Liezle Myrna Arendse
Aspen Hills
Summary
Results-driven Operations and Logistics Manager with extensive experience in high-scale project coordination and regional operations for global markets. Proven track record in optimizing performance metrics, achieving a 96.57% delivery completion rate, and reducing refund costs by 45% through strategic fraud mitigation. Expert in driving product innovation, technical roadmap execution, and digital transformation across diverse industries. A collaborative leader skilled in supporting cross-functional teams, serving as a regional Subject Matter Expert (SME), and aligning local market needs with Regional/global business strategies.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
Work History
Operations & Logistics Manager: Subject Matter Expert (SME) | Regional Operations (EMEA)
UBER DIRECT
08.2025 - Current
- Serve as the primary Operations SME for a diverse portfolio of countries including South Africa, Kenya, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark, and the Netherlands.
- Report directly to the Amsterdam Head Office, collaborating with teams in the UK, France, and Germany to translate regional pain points into technical product asks.
- Secured a local bank account solution for merchants in Poland to resolve transfer fees and reduce churn risk, and developed UMS support materials for McDonald's in Sweden.
- Act as the central Point of Contact (POC) on support frameworks, managing refund logic, regional support policies, and communication channels across the region.
- Drive merchant retention by ensuring precise configuration standards across RoEMEA, managing complex technical rollouts like Managed and motivated for complex technical rollouts, including 2-way SMS project activation in Kenya, Poland, Sweden, Luxembourg, and Ireland, and drove ongoing billing and tax invoice improvements and alignment to ensure seamless merchant payments across Kenya, Portugal, South Africa, and Poland.
Operations & Logistics Manager (South Africa & Kenya - Uber Direct)
UBER DIRECT
03.2025 - 08.2025
- Spearheaded delivery completion rate (dC/R) improvements across the SSA region, reaching 96.57%, and growth: a strong relationship enabled the onboarding of 430 active KFC stores.
- Delivered a 45.82% quarterly reduction in refund costs by implementing Pin Code Proof of Delivery (POD) for major global partners, actively mitigating medication delivery risks for Clicks in South Africa.
- Pioneered the first-ever shift from SMS to WhatsApp across EMEA for courier-customer communication in South Africa, achieving a sustained engagement rate of over 50%.
- Championed and executed technical roadmaps for live merchant support, successfully launching the 'Dashboard Chat' pilot for merchants in South Africa.
- Achieved a 48.27% decline in supply-related cancellations and improved pickup times by 11.20% by deploying tools like Omniview and Auto-DMC, specifically addressing high cancellation rates.
- Established a dispatch process prioritizing couriers with >90% ratings to improve behavior and appearance for partners like Spar and Pick n Pay.
- Spearheaded a regional supply growth initiative by identifying high-demand cities with supply gaps and collaborating with fleet partners to onboard new couriers.
- Led the end-to-end distribution of personalized Uber Direct vests and delivery bags to enhance brand visibility and courier professionalism in the field.
Operations Coordinator (Uber Direct EXT to FTE)
UBER DIRECT
Johannesburg
01.2023 - 02.2025
- Managed live support for partner journey, ensuring execution quality and alignment with strategy for South African market.
- Identified and resolved urgent pain points by investigating root causes and implementing strategic action plans under tight deadlines.
- Coordinated cross-functional project support with account management, support, and regional operations teams to ensure successful execution of plans.
Project Coordinator
TMH INTERNATIONAL
Boksburg
01.2017 - 01.2023
- Managed project schedules and performance measurement, developing catch-back plans with foremen for all phases from sub-assembly to paint completion on projects like Transnet locomotives and military vehicles.
- Led team of four Production Clerks to maintain shopfloor excellence through daily housekeeping inspections and tracking improvements via 'Wall of Shame' photos.
- Managing key performance indicators (KPI) boards, skills matrix, schedule adherence, downtime, attendance, and Andon boards to clearly track section performance against schedule.
- Oversaw call center operations to report and monitor production stoppages and delays, ensuring uninterrupted production flow.
- Compiled and updated daily production and performance reports.
- Prepared and presented monthly Operational and Forecast reports for Management meetings.
- Drove plant-wide visual management initiatives.
- Led migration from manual to automated reporting: Implemented the Amigo automated system to replace manual schedule updates and enhance progress monitoring within the plant.
Project Administrator
DCD ROLLING STOCK
Boksburg
01.2016 - 01.2017
- Coordinated projects from inception to completion, aligning timelines through daily walk-throughs with managers and foremen to ensure project milestones were met.
- Managed shop floor visual management tools, including skill matrices and Andon boards, to indicate production status and support performance improvements.
- Coordinated project schedules and resources for multiple rolling stock initiatives.
- Assisted in maintaining project documentation and compliance with regulations.
- Supported communication between project teams and stakeholders for clarity.
Process Operations Secretary & Admin Assistant
RAND WATER
Glenvista & Central Depot
01.2010 - 01.2016
- Delivered administrative support to Chief Process Operations Manager and Project Management Office (PMO), facilitating streamlined communication and project execution.
- Captured and distributed minutes for executive committees, including Portable Water Quality (COO level) and CO2 Meetings, ensuring clarity and follow-up on key decisions.
- Compiled and distributed monthly divisional operations and non-compliance reports across multiple sites, enhancing visibility of operational performance and compliance status.
Education
N4 - Human Resources Management, Communication Management, Business Management, Computer Management (MS word and Excel)
St. Ignations FET College
01-2014
Advanced Project Management -
North West University
Potchefstroom01-2014
Middle Management Program (MMP) - managerial accounting, marketing management, labour relations, management economics, operational management, information and technology, financial accounting, Organizational behaviour
North West University
Potchefstroom01-2012
Fundamental Management Program (FMP) - management of financial resources, management of people, management of operations, effective managerial habits (accounting)
North West University
Potchefstroom01-2011
Grade 12 - English, Afrikaans, Biology, Accountancy, Home economic, Computer literacy
High school Vereeniging
Vereeniging, Vaal Triangle01-2002
Skills
- Process Optimization
- Metric Tracking (KPIs)
- Supply Growth
- Scalable Configurations
- Technical Roadmapping
- Digital Transformation
- Risk Mitigation
- Cross-Functional Leadership
- Global Alignment
- Merchant Support Architecture
- Executive Administration
- SQL
- Google Sheets / Workspace
- SAP
- Amigo Automated System
- Microsoft Office Suite
- Data Visualization
- Project management
- Technical support
- Data analysis
- Process optimization
- Customer relationship management
- Compliance reporting
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Effective communication
- Problem solving
- Strategic planning
- Team building
- Attention to detail
Languages
English/ Afrikaans
Core Competencies
Process Optimization, Metric Tracking (KPIs), Supply Growth, Scalable Configurations, Technical Roadmapping, Digital Transformation, Risk Mitigation, Cross-Functional Leadership, Global Alignment, Merchant Support Architecture, Executive Administration, SQL, Google Sheets / Workspace, SAP, Amigo Automated System, Microsoft Office Suite, Data Visualization
Personal Information
- ID Number: 8404050019088
- Ethnicity: Colored
- License: Code 10 C1 (Own vehicle)
- Date of Birth: 04/05/84
- Nationality: South African
- Marital Status: Married
References:
Zonke Mthethwa (SSA Country Head)
Cell: 078 1748 3884
Estiaan Van Vuuren (Project Manager TMH International)
Cell: 083 626 5028
Prevashni Naidoo (Chief Operations Manager Rand Water Head Office)
Tel: (011) 682 – 0376
Timeline
Operations & Logistics Manager: Subject Matter Expert (SME) | Regional Operations (EMEA)
UBER DIRECT
08.2025 - Current
Operations & Logistics Manager (South Africa & Kenya - Uber Direct)
UBER DIRECT
03.2025 - 08.2025
Operations Coordinator (Uber Direct EXT to FTE)
UBER DIRECT
01.2023 - 02.2025
Project Coordinator
TMH INTERNATIONAL
01.2017 - 01.2023
Project Administrator
DCD ROLLING STOCK
01.2016 - 01.2017
Process Operations Secretary & Admin Assistant
RAND WATER
01.2010 - 01.2016
N4 - Human Resources Management, Communication Management, Business Management, Computer Management (MS word and Excel)
St. Ignations FET College
Advanced Project Management -
North West University
Middle Management Program (MMP) - managerial accounting, marketing management, labour relations, management economics, operational management, information and technology, financial accounting, Organizational behaviour
North West University
Fundamental Management Program (FMP) - management of financial resources, management of people, management of operations, effective managerial habits (accounting)
North West University
Grade 12 - English, Afrikaans, Biology, Accountancy, Home economic, Computer literacy
High school Vereeniging