Riëtte Engelbrecht

I am an ambitious, dominant candidate who prefers to take control of a situation/task. I have good social skills that I apply to my communication with others. I like to work in a team, but I will not stand back if the team falls behind. I have a strong will to produce quality work, and I am always up for a challenge. I like to work under pressure, and I prefer to be busy during office hours instead of counting the minutes before closing time. I am your candidate if your company needs someone who can manage schedules and multitask effectively. I am a diligent person, and my work reflects the standard that I uphold from day to day. I see myself as a problem solver, and I welcome opportunities and challenges. I prefer a working environment without restrictions and routine, due to my ability to establish priorities. I'm driven to complete tasks within the timelines, and I am results-oriented. I am not affected by working long hours due to my current position within the company. I prefer adventure, and I welcome an environment that provides the opportunity for me to be creative in supporting the brand. I live for my work and find great contentment in commending any team for accomplishing their allocated tasks. I will always act to the best of the company’s clientele and business, and I believe that hard work promotes self-esteem. I am loyal to the company I work for, and I will equip myself with product knowledge to perform. I believe that I can add more value due to my experience in different fields. I work with integrity, and see myself as a loyal and honest asset. Appointed to a managerial position, with over 20 years of experience within this industry. Responsible for tasks, monitoring, guiding, and assisting the staff with their duties, whilst being able to prioritize their responsibilities. Other obligations include acting on behalf of the Head of Department when he is not available or on leave. The department is also well known for its ability to work under extreme pressure and for endurance during abnormal working hours. We are flexible and can easily adjust to different scenarios. I’m also willing to relocate.

• 2025: Safe-T-Con OHS Academy: OHS Representative
• 2008: Event Management, Bloemfontein: Damelin, Event Management Skills
• 2004: Customer Service Solutions, Bloemfontein: Communication & Conflict handling skills
• 2002: Jennings & Associates, Johannesburg: Management Training & Development Course
• 2000: SANDF - School of Armour, Bloemfontein and Wepener: 4 x 4 Instructors Course
• 1999: Scorpion Off-Road Academy, Bloemfontein: 4 x 4 Instructors Course
• 1998: SANDF - School of Armour, Bloemfontein: K53 Examiners Course, MAN – Tank Transporter Instructor
• 1997: Land Rover South Africa, Johannesburg/Durban: 4 x 4 Drivers Course, SANDF – School of Armour, Bloemfontein: K53 Driver Training, MAN - Tank Transporter Driver Training, Rooikat Armoured Car Gunner & Troop Commander
• 1996: SANDF – SAAWC, George, South African Army Women’s College: Basic, Weapon and Leadership Training, SANDF – School of Armour, Bloemfontein: Rooikat Armoured Car Driver Training

Since 2006/2007, I have been directly involved in the development of the ticketing and liquor IT development program, which we used until April 2021. Due to the cost implications from the IT specialist, we had to cancel the contract and enter into an agreement with the well-known ticketing provider, Ticketpro.  All functions, specifications, and key developments are ideas generated in the office to improve the program with the IT developer.  As of December 2020, I have also been developing and researching online shopping, also known as e-commerce. Unfortunately, up to date, the company has not had the resources available to go into the market with this.

I take pride in researching new trends and ideas, and then try to implement that in the company.

Beginning 2009: On committee serving personnel with skills development courses and development opportunities in their work areas. Due to the high demand on the usage of the Stadium for soccer matches I have developed relations with different cultures and organizations in the industry. In my career, I have also learned to respect different cultures.

• Mr Darius Steyn, Dealer Principal, (051) 447 8811, 082 446 0609, Lindsay Saker Bloemfontein Volkswagen
• Mr Piet de Necker, Head of Department: Operations, (051) 407 1702, 084 852 4485, Free State Cheetahs Company (Pty) Ltd
• Mr Harold Verster, Managing Director (retired), (+27) 82 800 0337, Free State Cheetahs Company (Pty) Ltd
• Mr Khumbulani Konco, CEO (resigned), 082 774 0339, Bloemfontein Celtic Football Club (club closed)
• Mr Ben Moseme, Executive Chairman and Founder, 082 566 4711, Consumer Connectedness (C2)

PROJECT MANAGEMENT: A very good example of Project Management in my workplace is the bar facilities that were initiated and implemented in 2006 by my Head of Department and myself. This project was rolled out on approval from Management and ever since then we executed the project with the goals being 1) bars had to be profitable and 2) the project had to grow annually.

• Out of the bar project we also set new goals as to start servicing suites to buy liquor from the stadiums’ liquor outlet and developed software (not ourselves) from where we could monitor sales and profits. The software later became a crucial part of our liquor outlet to provide accurate sales figures to sponsors – which they then again used to maintain contractual incentives.
• This software initially originated from the ticket office when we met with the developer and as time passed the software became part of much bigger developments – examining, improving and analyzing all the information we were able to capture. The very same developer implemented the Cheetah App.
• Handling all inquiries with regards to the stadium lease - meeting with clients - submitting tentative plans/quotations - working with an attorney on the contractual agreements - responsible for all stadium lease events - coordinating and planning of events - scheduling planning meetings taking place before and the debriefing after - coordinating all the activities around the event (cleaning, security, entrance areas, ticketing, etc.) - handling all requests by the event organizer.
• Responsible for all Project Manager duties as Manager of Ticketing and Liquor sales – establishing total stock needed – pricing structures – sponsor relations with regards to liquor sales – planning per event total retail points – identifying clients with regards to ticket sales – establishing time structures, budget and hands-on plan for season ticket sales – keeping a record of progress with feedback intervals.
• Unfortunately, the liquor sales were sub-contracted on 1 April 2022 due to the company changing structures and reviewing the cost implication.

TEAMWORK: In most cases, I will work as an individual with stadium events during the preliminary arrangements with the event organizers, but during execution, this becomes a team effort. I will be the team leader and will always ensure the task is a success in close cooperation with the event organizer. Being able to display a high standard of hosting events, leaves a satisfied client that is willing to return in the future.

• Teamwork abilities are also displayed when working with temporary officials and cashiers. It is crucial to establish a working relationship with people whom you entrust responsibilities to. Ticket and liquor sales can however never achieve success if you don’t focus on this as a group effort.
• I do feel that being able to work with/in a group of people (and not always as an individual) leaves the advantage of improving yourself, and evaluating yourself and there’s a social skill that empowers you to adjust easily to different scenarios.

PROBELM SOLVING: This goes hand-in-hand with crisis management and an excellent characteristic of me is that I can foresee problem areas and therefore can plan on alternatives and contingencies.

• My motto in life is to always have an alternative plan in the form of a Plan B, C and D and due to my experience, I will always have a contingency in place that will satisfy my customer. I also believe that this is a skill that you develop if you are truly committed to the result.

ADMINISTRATION:  My greatest personal skill lies in the ability to visualize and picture what I want to accomplish and then draft my thoughts into a document. All documents that I’m currently working with originate from designing and developing it on Word, Excel, Powerpoint myself. To name but a few:

• stadium capacity and seating plan,
• reports on cash/banking after a match or event,
• cash-up and reconciliation documentation,
• debit order letters,
• stadium rental documentation,
• ticketing and liquor sale reports and charts,
• stadium sign-off templates,
• annual attendance figures.
• I also work/used to work with temporary officials (45), cashiers (18), and barmen (80) on match days and their details need to be captured annually as part of Voluntary Work registration.
• Receptionist and personal assistant duties.
• General office administration – filing, keeping a diary, scheduling meetings.
• Providing telephone support.
• Precision and attention to detail.
• Preparing reports and proofreading.
• Excellent typing skills – the typical “type without looking at the keyboard”.
• Able to operate office equipment, but also to do troubleshooting.
• Fully conversant with MS Office (MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, MS Outlook, drafting documents, and formal correspondence, Transcribing, Internet).
• Responsible for reconciliations of liquor and ticketing sales of every match.
• Responsible for contractual agreements during stadium leases.
• Responsible for all administration tasks during a stadium lease.
• Annual Year End reports with comparisons and progress sheets.
• I have also been working on the SA Rugby Footprint system and working closely with the Evolve team on the accreditation system, scanners and match day registers.

TIME MANAGEMENT: I am a hardworking person, and the rule will always apply to never be late or ask for an extension on the deadline. This is unprofessional and reflects negatively on whoever you are dealing with. Time management also includes being able to prioritize and set goals and to keep to it daily.  To name a few areas where time management is crucial:

• matchday time management (opening time, cashiers/officials on duty),
• deliveries to take place,
• submitting event plans or budgets,
• on completion of the event, reconciliation to be submitted.

BUDGETS, FORECASTING AND FINANCIAL DUTIES: Because I am very precise in my administration and try to keep track of everything happening in and around me, forecasting is something that I enjoy very much. This is also a skill that was well used between the Bars and the Ticket office, because both entities need to provide stock and tickets in advance, even if we don’t have any knowledge of the attendance.

• Debit/Credit clerk.
• Client quotation and invoicing.
• Submit budget layout for approval and to manage the annual budget.
• Financial year-end assistance and budget management daily.
• I was also responsible for co-hosting the audit committee during their annual company audit.
• Responsible for profit layouts of bar facilities.
• Coordinating the budget according to expenses.
• Data collection and preparing financial reports for forecasting and budgeting.
• Financial controls on events, payments to and from clients.
• Purchase order systems and handling petty cash.
• Responsible for a full reconciliation of liquor and ticket sales after every match following the actual sales.
• Responsible for full soccer reconciliation to Bfn Celtic/PSL or other event organizers.
• Responsible for reconciliation of any stadium event (other than rugby).
• Responsible for all in-house arrangements with regard to cash handling and transport (Fidelity/SBV/Cash Connect/G4S).
• Responsible for arrangements and communication to and from the bank about cash handling and transport.
• Great cash handling relations to secure prompt payments.
• Operating all cash handling equipment (safes/counting machines).
• Float arrangements and distribution to different departments on match days.
• Able to work with cash, due to wage payouts, float distribution, and receiving ticketing income.

CUSTOMER SERVICE AND CRM: Individual references are available on request.

• I believe that although you might not always be directly involved with your customer, you should always be willing to walk the extra mile in business. Understanding the need of that person and what he/she is trying to accomplish will also bring more clarity to how I should act on. When it comes to customers, it is never about you as an individual, but only to the advantage of the company you are representing. The same concept must also apply to the company that you work for.
• Company contact between suite and ticket holders.
• Establishing close business relationships between employer and local soccer club, Bloemfontein Celtics/Marumo Gallants.
• Establishing close relationships between Free State Cheetahs and PSL (security and inspection teams).
• Handling ticket/general complaints with regards to the rugby environment.
• Handling all types of complaints from our clients and responding through sorting the problem.
• Establishing CRM communication going to ticket holders. Distributing Press Releases and other vital team information to our customers.

ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS:  I do believe that I can use my resources, time, and energy to the best of my ability to achieve the set goals. I see myself as a self-disciplined candidate who can function whilst multitasking. I keep all files and correspondence in such a manner that I can always refer to previous documents, whether utilizing a hardcopy filing system or using my computer files.

• Coordinate field entertainment with SuperSport – pre- and post match entertainment.
• Working with attorneys on corporate agreements.
• Responsible for all stadium lease events - coordinating and planning the event.
• Managing bar facilities in the stadium and barmen (up to 31 March 2022).
• Managing officials and cashiers on match day.
• Management of sponsorship agreements and client relations.
• Meeting deadlines and keeping to time frames.
• Responsible for planning and executing activities on game days.
• Part of the security planning meeting taking place before an event (VOC) – as part of SASREA Act (Safety at Sports and Recreation events Act).
• Set up announcements on the PA system to the public.
• In close partnership with SA Rugby for the 2009 British Irish Lions Tour to South Africa.
• In close partnership with SA Rugby concerning Test matches being hosted between 2010 and 2024.
• Responsible for all ticket allocations for SA Rugby, sponsors, etc., and ticket distributions.
• Assisting FIFA (Federation International Football Association) concerning the Confederations Cup South Africa 2009 and 2010 World Cup Soccer.
• Hosting CHAN (African National Championship) and CAF (Confederation of African Football) matches as Soccer World Cup qualifiers since 2024.
• Hosting events with SAFA (South African Football Association).
• Working in close conjunction with SA Rugby in preparation for International Test Matches.

DATA CAPTURING: Although my tasks might seem like practical skills, I have always displayed a very strong administrative ability to manage information and to capture the physical into a working document:

• capturing, correcting client information from ticket sales,
• keeping statistics and updating attendance figures,
• working in close contact with the Ticketing Provider with regard to their software,
• annual reports (charts) to submit to the Annual Year-End Report,
• capturing match day sales (ticketing and liquor) into a reconciliation report used by auditors,
• when the company still had its own merchandise shop, we captured daily, weekly, and monthly sales,
• When we changed our ticketing system in 2021, the data on the old system had to be recaptured to the new software and this was done manually. Data that included sponsors, Presidential Suite guests, season ticket holders and suites.
• Due to many people working on the system, I will always go back to review and manage the data – merging contacts, grouping and dividing details into correct sub-divisions, checking basic spelling and making sure that the data entered is still grammar correct.