Smart Digital Institute Of Management

Sonja Swart

Sonja Swart obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematical Statistics and pure Mathematics from the University of Pretoria, South Africa. She continued her studies in Industrial Psychology at UNISA and achieved a second degree, BA (Hons.) in Human Resource Development from the Rand Afrikaans University. She received a M. Phil degree (Cum Laude) from the University of Johannesburg, focusing on Personal and Professional Leadership. She is currently working towards her PhD in Leadership, specialising in Women Leadership in Africa.

Sonja started her career as a research statistician in the South African Department of Statistical Services where she was involved with Education Statistics. She moved from the public to the private sector by becoming a statistical consultant for a large international chemical company (AECI Ltd). There she became involved in the fields of Total Quality Management and Quality Improvement.

. As Total Quality Manager, she qualified as an ISO 9000 auditor and led the Industrial Chemical division to the achievement of ISO 9002. In 1996 she joined National Brands Limited (NBL) as a change consultant focusing on mergers, restructurings and culture change projects. She was promoted to Human Resource Development Executive where she led a number of strategic change projects.

Sonja Swart has been an independent change consultant in the areas of change management and leadership since 2001. She has consulted extensively to Executive, Senior, Middle and First Line managers. She is also a faculty member of the University of Stellenbosch Business School in Leadership and Change Management, Organisation Development, Human Resources Strategy, Diversity and Communication and Facilitation. She has been a guest lecturer on the MBA programme at Gordon Institute of Business (GIBS) (Johannesburg) and participated in a working team at GIBS which later led to the publication of the book, Women Leadership in Emerging Markets. She has been a virtual lecturer on the MBA programme at Eaton Business School, Leicester in Strategic Change Management since 2017

Sonja has successfully managed change and organisational development projects in the private and public sectors ranging from business turnaround projects to business re-engineering, culture change and quality improvement projects. She has served a wide variety of businesses and industries including:
TANESCO (TANZANIA), TELKOM, ANGLO AMERICAN, BRIDGESTONE-FIRESTONE, SANLAM, AFGRI-OTK, SUPER GROUP, PIONEER FOODS, NASPERS, DIMENSION DATA, SASOL, STANDARD BANK, MUTUAL & FEDERAL, SAFMARINE, SABC, DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, APOLLO DUNLOP, IBURST, TCTA, UCS SOLUTIONS, TELECOM (NAMIBIA), MTC (NAMIBIA), GCRA, MERCEDES BENZ, FNB BOTSWANA, VOLKSWAGEN SA, SOUTH AFICAN AIRWAYS, SA EXPRESS, FOSKOR, MINISTRY OF JUSTICE (NAMIBIA), BOTSWANA ASH, ST PAULUS SCHOOL PRETORIA, CIC ENERGY, HALL LONGMORE, GROUNDWATER CONSULTING, AC NIELSEN, MEDSCHEME, BHP BILLITON, VODACOM, ITALTILE, CENTRAL BANK OF SWAZILAND (SWAZILAND), MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES (BOTSWANA), TSOGO SUN, AFRICAN BANK, BMW, TWP WORLEY PARSONS, STANBIC, NESTLE, AIR BOTSWANA, STEINHOFF KAP, BOTSWANA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT, SKORPION ZINC, METROPOLITAN, KIMBERLEY CLARK, SENWES, BOTSWANA RAIL, MAURITIUS COMMERCIAL BANK, DEUTSCHE BANK.