1. CV OF AVRIL THOMAS
Personal Details
Full Name: Avril Wilhelmina Thomas
Identity Number: 620725 0167 082
Language Ability: English, Afrikaans
Residential Area: Cape Town
Contact Information: Office: (021) 407-5678; Mobile: 071-350 3387
Alternate: avrilwthomas@yahoo.com
Transport: Own Transport
Availability: One month
Educational Details
School Attended: Athlone High School – Cape Town: Matric 1980
Tertiary: Unisa
Degree - Current Bachelor of Commerce Industrial Psychology (3rd
Year)
Certificate – 2014 Prince2: Practitioner (ILX Group UK)
Certificate – 2013 Prince2: Foundation (ILX Group UK)
Certificate – 2011 Master Facilitation (Masterful Facilitation)
Certificate – 2011 Business Process Methodology (FTI)
Certificate – 2007 Project Management (Unisa)
Certificate – 2004 Total Quality Management (Unisa)
University of Pretoria: Diploma – 2004 HR Management (completed)
Corporate College International: Certificate: 2003 / 2004
Registered Assessor & ETDP with Services SETA
Short Courses: Agile Awareness (Old Mutual)
Financial Crime (Absa)
Code of Banking Practice (Absa)
Operational Risk Management: Introduction (Absa)
Conflict of Interest (Absa)
Sanctions (Absa)
Money Laundering (Absa)
Competition Commission (Absa)
Certificate – 2002 Project Management (completed) (RAU)
Certificate – 2003 Negotiation Skills (C.C.I.)
Certificate – 2002/ 2003 PASSAC Problem Solving – Thought Leadership (City Power / Cap Gemini Ernest
& Young)
SAP R3, MM, PD (City Power)
Presiding & Presenting Officers Course (City Power)
Various Short Courses Executive Secretary (The Secretariat – Cape Town)
1982 – 1997 Turbo Cash, Quattro Pro, ACCPAC (Mallows Inv)
Pastel Accounting & MS Windows (The Gap)
WordPerfect 5.1 & PowerPoint (The Gap W/salers)
MS Word 2000 (Dynamix Computer Training)
Career Synopsis:
Company Position Held Period
CPM: Old Mutual – CTN Project Manager 02 2015 – Present
Programme Co-Ordinator 01 2013 – Present (contract)
Absa Bank – CTN Project Co-Ordinator 05 2007 – 07 2012
Discovery Health- JNB Project Manager 11 2005 – 02 2007
Eskom – JNB Project Manager 03 2005 – 10 2005 (contract)
City Power – JNB Project Leader 06 2003 – 02 2005
Skills: Project Management
Training and Development
Risk Management
Management Information
Various Positions – CTN Deceased Estates Administrator
Administrator / HR Administrator
Executive Assistant
Saco Systems - JNB Assistant to Projects Manager 05 1988 – 03 1990
12/1990 – 05/2001

2. CV OF AVRIL THOMAS
Various Assignments – CTN Clerk / Sales Assistant 02 1981 – 04 1988
(including VAC work) Cashier / Word Processor Operator / Computer Operator
Achievements - Star of the Month Award October 2014: Old Mutual Gazebo Project
- Absa Woman of the Year 2009 top 13 finalist
- Rated an A-performer at Absa
- Lead a team at City Power to identify savings of up to R79m
Employment History:
Company : Corporate Project Management based at Old Mutual, Pinelands
Period : January 2014 – Present
Position Held : Project Manager on the Living Legacy Project. The business outcome of this
project is to reduce the risk to business of reputational and financial damage
owing to dual systems currently being used to administer the Living Legacy
Product
: Programme Co-Ordinator in Change Execution on various projects i.e. various
system decommissioning projects including SAS, OMNI,etc, UNIX Upgrade,
Gazebo Project (Performance Monitoring, Annual Rate and Fee Review,
Liquidations), 1Pagers (Manage Changes and Enhancements), Tax Laws
Amendment Act Project, Self Service Project (Mobile apps/MyPort/MyPortfolio,
etc)
: Engagement Layer Enablement Project with the goal to deliver the capability to
the RFA Superfund product in 2014 as it relates to both the Engagement Layer
and Service Delivery Unit, by replacing the current workflow system, AWD, with
Bizagi.
Responsibilities : Develop and maintain reports for Board: Drumbeat Report to Manco, Manboard
Pack, Project Register, Flight Plan, Project Plan
Present board packs to Exec Triad (Senior Supplier, Senior User, and Board
Exec) in preparation of board meetings, present board packs at board meetings
: Maintain project budget
Programme Financials (expenses, costs, resource allocations, resource budget
forecast, etc)
: Stakeholder management across projects
: Manage Work Streams within the Programme: Training,
Communications and Change Management
Ensure project follows SDLC, including related sign offs
: Project meeting management in the absence of the Programme Manager
: Manage project deliveries
: Manage project weekly report updates from business specialists and analyst
: Manage and assist new employee on-boarding
: Team management of project reportees
: Manage resource allocations to align with assigned work and budget
: Manage programme resource rates and work allocation
: Ensure resource reimbursements (percentage allocation vs rand value)
Represent Programme Manager at various forums as requested
Period : January 2013 – December 2013
Position Held : Programme Co-Ordinator in Change Execution on the LEAN programme with the
goal of re-engineering current ways of working in Old Mutual’s Retirement Fund
Administration (RFA) business, in order to reduce the failure demand and
Increase value demand to improve customer experience and reduce waste
across the value chain Programme Co-Ordinator in Change Execution on the
Gazebo Programme, which covers Preserver, an in-fund preservation facility
which makes it easy and cost effective for Superfund members who terminate
employment (due to resignation, retrenchment, dismissal or liquidation) to remain
as contributory members, thereby ensuring that their retirement savings continue
working for them when they no longer work for their current employer.
This solution is aligned with the retirement fund reform process in that National
Treasury has repeatedly expressed concerns with the low rate of preservation and
portability of retirement fund money. Treasury may be moving away from a
compulsory preservation stance to a default preservation/make-not-preserving-
inconvenient approach, including an in-fund preservation approach.
Responsibilities : Management of Programme Documents viz. Budget, Registers,

3. CV OF AVRIL THOMAS
Schedules etc, by logging risks, actions, decisions, issues, actions etc.
: Manage Programme Financial Reports by reconciling monthly financial, Planview,
and the Recon Tool
: Programme Financials (budget, expenses, costs, resource allocations, etc)
: Stakeholder management for ISC (Investment Services Corporate) project under
the Gazebo Programme by eg ensuring actions raised are carried out by
respective resources, etc
: Provide Business Specialist weekly update to Gazebo Programme
: Manage and assist new employee on-boarding
: Manage programme resource rates and work allocation
: Ensure resource reimbursements (percentage allocation vs rand value)
Ensure all resources follow governance e.g. follow the BRS sign off process, etc
: Manage Change Requests by logging change requests on the Application
Lifecycle Management (QC system), and ensure that resources viz, Business
Analyst and Business Specialist are assigned to action changes
Company : Absa Bank (various positions March 2007 – July 2012)
Period : May 2007 – Present
Position Held : Project Co-Ordinator in the Centre of Excellence: Portfolio Office
Responsibilities : Manage and facilitate the following in WFS Customer Services:
 Assist with New Business Project and People Change Management Program
 Develop methodology and approach to implement process repository
 Manage and update RAIDS
 Project Reporting
 Stakeholder Management (establish and maintain relationships with peers and
stakeholders, plan and ensure team building and cross-functional events and
communication on assigned projects)
 Contribute to effective ways of working across project team (educate and
coach team members regarding SDLC)
 Ensure SDLC governance followed within project environment (setup, maintain
and communicate Portfolio Office with correct structure and updated
templates, budget spreadsheet and invoice payments on assigned projects)
 Project repository health checks
 Co-ordinate Strategic Reporting to time and quality standards
 Process mapping to facilitate improvement in the Process and Fulfilment
business unit
 RCA’s for WFS Customer Services Operations (Risk and Control
Assessments) Quarterly submission to Absa Group Risk for the business; part
of my role in Customer Service is education and awareness since risks in this
area were never raised / addressed
 BCM (Business Continuity Management)
Company : Absa Bank (various positions March 2007 – March 2012)
Period : March 2009 – April 2011
Position : Project Co-Ordinator
Responsibilities : Equator Project (Absa/Woolworths Financial Services JV)
Assist with project implementation of 83 audit items across the 11 work
streams, as identified by Absa and Barclays, by co-ordinating the At Close
remediation by exercising project control, monitoring and evaluation and
stakeholder management, deliver training, facilitate workshops viz:
 Design, collate and maintain various reports and tracking mechanisms viz.,
WSL pack, Risks and Issues Log, At Close Due Dates, Dispensation Expiry
Tracker, Action Plans against deliverables, Waivers Report & Policy Library
 Identify, manage and evaluate critical success factors of the project via various
tracking mechanism e.g. Work Stream Leader Report, Weekly Tracker
 Assist Work Stream Leaders to identify possible triggers for status changes
 Participate in LEAN workshops toward improved processes to “Absadise” WFS
to a financial services entity
 Design and map processes using Visio for improved ways of working
 Prepare and distribute sponsor reports from work stream feedback
 Monitor and manage progress against plans and provide updates to
appropriate stakeholder groups
 Produce and maintain appropriate change governance documentation
 Communicate governance requirements to all project members

4. CV OF AVRIL THOMAS
 Assist the Integration Director to ensure that all stakeholder groups are
timeously informed on progress, risks and issues
 Generate Weekly Tracker Report for submission to WFS Exco and Absa
 Generate WFS Success and Challenges Report for submission to Absa Exco
on a monthly basis
 Review Absa Internal Audit Risk Management Red Report for accuracy of JV
information
 Generate and manage Risk Control Assessment Report and process for the
business
 Quarterly submission of WFS Risk and Control Assessment to Absa Group
Risk
 Prepare Predictive Overdue Schedule for submission to Absa
 Records Management Champion for Project Office
 BCM Champion for Project Office
 DRACA Champion for Project Office
 CSI Committee member
Parallel Responsibility Project Oscar (2010) : Management Information and Reporting Manager in
anticipation of Legal Day 1 Namibian Acquisition
Company : Absa Bank
Period : March 2007 – March 2009
Position : Executive Officer: Business Development
Responsibilities : Assist the GM: Business Development with preparation of the business unit’s
core business of mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures for South African and
African deals by developing presentations, generate reports, administration
and planning requirements for strategic initiatives, planning and control of
action lists, generate reports, assist with “on-boarding” of new personnel and
Business Development resources, due diligence facilitation, management of
logistics into Africa and the management of various exercises in the business
unit including but not limited to: Compliance Training, Business Continuity
Management (First Aid and SHE)
June 2008 – June 2010 Absa Group: Project Initiation – Development Project for PA’s across
Parallel Responsibility Absa to ensure uniformity and standardisation
Every individual brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the workplace
which we need to channel into agreement so that tasks and activities are
standardised and uniform, which approach should expedite processes and
procedures, ensuring best practice at an integral level. The initiative is well
received by senior management; this project feeds into the overall Absa
Womens Development Program. Training and development to all PA’s,
manage and facilitate workshops to raise awareness of purpose of the forum.
Company : Discovery Health
Period : November 2005 – February 2007
Position : Project Manager
Responsibilities : Manage roll out of Vitality WellPoint which is based on the same principle as
Vitality for individuals; this is aimed at encouraging a healthy company status
for organizations. Project implementation included:
 Management of the following work streams: Corporate System,
Workbench, Data Imports, Activity Manager, Education and Awareness,
Training and Content, Absenteeism Management, Benefits & Rewards,
Monitoring and Evaluation
 New business generation
 Policy creation
 Project Control
 World Aids Day for corporate clients
 Stakeholder management
 Project reporting
 Project risks
 Contracts & SLAs
: December 2005 – September 2006

5. CV OF AVRIL THOMAS
Finance Reporting: Project Initiation – Capacity Planning
Initiate and manage roll out of continuous professional development (CPD) for
all chartered accountants as per SAICA’s requirements
Assist with JSE SRI – social responsibility index to get Discovery Health
accredited as per JSE criteria for triple bottom line reporting
Reason for leaving: : Travelling distance to work
Company : Eskom – Megawatt Park
Period : March 2005 – October 2005 (Contract)
Position : Project Manager: External Consultant
Responsibilities : Manage roll out of SAP HR PDCP (Personnel Development Competency
Project (Enterprise and Generation Divisions)
: Ensure successful roll out and implementation of the project to develop
individual jobs (+ 60 000 individuals and + 13 000 jobs). The PDCP Project is
an extension of the Corporate Human Resource’s Talent Management project.
 Manage the roll out of the PDCP project into 3 of the 5 Eskom’s
business divisions i.e. (Generation, Enterprise and Corporate)
 Project Planning
 Project document development e.g. project policy documents and
business plan
 Monitoring and Evaluation
 Stakeholder Management
 Training and Facilitation – nationally (personally presented training)
 Workshops
 Develop training material
 Ensure implementation of competency process application
Generation Information Management (GIM) succession management project
at Eskom:
Manage integration of succession management and personnel development
competency projects as a pilot in the Generation Division environment before
rolling out into the wider Eskom business.
Eskom College: Developed processes to set up help desk for internal
building services
Was requested by Eskom College Manager to map process for implementation
of a Help Desk. This was done in my private capacity at the end of the
contract.
Reason for leaving: : End of contract
Company : City Power – Johannesburg
Period : June 2003 – February 2005
Position : Project Leader
Responsibilities : Ensure successful roll out and implementation of the project to train employees
in creative problem solving, as a structured approach to addressing problems
(The Thinking Institution is a form of quality circle). The focus of the project
was to align management competencies by addressing real time business
challenges using the PASSAC methodology of root cause analysis to creating
business plans to address these challenges, with the focus on continuous
improvement:
 Manage a team of trainers and team leaders, as well as delegates to the
intervention (across all management levels). Management of this team
encompassed various people management processes viz., recruitment,
resource deployment, performance, training & development, etc.
 Assessment and management of trainers’ and delegates’ performance
 Certification of trained employees
 Ensure competence of trainers on subject matter
 Identify performance gaps and institute remedial action
 Motivate, train and develop training team
 Deliver training interventions to training team and management
candidates
 Manage SLA with HR: L&D
 Ensure legislation adherence e.g. ESETA, ETDP SETA, Services SETA,
etc

6. CV OF AVRIL THOMAS
 Budget control
 Risk management
 Liaise with stakeholders and conduct needs analysis
 Identify, support, co-ordinate and manage operational teams via the
project
 Manage achieved outputs and implementation of the solution
 Logistics management
 Facilitation and presentation
 Research and evaluate best practice
 Generate project charters and reports
 Generate related articles to be published in the corporate magazine
 Manage project criteria in terms of scope, planning, budget, quality, etc
 Facilitate implementation of value-adding implementable solutions within
the various business groups
Executive Assistant to GM Logistics (June 2001 – June 2003)
 Co-ordination of daily operations of the four divisions within the
department, viz, Fleet & Transport, Facilities, Reverse Logistics and
Stores
 Manage monthly reports including KPI’s and KPA’s
 Develop presentations on overall departmental performance
 Office management
 Administration of HR-related matters, i.e. leave, PDP’s
 Generate correspondence
 Prepare interview questions
 Assist with pre-interview screening of candidates
Project: Accreditation of City Power as a Learning Organization with the SETA’s
This project was required to ensure that City Power become an accredited
Learning Organization with all the relevant SETA’s, including the Energy SETA
and Services SETA.
Reason for leaving : Opportunity for exposure at Eskom
Other Positions:
Company : Sentinel International (Cape Town) 1995 – 2001
Position : Deceased Estates Administrator
Reason for leaving – move to Johannesburg
Company : Contact Personnel – Shell SA 1995 (contract)
Temp Position : HR Administrator for all non-permanent staff wages +500 employees
Company : The Gap Wholesalers 1994 – 1995
Position : Office Manager (company closed)
Company : Mallows Investments 1991 – 1994
Position : Office Manager (company closed)
Voluntary Work
Private Work Activities
 Write business plans for small businesses
 Advise small businesses on best practices
 Write handbooks and manuals
 Workshops
 Training and Facilitation
 Presentations
Cape Town Child Welfare Society: Board Member - 1998 - 2001
 Participant at monthly board meetings
 Co-ordinated the Western Cape Pledge Line for Red Nose Day 2000
 Member of the Marketing and Funding Committee Think Tank on funding options
Counselling
 Manage volunteer team at church

7. CV OF AVRIL THOMAS
 Lay counsellor at the church and community
Dancing
Teach dance and movement to teens and pre-teens