Finance Unit Manager
Brennan is Sonke’s Finance Unit Manager. Brennan is a financial management, administration and operations specialist with extensive experience within the non-profit sector, managing international and local donor funding, with annual budgets of more than USD25m. He was the financial manager at Communicare for 10 years, a South African Government funded social housing NGO, where he managed the design and implementation of financial systems and related internal controls, in addition to financial management and reporting.
He joined Kheth’Impilo Aids Free Living in 2008 as financial manager and for more than 12 years supported the organisation as a member of the executive committee, in various senior strategic financial management roles and functions. These included corporate governance and oversight, budgeting, forecasting, cashflow management, audit management, financial management, compliance, donor and statutory financial reporting, program and logistics support.
Brennan was born and bred on the Cape Flats, is married with two children and a grandson. He played various sports from a young age including soccer and baseball, both of which he still holds a keen interest in. He is also an avid golfer, playing whenever his busy schedule allows.
She has a longstanding commitment to human rights, with a specific focus on women’s and children’s rights. Growing up on the Cape Flats, her social and political awareness was shaped by the struggle against Apartheid during the 1980s and early 1990s.
Heather is an experienced professional with over 20 years’ experience in the NGO sector. Prior to Sonke Gender Justice, she served as the Regional Finance Manager at Save the Children International in the Southern Africa Regional office and prior to that as the Executive Director of Amnesty International South Africa.
She believes that strong operational systems act as catalysts for organisations to more effectively and efficiently pursue their objectives. Heather has a proven track record in strengthening institutional capacity including the development of policies and procedures, compliance tools, risk registers and in overseeing the operational planning functions of an organisation.
Heather served on several NGO boards, including Transparency International South Africa, Tshwaranang Legal Advocacy Centre, and Amnesty International South Africa. She is currently the Treasurer of the board of Oxfam South Africa and the Initiative for Strategic Litigation in Africa (ISLA).
Heather obtained her Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of South Africa.