Paste/ write biography hereFounder and Chief Executive Officer of Siyakha Consulting, Dionne has actively advised both public and private sector clients in Transformation, Development and Strategy since leaving the banking industry in 1998. Working in BEE and Transformation since 1999, she has spoken at a multitude of conferences internationally on issues relating to South Africa, operating in Africa and Transformation. She is a regular contributor and thought leader on key elements of people, sustainability and aligning strategy to be locally relevant.
With a strong portfolio of local and multinational clients, Dionne has also served on several Executive committees and is an activist on issues of change and development.
An avid believer in community development, Dionne remains personally involved in entrepreneurial development, community development, job creation, disability support programmes and youth development.
Dionne has served as a judge for the Black Business Quarterly (BBQ) Awards, the Top Women Awards, the Achiever Awards and the Metropolitan Oliver Empowerment Awards, the Gender Mainstream Awards and the Top Empowerment Awards.
Dionne has served as a Chairperson of the National Association of BEE Consultants (NABC). Dionne is the previous Vice-Chairperson and Director of the Association of B-BBEE Professionals (ABP), previous Board member of the British Chamber of Business. Dionne actively advises investors from the United Kingdom, the European Union and the United States on investing on the African continent and was appointed as one of two “Catalysts” representing South Africa to encourage trade between the UK and South Africa.
Dionne has served as a member of the Wisdom Board for the African Sustainability Network and currently serves as a committee member on the Shared Value Africa Initiative. She is the Beachhead Advisor for New Zealand Trade and Enterprise.
She participates regularly in task teams to drive development as well as participating in the Presidential Review Committee report on the State of Transformation in South Africa’s State-Owned Companies and the United Nations review of transformation in South Africa’s agricultural sector.
Achievements

• Awarded Impendulo award for development of Black skills in South Africa
• Awarded the Top Empowerment companies award
• Awarded the Best Enterprise Transformation Consultancy 2017
• Awarded the Excellence Award for Black Economic Empowerment Advisory
• Diva Africa award for her work in SMME Development
• Africa’s Top 25 Distinguished Women in Leadership
• Best Transformation Consulting Firm of the Year – South Africa – M&A Today, 2019