Chantelle Arends

Experienced project and operations professional with 20 years of experience coordinating complex projects, multi-disciplinary teams, suppliers, budgets, and tight deadlines in high-pressure environments. Proven track record of managing end-to-end operational execution, stakeholder relations, and high-stakes logistics—transforming high-level concepts into functional, delivered environments. Seeking to transfer these capabilities into a corporate project management or operations capacity, bringing strong organizational discipline, cross-functional communication, risk management, and the ability to rapidly master new systems and sector-specific requirements.

Senior Operations & Project Coordinator / Lead Designer at Various Production Houses, Media Networks & Corporate Agencies (2006-01 – Present)

• Managed full-cycle deployment of complex, high-stakes live environments and experiential projects for major international networks (including Netflix and Amazon Prime) and high-profile corporate clients.
• Coordinated cross-functional teams, external contractors, and technical departments to deliver major multi-day events, large-scale media productions, and corporate marketing activations under near-impossible deadlines.
• Handled comprehensive resource planning, schedule management, and budget tracking while mitigating live operational crises and variable disruptions.
• Facilitated end-to-end client communications, stakeholder approvals, and partner/sponsor integrations to ensure alignment between corporate brand requirements and final physical execution.
• Supervised spatial layouts, technical drawings, and contractor procurement, ensuring full compliance with spatial safety frameworks (such as COC and JOC regulations).

Art Director & Set Designer at Corporate Videos, Theatre, and Marketing Agencies

• Art-directed corporate video productions and designed marketing activation elements for external corporate agencies.
• Collaborated with directors and commercial stakeholders to conceptualize visual requirements, manage production schedules, and maintain strict adherence to project allocations.

Design Lecturer (Short Course) at Design Institute

• Facilitated structured learning modules, guiding students through practical project planning, spatial design fundamentals, and concept execution workflows.

Bachelor of Arts in Dramatic Art (BADA) Honours in Production Design – Wits University (2000-01 – 2004-12)