Hector takes direct responsibility for the quality of everything that Bearfish Strategic Services delivers to our clients. Epitomizing both bear and fish, he is rational yet creative, solid yet sensitive. He keeps a firm eye on all projects as they proceed and the buck always stops with him.

Born and bred in South Africa, he matriculated at Rondebosch Boys High School in Cape Town and graduated from Rhodes University with a first class Honours degree in English, having also majored in History and Journalism.

He was a conscientious objector in support of the End Conscription Campaign in South Africa, yet joined the ranks of the British Army during the genocidal conflict in the former Yugoslavia. He graduated from the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, and obtained a commission in the elite Parachute Regiment, before being badly injured. After leaving the army he lived in Australia and New Zealand, before moving to the USA, working in fields as diverse as construction, marketing, software development and security, and consulting to global businesses such as Honda and Bank of America.

After 12 years abroad, he came home to find a niche where he could contribute to his country. He has since had some 12 years’ experience in local government, at both strategic levels and in transport safety and security. He also completed a Masters in Engineering at the University of Stellenbosch during this time, specialising in Transport Studies.

Hector founded Bearfish Strategic Services in 2017 and has gathered together a results-driven team that is diverse in every way, with an extensive range of qualifications and skillsets, which he leads both firmly and with compassion.

Dr Corrigall is an innovative and experienced strategist, scientist, communicator and leader, with a wealth of experience in conceptualizing, designing, managing and evaluating a diverse range of health and communication projects. With fifteen years’ experience leading local and international projects, she is able to investigate complex issues and translate findings into effective and policy, interventions and communication campaigns for multi-level behaviour change.

With a background in both Psychiatry and Public Health, she has applied her rich knowledge of behaviour change with success in a wide range of contexts, from advocacy work on liquor legislation to road safety, violence prevention, occupational health, mental health promotion, HIV, child and maternal health and political campaigns. Understanding that changing behavior is not just about impactful communication, but also about creating environments conducive to behavior change, the vast majority of her work has been transdisciplinary and intersectoral.

She is an experienced researcher having conducted numerous primary and secondary research studies, working with both quantitative and qualitative data.  She has designed and led large household surveys, multi-country policy implementation evaluations, randomized controlled trials as well as literature reviews on a wide range of topics. She is currently an Honorary Research Associate at the University of Cape Town’s Primary Health Care directorate and has lectured Master’s level students both locally and abroad.

Her communication and advocacy toolbox includes filmmaking, photography, copy writing, digital marketing and music production. She has used multimedia communication and public engagement to mobilise audiences from policy makers to communities and was campaign manager for a large alcohol abuse campaign, which successfully mobilised stakeholders around key alcohol policy issues in South Africa.

She has worked in more than 10 countries and clients have included local and international government ministries, universities, non-governmental organizations, including the World Health Organization and International Development Research Centre, as well as corporate clients such as Dundee Precious Metals, the Behaviour Change Agency, Cipla and Ole Media.

A proud Capetonian, Rowena completed a BA Hons degrees at the University of Cape Town before studying advertising and marketing at the AAA School of Advertising. While gaining experience in the advertising world, Rowena studied further for a Diploma in Marketing Research from SAMRA and completed the Management Development programme at the University of Stellenbosch Business School.

Having spent 20 years working in advertising, on some of the biggest brands in South Africa, Rowena joined Bearfish Strategic Services originally to manage one of their major projects and later as Manager, Strategic Projects. Her experience in all traditional above- and below-the-line advertising disciplines also extends to internal and external communications, marketing research, digital marketing, social media strategy and content, corporate identity and environmental design. She is a highly capable manager, proficient in the design and implementation of systems and processes, the structuring of service level agreements, fee negotiations with clients and project evaluation protocols.

Rowena’s professional, intelligent and hard-working nature contributes greatly to the atmosphere and overall character of the Bearfish Strategic Services experience.

Born and educated in the USA, Britt obtained a BA Degree from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado before working in hospital administration in New York.

After emigrating to South Africa she joined Xhosa Fundis as Administration Manager. Xhosa Fundis provides isiXhosa language training and produces ’ IsiXhosa textbooks. In this position, Britt became knowledgeable and experienced in all aspects of South Africa’s complex administrative environment.

She joined Bearfish Strategic Services as the Head of Administration, and she deals with finance, human resources and day to day administration of the business.

South African born and educated, Aletta spent her early childhood in Canada and New Zealand, giving her a world vision at a time when South Africa was moving into the darkest apartheid years. She holds a BA Hons degree in languages and a postgraduate diploma in education from Rhodes University, where as an undergraduate she was linked to the anti-apartheid movement, attracting the attentions of the then security police. While working in Cape Town as a senior marketing director in the financial sector, Aletta attended a range of senior management and strategic marketing courses at the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business. She is a PRISA Chartered PR Practitioner.

With senior organisational and marketing management experience across a wide range of fields such as higher education, the Arts, finance, health and the NGO sector, Aletta brings to Bearfish Strategic Services  a strategic mindset and a world of experience in purpose-driven, integrated communications. Her role at Bearfish Strategic Services  is a multi-faceted one; she is called upon at strategic level and across different projects, to articulate, suggest, strategise, write, edit, advise or perform any other task that’s requested of her.  

Deon matriculated at Wynberg Boys High School and qualified with a National Higher Diploma in Civil Engineering from what is now the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT). Starting out as a structural consultant, he moved into project management and is a registered member of the South African Council for the Project and Construction Management Professions (SACPCMP).

Deon has consulted to many architectural and project management companies and developers on numerous projects around the country, from public works to shopping malls, hospitals, luxury residences and high-rise office buildings. 

In 2018 he joined Bearfish Strategic Services as a senior project manager and was appointed to lead the District Safety Plan project, part of Bearfish Strategic Services’ multi-faceted contract with the Western Cape Government’s Department of Transport and Public Works. They are integrated road safety and security interventions involving the introduction of new technology, integrated law enforcement operations and driver attitude/behaviour change strategies. 

Deon is out there in person most days, bringing onboard people of different backgrounds, beliefs, personalities and ambitions, melding his practical skills with his warm and gently humorous nature. 

He has daily contact with an array of different structures such as provincial traffic law enforcement, municipal traffic authorities, the SA Police Service, road engineers, educators, provincial quality management and evaluation officials and all others who contribute to the successful operation of the DSPs. 

Born and educated in KwaZulu Natal, Andile comes to Bearfish Strategic Services with project management experience in many different fields. She started her career as a Consumer Relations Ambassador for Peter Stuyvesant, a position which involved research, reporting, conceptualising and implementing consumer-orientated activations for the brand – from small, carefully tailored events to international music spectaculars. She then moved into senior management support in South Africa and in London. 

Returning home at the end of her contract, Andile managed a major puppetry project commissioned by MTN for the 2010 World Cup and later moved into the advertising world with responsibility for activities related to the Oakley brand such as account management and project managing their involvement in the Cape Epic.

Her next step was into the position of content producer for a TV talk show broadcast nationally on SABC3. 

Knowledgeable, experienced and energetic, Andile brings with her a professional, can-do approach plus solidly honed skills – a combination that personifies Bearfish Strategic Services.

Originally from Port Elizabeth, Angie completed her secondary and tertiary studies there before moving to Cape Town. After an internship at a public relations firm, she switched gears and flung herself into the world of digital and social media, a world she’s been inhabiting for close on to ten years. She has worked for a number of social media agencies as well as freelancing as a social media specialist.

Angie manages the Safely Home social media platforms, responsible for content creation and always-on community management, ensuring that this important platform provides the necessary behaviour change nudges that will help us to achieve our client’s vision of reducing fatalities on the Western Cape’s roads.

Born and brought up in California USA, Aerial’s undergraduate degrees at the University of California, Davis were in International Relations. It was degree courses in City and Regional Development, Statistics and Research that brought her to South Africa to study for a Master’s degree at the University of Cape Town in the promotion of the inclusive city concept. This concept led her to examine the field of road design and the development of road safety and security policies and procedures.

Versatile and with strong interpersonal skills across language and race, Aerial has managed over 90 projects in fast-paced environments. Along with particular skills in qualitative research and spatial planning, she is also an excellent public speaker and has a great deal of experience in report writing.

Aerial joined Bearfish Strategic Services  as a researcher on the Safely Home project and her further specialised skills are proving relevant in specific projects.

Born and bred in Tanzania, Aliasgher (Ali) left his home in 2011 to pursue further studies. After completing an undergraduate in Civil Engineering, he decided to pursue a Master of Engineering degree in Transport Planning at the University of Cape Town in 2016. During his studies, he worked as a research assistant on projects funded by USAID and the Provincial Department before graduating with a Cum Laude for his thesis work on Unpacking Road Safety in Cape Town.

During his studies, he fell in love with the City and adopted to call it home. Since 2018, he has worked on internationally funded road safety projects with a specific focus on children. Using his research skills and critical thinking, he aims to develop a better, equitable world for all.

Ali joined Bearfish as an Assistant Project Manager for the COVID-19 project and brings with him versatile skills in critical thinking, stakeholder engagement and data analysis.

Natasha matriculated from Reddam House and went on to study a BA in Creative Brand Communications at Vega. Realising this was not her true passion; she obtained her BA in Criminology and Psychology from The University of South Africa (UNISA). During her undergraduate degree, she volunteered at NICRO. Natasha completed her first Honours degree in Applied psychology from the South African College of Applied Psychology (SACAP). Wanting more practical experience, she completed another Honours degree in Psychology. She worked in Pollsmoor Prison and The Trauma Centre as a counsellor as part of her work-integrated-learning program. Natasha hopes to start her Masters in Forensic Psychology in the near future.

Natasha is also a qualified Scrum Master and worked in a game development company for a year which was important in giving her the logical, planning and strategic mind-set that comes with handling everyday business life.

Energetic, passionate and dedicated, Natasha brings an array of different skills, knowledge and interests to the business and is always eager to learn more and dive into new projects.