Farzana Dawood

• Strategic Program Design: Spearheaded the end-to-end strategy, design, and delivery of Group-wide leadership and talent development solutions, directly aligning them with critical business imperatives.
• Executive Partnership: Collaborated with Human Capital and business leaders to co-create customized learning programs that build future-fit leadership capabilities and strengthen the talent pipeline.
• Coaching & Mentoring Framework: Architected and implemented the Group's first standardized Coaching & Mentoring framework, driving adoption across all Momentum businesses to ensure quality, consistency, and impact.
• Digital Learning Innovation: Led the creation and launch of the award-winning LeaderFlix platform, a digital learning solution that made leadership development scalable and accessible, earning a global award from the Best Practice Institute.
• Global Partner Management: Cultivated strategic partnerships with world-class learning providers to introduce cutting-edge development, adapting global content to meet local needs and strategic objectives.
• Culture Transformation: Played a key role in driving a high-performance learning culture that measurably supports leadership effectiveness, talent retention, and overall business performance.Consulted with units to design leadership journeys.

• Strategic HR & Business Partnering: Acted as a trusted advisor to senior leadership, building stakeholder relationships to ensure successful delivery of HR initiatives.
• Organisational Development & Performance: Led key OD interventions, including change management, team effectiveness workshops, and performance management frameworks to elevate organisational and business performance.
• Talent Management : Implementing and responsible for the end-to-end talent lifecycle, overseeing all levels of Talent Management, recruitment, onboarding, and the implementation of strategic learning initiatives.
• Employee & Industrial Relations: Managed IR matters, handling complex cases from investigation through to disciplinary hearings and ensuring legal compliance.
• HR Operations & Team Leadership: Drove operational efficiency by continuously improving HR processes and systems.

• Driving transformational and culture change. Spearheaded initiatives to align culture, capability, and performance with business objectives.
• Designed and implemented OD interventions including facilitated leadership development programs, team effectiveness workshops, and change management to foster a high-performance culture.
• Facilitated strategic workforce planning and talent reviews, integrating data-driven insights to identify capability gaps and succession opportunities.
• Partnered with senior leadership to embed organizational values and behaviors, ensuring alignment with evolving business strategies.
• Measured impact through KPIs such as employee engagement, learning adoption rates, and organizational agility metrics.

Developed and executed regional talent strategies aligned with business goals, focusing on building future-ready capabilities and fostering a culture of continuous learning.

• Designed and launched regional learning solutions tailored to functional and leadership needs, integrating blended learning and experiential learning methodologies.
• Co-created leadership initiatives, connecting high-potential talent with senior leaders to accelerate development and knowledge transfer.
• Partnered with business leaders to identify critical skill gaps, and co-create targeted learning interventions that drive performance and support transformation agendas.
• Leveraged data and analytics to assess learning impact, track talent pipeline health, and inform strategic workforce planning.
• Enabled change readiness and adoption through learning programs that supported organizational transformation, digital upskilling, and agile ways of working.
• Championed inclusive learning practices, ensuring accessibility and relevance across diverse employee segments and geographies.

• Cultivated relationships with customers, vendors, partners and other external stakeholders.
• Oversaw day-to-day operations of the company while coordinating with staff members.
• Contributed to professional development of client staff through effective training and mentorship.
• Developed and executed regional talent strategies, aligning learning and development initiatives with organizational goals to drive workforce capability and transformation.
• Designed and facilitated bespoke learning solutions, integrating coaching, mentoring, and skills tailored to client needs across sectors such as building, hospitality, and public works.
• Provided advisory services to national training bodies and government departments, including the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT), and the Department of Expanded Public Works, supporting skills transfer and economic empowerment.
• Collaborated with training providers such as AGR National Training and the PTC Group to develop accredited training programs aligned with national unit standards (e.g., THETA), covering areas such as construction, hospitality, and life skills.
• Delivered motivational and developmental workshops for organizations like Absa and CapeNature, promoting employee engagement, empowerment, and personal growth.
• Championed inclusive development, with a focus on empowering previously disadvantaged groups through coaching, mentoring, and skills development, aligned with national transformation goals.

Served as a frontline representative in a high-volume call center, supporting a national broadcasting service, delivering exceptional customer service and technical support to a diverse viewer base.

• Handled inbound and outbound calls related to subscription services, decoder troubleshooting, billing inquiries, and general viewer support, maintaining high levels of professionalism and empathy.
• Resolved technical issues efficiently by guiding customers through step-by-step solutions, and escalating complex cases when necessary to ensure timely resolution.
• Maintained accurate customer records and case notes using CRM systems, ensuring seamless follow-up and service continuity.
• Met and exceeded performance targets, including average handling time, first-call resolution, and customer satisfaction scores.
• Adapted communication style to suit a multilingual and multicultural audience, ensuring clarity and understanding across all interactions.

Key Accounts Executive – Western Cape, Client Relationship Management.| Workforce Operations | Service Delivery

• Managed strategic client accounts across the Western Cape, ensuring seamless service delivery, operational excellence, and strong client partnerships.
• Acted as the primary liaison for key clients, identifying needs, providing consultative support, and ensuring service delivery aligned with contractual and operational expectations.
• Led and managed site-based teams, overseeing recruitment, onboarding, and daily workforce operations to maintain optimal staffing levels and performance.
• Ensured compliance with labor legislation, proactively addressing employee relations, grievances, and well-being issues.
• Maintained accurate payroll data, and ensured timely submission to payroll teams, supporting financial accuracy and staff satisfaction.
• Built and nurtured long-term client relationships, promoting customer continuity, and resolving queries promptly to ensure client satisfaction.
• Collaborated with senior leadership and regularly reported to the Managing Director, contributing to strategic decision-making and continuous improvement.

Led the full spectrum of human resources functions, ensuring alignment with organizational goals, and compliance with national labor legislation.

• Identified training needs and implemented skills development initiatives, including annual Workplace Skills Plan submissions.
• Oversaw end-to-end recruitment, selection, and onboarding processes to ensure optimal talent placement.
• Ensured consistent application of HR policies and procedures across all regions.
• Provided expert guidance on industrial relations, managing disciplinary processes, and complex employee matters.
• Implemented performance management systems to drive accountability and employee growth.
• Maintained accurate and compliant HR records, including contracts, terminations, and employee files.
• Advised on compliance requirements and supported managers with templates, policies, and procedural guidance.
• Represented the company in all labor-related matters and ensured Department of Labor submissions were accurate and timely.

• Delivered HR modules, and mentored students.
• Facilitated discussion forums among students on topics related to course material.
• Delivered lectures to undergraduate and graduate classes of varying sizes.
• Designed and delivered lesson plans, learning materials, and assessment tools aligned with academic standards.
• Conducted lectures, invigilated exams, and marked assessments to ensure fair and consistent evaluation.
• Managed external examination logistics, including entries, and timetables.
• Contributed to academic scheduling and program planning.

• 2022 Global Best Practice Winner – LeaderFlix.
• Designed and delivered multiple custom leadership development programs.
• Built Momentum's enterprise-wide Coaching and Mentoring Practice.
• 2025 Created and launched the MentorMatch platform – the first online mentorship network within the Momentum Group, designed to seamlessly connect experienced professionals with mentees seeking guidance and growth. The platform leverages skills-based pairing algorithms to match mentees with expert mentors, fostering knowledge sharing, career development, and leadership cultivation.
• 2024 - Collaborated with Professor Thuli Madonsela in the development of a strategic Coaching and Mentoring series for the Momentum Group, aimed at elevating professional growth and leadership development. As part of an awareness campaign, I played a key role in driving the adoption of coaching and mentoring practices, fostering a culture of continuous learning, empowerment, and skills enhancement across the organization.
• Led the successful integration of three businesses into a unified entity, driving strategic change management in partnership with the Executive team from an HR leadership perspective. Oversaw critical transition elements including contract harmonization, policy updates, medical aid restructuring, brand and name changes, and staff relocations—ensuring a smooth and compliant transformation across all employee touchpoints.