Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Websites
Certification
Accomplishments
Timeline
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Vanessa Nzadi

Business Continuity Manager
Johannesburg

Summary

Business continuity professional with a strong background in risk management, crisis response, and strategic planning. Proven ability to lead teams and drive results through effective collaboration and adaptability. Expertise in developing and implementing comprehensive business continuity plans, ensuring operational resilience, and safeguarding critical business functions. Known for reliability and flexibility in meeting changing demands.

Overview

12
12
years of professional experience
2
2
Certifications

Work History

Principal Consultant

MIGRAJO SARL
Lubumbashi
01.2025 - 07.2025
  • Led the planning, execution, and delivery of a residential housing project, consisting of 5 houses for MIGRAJO SARL, ensuring alignment with contractual requirements and timelines.
  • Developed comprehensive project plans, including resource allocation, budgeting, scheduling, risk management, and milestone tracking.
  • Coordinated with contractors, subcontractors, engineers, and suppliers to ensure seamless integration of construction activities and quality standards.
  • Monitored project progress and performance metrics, addressing bottlenecks and mitigating delays to keep the project on schedule.
  • Prepared detailed reports and presentations for stakeholders, providing updates on milestones, budget utilization, and risk management measures.
  • Facilitated cross-functional communication between project teams, mine management, and local authorities to ensure compliance with operational and safety regulations.
  • Developed and implemented business resilience plans for the project, ensuring continuity of operations in the event of disruptions or emergencies.
  • Conducted risk assessments and contingency planning, identifying potential operational, financial, and logistical risks and recommending mitigation strategies.
  • Ensured compliance with health, safety, and environmental (HSE) standards, integrating resilience measures into construction workflows and project governance.
  • Designed emergency response and crisis management protocols to protect project timelines, resources, and personnel.
  • Monitored and evaluated resilience plan effectiveness, adjusting strategies based on real-time challenges and operational feedback.
  • Engaged with leadership, contractors, and local stakeholders to ensure transparent communication and alignment on project objectives.
  • Provided mentorship and guidance to project staff on best practices in project management, risk management, and resilience planning.
  • Supported post-project review activities, documenting lessons learned and recommendations for future projects.
  • Managed large-scale projects, ensuring timely completion within budget constraints.
  • Built strong relationships with clients, fostering long-term partnerships and repeat business.

Business Resilience Manager

CCI
Umhlanga
01.2024 - 06.2024
  • Safeguarded organizational operations by designing and implementing business continuity (BC) and disaster recovery (DR) plans that proactively reduced downtime risk by 40%, ensuring the business could maintain critical services during disruptions.
  • Strengthened organizational resilience by embedding governance policies, frameworks, and standards that created a consistent, repeatable approach to crisis preparedness and recovery.
  • Built a culture of readiness through targeted training and awareness programs for 200+ employees, enhancing the organization’s overall ability to respond to incidents.
  • Aligned with strategic business priorities by ensuring operational resilience directly supported customer trust, brand reputation, and financial stability.
  • Supported regulatory compliance and certification goals, meeting ISO 22301 and other industry-specific resilience requirements, reducing audit risks.
  • Enabled cross-functional coordination by working with internal and external stakeholders to maintain a unified Business Resilience and Disaster Recovery Engagement Model, ensuring all departments worked from the same playbook during crises.
  • Reduced financial and reputational losses by leading crisis management teams that contained incidents quickly and effectively.
  • Improved incident readiness by 30%, as measured through post-training evaluations and simulation exercises, resulting in faster recovery times during real events.
  • Closed operational gaps identified in risk assessments and gap analyses, improving business recovery timelines and minimizing service disruption.
  • Increased stakeholder confidence by delivering clear, structured recovery frameworks, enabling leadership to make informed decisions during high-pressure situations.

Project Manager

Dimagi Inc
Cape Town (Remote)
03.2022 - 02.2023
  • Enabled large-scale program delivery by managing multi-million-dollar budgets (up to $1.6M) and delivering projects under budget, achieving 25% cost savings without compromising quality.
  • Advanced public health outcomes by designing and deploying mobile health and agriculture solutions (using Dimagi’s CommCare) that reached 150,000+ beneficiaries, increasing efficiency by 60%.
  • Strengthened local capabilities through structured training programs for 100+ users and quarterly in-country capacity building, ensuring high adoption (95%) and long-term sustainability of digital tools.
  • Drove data-driven decision-making by developing actionable analytics reports that informed interventions for HIV, malaria, and TB programs.
  • Directly supported global health and development priorities, aligning projects with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3 (Good Health & Well-being) and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure).
  • Facilitated cross-border collaboration to ensure compliance with international standards (such as GDPR, HIPAA, and country-specific data protection laws), enabling safe and legal data sharing.
  • Contributed to digital transformation in humanitarian sectors, integrating mobile-first solutions into field operations to increase reach, reliability, and scalability.
  • Expanded program reach to over 150,000 beneficiaries by leveraging mobile technology for data collection, case management, and monitoring.
  • Improved operational efficiency by 60% through digital reforms, enabling faster decision-making and reducing manual workloads for field teams.
  • Boosted stakeholder confidence by delivering projects on time, within scope, and under budget, leading to continued funding and program expansion.
  • Improved health outcomes by providing real-time, accurate data that informed timely interventions for disease control and prevention.
  • Enhanced international cooperation through well-managed cross-border initiatives, resulting in seamless collaboration between global and local teams.
  • Managing donor relationships and preparing narrative and financial reports that meet funding requirements.
  • Designing frameworks to measure program impact and inform continuous improvement.
  • Identifying operational and compliance risks, and developing mitigation strategies.
  • Leading the integration of CommCare with other systems (e.g., DHIS2, Salesforce) for end-to-end data visibility.
  • Drafting and updating operational guidelines for digital tool usage, security, and maintenance.
  • Leading organizational adoption of new processes and tools through stakeholder engagement and phased rollouts.

Business Continuity Manager/ IT Risk Manager

Gauteng Department of Health
Johanesburg
10.2019 - 02.2022
  • Protected critical health services by leading business continuity (BC) and disaster recovery (DR) planning for medium-to-high complexity operations within the provincial health system.
  • Strengthened operational resilience by identifying critical points of failure and developing contingency plans to ensure uninterrupted delivery of essential healthcare functions during crises.
  • Enhanced organizational preparedness through BCMS lifecycle management, scenario planning, and DR testing, improving system recovery efficiency and reducing downtime risk.
  • Informed leadership decision-making with accurate risk assessments, technical impact analyses, and clear recovery priorities aligned to the Department of Health’s mission.
  • Directly supported public health continuity by ensuring essential services (e.g., patient care, health surveillance systems, and emergency response) remained operational during natural disasters, cyber incidents, and infrastructure failures.
  • Aligned with national and provincial compliance requirements, including ISO 22301, POPIA, and public sector disaster management frameworks.
  • Fostered multi-agency collaboration by working with Environmental Health & Safety, Facilities, Risk Management, Audit, and Legal to ensure coordinated resilience efforts.
  • Played a key role in health sector digital transformation by embedding resilience strategies into IT systems, applications, and health data management tools.
  • Reduced downtime risks across mission-critical health systems by proactively updating and testing DR plans, enabling faster recovery and continuity of patient care.
  • Improved response readiness across departments through awareness programs and scenario-based simulations, leading to measurable improvements in recovery time objectives (RTO) and recovery point objectives (RPO).
  • Increased policy compliance by aligning BCM and IT risk frameworks with healthcare regulations, mitigating potential audit findings.
  • Ensuring electronic health record systems (EHR) and patient databases have recovery strategies that meet confidentiality and integrity requirements.
  • Developing internal and external communication protocols for healthcare emergencies.
  • Coordinating with procurement and logistics to ensure essential medical supplies are available during disruptions.
  • Leading after-action reviews (AARs) to capture lessons learned and update BCM plans accordingly.
  • Aligning BCM activities with provincial emergency response coordination structures.
  • Conducting resilience drills that simulate medical emergencies, pandemics, and facility outages.
  • Enhanced operational decision-making by providing leadership with detailed risk impact reports and practical, prioritized recovery recommendations.

Principal Consultant

Centre Hospitalier Chaira Lubich
Johanesburg
06.2021 - 12.2021
  • Led a full-scale consultancy engagement with a private clinic in Lubumbashi, ensuring compliance with national healthcare regulations, international medical standards, and patient safety protocols.
  • Conducted comprehensive operational assessments covering infrastructure, medical equipment, staffing, patient care processes, and administrative systems.
  • Designed and implemented a compliance improvement plan addressing quality control gaps, infection prevention, emergency preparedness, and facility safety measures.
  • Coordinated with healthcare staff, suppliers, and facility managers to ensure pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and consumables met quality and safety requirements.
  • Delivered capacity-building workshops for clinical and administrative teams on patient care best practices, ethical standards, and operational efficiency.
  • Provided strategic business recommendations for clinic expansion, service diversification, and operational efficiency to increase market competitiveness.
  • Advised on financial planning and budgeting, optimizing cost structures and resource allocation for sustainable operations.
  • Reviewed procurement and supply chain processes, recommending vendor management improvements and cost-saving strategies.
  • Developed governance structures, clear Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and performance monitoring frameworks to improve accountability and decision-making.
  • Assisted in risk assessment and mitigation planning, covering operational, financial, and regulatory risks.
  • Monitored the implementation of improvement initiatives, conducted follow-up audits, and presented progress reports to clinic executives and stakeholders.
  • Facilitated cross-functional collaboration between clinic leadership, medical teams, and external partners to ensure smooth project execution.
  • Oversaw change management processes, ensuring staff buy-in and sustained adoption of new operational standards.

Technical Project Manager

Gauteng Department of Health
Johanesburg
11.2017 - 09.2019
  • Enabled seamless health service delivery by successfully managing complex IT infrastructure upgrades and system integrations that supported critical health operations.
  • Maximized technology ROI by aligning IT projects with business objectives, ensuring every upgrade improved operational efficiency and service delivery.
  • Improved project execution efficiency through comprehensive planning, risk mitigation, and resource optimization for multiple high-impact initiatives.
  • Strengthened IT team capability by leading a team of 20 professionals, fostering skill development, collaboration, and high performance.
  • Directly supported the Department of Health’s digital transformation by integrating advanced IT systems into healthcare operations, improving patient data access and service coordination.
  • Ensured health sector compliance by implementing secure, reliable infrastructure in line with public health regulations, POPIA data protection requirements, and ISO IT service standards.
  • Contributed to public sector modernization by streamlining IT operations, enabling better use of technology for healthcare delivery.
  • Facilitated cross-functional collaboration between technical teams, healthcare administrators, and external consultants to deliver solutions that met operational and patient care needs.
  • Reduced system downtime during critical upgrades by implementing well-coordinated rollout strategies, ensuring uninterrupted access to health services.
  • Improved service delivery timelines by streamlining procurement and resource allocation, accelerating project implementation without budget overruns.
  • Increased project success rate through rigorous monitoring of performance metrics and continuous improvement feedback loops.
  • Enhanced stakeholder confidence by delivering IT projects on time, within budget, and aligned with health service delivery priorities.

Network Security Engineer

Gauteng Department of Health
Johanesburg
09.2014 - 10.2017
  • Strengthened organizational cybersecurity by designing, implementing, and managing security infrastructure, protecting sensitive health data and critical systems from cyber threats.
  • Reduced vulnerability exposure by conducting regular assessments, penetration tests, and proactively applying patches, minimizing potential breaches.
  • Enhanced operational reliability by ensuring secure network configurations, encrypted communications, and robust access controls across all systems.
  • Improved employee security awareness through structured training, reducing human-related risks and promoting a security-conscious culture.
  • Supported public health mission continuity by safeguarding electronic health records, patient data, and other critical health IT infrastructure against cyber threats.
  • Aligned with regulatory and compliance requirements such as POPIA, ISO 27001, and other public sector security standards.
  • Contributed to cross-departmental digital transformation initiatives by embedding security into IT projects, application development, and operational workflows.
  • Maintained resilience in critical health services, ensuring network uptime and secure data access for healthcare providers and administrative staff.
  • Prevented security incidents and data breaches by monitoring network traffic, configuring alerts, and responding rapidly to potential threats.
  • Maintained continuous compliance with security policies and standards, mitigating audit risks and reinforcing organizational credibility.
  • Increased efficiency of incident response through well-documented plans, structured workflows, and collaboration with IT, development, and compliance teams.
  • Improved overall network performance and security posture, ensuring reliable and safe digital operations within the provincial health department.

Network Security Engineer

Gauteng Department of Health
Johanesburg
03.2013 - 08.2014
  • Strengthened cybersecurity posture by actively supporting the configuration and maintenance of critical Cisco security devices, helping protect the organization’s infrastructure from cyber threats.
  • Enhanced operational efficiency by ensuring authentication, authorization, and access control processes were correctly implemented, reducing downtime and unauthorized access risks.
  • Improved incident readiness by participating in vulnerability assessments, penetration testing, and maintaining detailed security documentation, enabling faster decision-making during incidents.
  • Directly aligned with business continuity goals, as secure and reliable networks are essential for uninterrupted operations and customer trust.
  • Supported compliance with industry regulations and security standards (e.g., ISO 27001, NIST, GDPR, or POPIA in South Africa) through proper security controls and record-keeping.
  • Contributed to cross-team collaboration, integrating security into network projects so that infrastructure development inherently supported organizational security strategy.
  • Reduced security incidents by proactively monitoring traffic and responding to anomalies before they escalated into breaches.
  • Minimized risk exposure by identifying vulnerabilities early and supporting mitigation measures, thereby protecting sensitive corporate and client data.
  • Raised organizational security awareness by participating in training and knowledge-sharing initiatives, creating a stronger security culture across departments.

Education

Bachelor of Social Work -

University of South Africa
Pretoria
01.2027

Postgraduate Diploma - Project Management

University of Cape Town
Cape Town
01.2016

Diploma - Information Technology

Damelin College
Pretoria
01.2013

Skills

Business continuity planning

Project Management

Business impact analysis

Quality management

Ethical

Leadership skills

Adaptability and flexibility

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Certification

Business Continuity Lead Implementer (ISO 22301) – 2021

Accomplishments

  • Elected voice of security cohort at CISCO GTAP
  • Programme manager for the Gauteng Department of Health Youth Desk

Timeline

Principal Consultant

MIGRAJO SARL
01.2025 - 07.2025

Business Resilience Manager

CCI
01.2024 - 06.2024

Project Manager

Dimagi Inc
03.2022 - 02.2023

Principal Consultant

Centre Hospitalier Chaira Lubich
06.2021 - 12.2021

Business Continuity Manager/ IT Risk Manager

Gauteng Department of Health
10.2019 - 02.2022

Technical Project Manager

Gauteng Department of Health
11.2017 - 09.2019

Network Security Engineer

Gauteng Department of Health
09.2014 - 10.2017

Network Security Engineer

Gauteng Department of Health
03.2013 - 08.2014

Bachelor of Social Work -

University of South Africa

Postgraduate Diploma - Project Management

University of Cape Town

Diploma - Information Technology

Damelin College

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Vanessa NzadiBusiness Continuity Manager