Cheri Rubens

Helping organisations uncover opportunities hidden in plain sight by improving organisational clarity, communication, operational readiness and intelligent execution. I help growing organisations translate ambitious strategy into coordinated execution by strengthening the way people, processes, technology and communication work together. Throughout my career I have been drawn to environments experiencing growth and change, where operational clarity, governance, delivery discipline and organisational alignment become increasingly important.

Rather than limiting myself to the boundaries of a formal role, I instinctively identify opportunities to improve how organisations operate, enabling teams to execute more effectively while creating scalable foundations for future growth. My experience spans software delivery, strategic operations, executive communication, governance, AI-enabled process improvement and cross-functional leadership. I enjoy partnering with founders and executive teams to turn direction into practical execution, helping organisations scale responsibly without losing clarity, quality or people.

Independent Executive Consultant | Strategic Operations & Organisational Improvement at Self-Employed (2026 - Present) I help organisations uncover opportunities hidden in plain sight by improving organisational clarity, communication, operational readiness and intelligent execution.

Throughout my career I have been drawn to organisations experiencing growth, transformation or increasing complexity, where better systems, clearer communication and stronger operational alignment create the greatest opportunity for improvement.

My work combines strategic thinking with practical execution, helping leaders strengthen the way people, processes, technology and governance work together to enable sustainable growth.

Areas I regularly contribute to include:

• Organisational strategy and operational improvement
• Executive communication and strategic documentation
• Governance and organisational readiness
• AI-enabled operational improvement
• Organisational analysis and systems thinking
• Leadership support and cross-functional alignment
• Strategic research and thought leadership

I enjoy partnering with founders, executive teams and growing organisations that value curiosity, thoughtful leadership and continuous improvement.

Senior GRC Project Manager at Cognisys (2026)

• Developed an Operational Alignment Framework that translated two live operational case studies into governance policies, delivery improvements and executive recommendations to strengthen organisational alignment and execution.
• Developed a comprehensive Project Management Handbook that standardised delivery practices, governance expectations and operational consistency across the organisation.
• Reviewed and enhanced Statements of Work (SOWs) to improve scope definition, reduce ambiguity and strengthen client engagement throughout the delivery lifecycle.
• Designed AI-supported workflow improvements that reduced administrative effort, simplified routine operational activities and improved delivery efficiency.
• Developed operational governance artefacts including pre-sales validation controls, pre-delivery quality assurance checkpoints, SSOT policy guidance and sales enablement documentation to strengthen operational consistency.
• Facilitated cross-functional collaboration between delivery, technical and business stakeholders to improve organisational alignment, accountability and execution consistency.
• Revised the organisational Skills Development Matrix to improve capability visibility, workforce planning and informed resource allocation.

Agile SaaS Project & DevOps Manager at The Code Group (2023 – 2025)

• Led a multidisciplinary DevOps function within a rapidly growing technology environment.
• Supported operational leadership of a 15-person multidisciplinary software delivery function, strengthening communication, alignment and execution across concurrent client initiatives.
• Partnered with leadership and finance on resource planning, delivery forecasting and operational priorities, helping balance capacity with client commitments.
• Refined delivery frameworks, documentation and operational workflows, improving predictability, collaboration and execution consistency.
• Served as the communication bridge between technical teams, executive stakeholders and clients, translating complexity into clear operational understanding.
• Strengthened deployment consistency, knowledge sharing and team collaboration through improved documentation and Microsoft Teams practices.

Technical Configuration & Release Manager at Sanlam (2015 – 2015)

• Managed technical release and deployment activities within a regulated financial services environment, ensuring controlled delivery, governance and operational stability.

Senior IT Project QA & Release Manager at Nedbank (2012 – 2013)

• Managed quality assurance, release governance and stakeholder coordination across enterprise technology initiatives within a highly regulated banking environment.

• Master Generative AI (Artificial Intelligence) - Alison (2026)

• Generative AI for Businesses - Alison (2026)

• Software Project Management - Advanced Diploma (2026)

• Consciousness Coaching Diploma - Psychology, Neuroscience, Ontology & Emotionally Intelligent Communication (2014)

• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt (2016)

• ITIL Foundation (2008)