and am skilled in the sale of Medical Equipment for Trauma, Gynie, Urology, General Surgery, Cardiology, Neurology, Gastro-Enterology, Ultrasound etc. Prior to being a Surgical Rep I was a Medical Rep for 20 years calling on General Practioners, Pharmacists and Physicians selling Pharmaceutical Drugs. I also have experience in the setting up of Vaccine Clinics and GIT Units. My passion is service and looking after my customers. I love to make a difference in everything that I do and work hard. I love to make people smile ! I am a great organiser and get things done. I am very loyal in business and in my private life and am committed to whatever I sign up for. You will always be able to rely on me. I would say that I am a Spiritual person. I have a genuine passion for seeking out the truth of all things. and placing myself on a sacred path of self discovery. I learn every day and try to live my life with a curious, grateful heart. I believe we can all be kind if we want to be and we can all make a difference in someone’s life if we want to. I Want to make a difference in the world ! I know I can.

With Treedom you finance farmers who want to plant trees, supporting their work in the early years, when trees are not yet productive. Treedom provides farmers with know-how and technical support for planting and managing trees. Trees are photographed, geolocated and monitored by Treedom over time. Treedom directly finances small agroforestry projects throughout the territory. The philosophy is to realize sustainable ecosystems and allow thousands of farmers to support the initial costs of planting new trees, ensuring food autonomy and income opportunities over time. The realization of small agroforestry systems allows to make precise choices in relation to the specific characteristics and needs of each project area. The tree species planted are native or respect the biodiversity of the different territories. The agroforestry practice also integrates the planting of trees in an agricultural system, favoring the virtuous interaction between the different species and a sustainable use of resources and land. Finally, all trees absorb CO2 in the course of their growth, naturally generating a benefit for the entire planet. Treedom finances projects in rural communities in the south of the world and also carries out projects with a strong social value in Italy. The first step is the training and financing of the communities involved in the projects, obtaining extraordinary results in terms of their own empowerment. The trees and their fruits belong to the farmers, allowing them to diversify and supplement their income and in some cases to launch micro-entrepreneurship initiatives. Financing the planting of new trees with Treedom serves to support the trees' care in the first years of their life, when they are not yet productive in terms of fruit. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a collection of 17 global goals set by the United Nations Development Program to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all in the context of a new sustainable development agenda. With our tree planting activities in Asia, Africa, South America and Italy, Treedom contributes to the achievement of 10 Objectives to ensure a sustainable future. In fact, with Treedom a tree is much more than a tree.