Great leaders don’t set out to be leaders – they set out to make a difference
Guided by the principal values of our founders, Dr William (Bill) P Magee, Jr., and his wife Kathleen (Kathy), our Board of Trustees provides leadership and sound governance to ensure the success of Operation Smile South Africa.
The Board of Trustees is also responsible for signing off our annual, independently audited accounts, copies of which are available below under Financials.
Our Leadership
Board of Trustees
Jason Sive
CHAIRMAN
Jason Sive was introduced to Operation Smile at a medical conference in 2013 and has since attended 3 missions in Madagascar and Malawi. He joined the board in 2014 and remains Chairman today. He is passionate about what we do and absolutely dedicated to the growth of Operation Smile South Africa.
Prior to 2008, Jason spent five years with the TransUnion group in South Africa as well as banking in Sydney, specializing in risk management and outsourced administration services.
Jason founded First Health Finance and First Asset Finance in 2008. In 2014, he founded Mobicred, a fintech business operating in the eCommerce industry, and remains CEO of the business today.
Larry Auret, B.Acc. CA(SA)
TREASURER
A chartered accountant who has been in practice for over 40 years, Larry was involved in setting up the financial structures of Operation Smile South Africa when it was established in 2006. He has been the financial director ever since.
Larry is currently in a consulting role at Mazars, a mid-tier international auditing firm in South Africa. He specialises in business start-ups and consulting to foreign-owned companies, owner-managed businesses and high net worth individuals & trusts.
Professor Anil Madaree
MEDICAL DIRECTOR
Prof Madaree has been Head of Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of Kwa-Zulu Natal since 1994.
His main interests are craniofacial surgery, cleft lip and palate surgery, paediatric plastic surgery, keloid and wound healing and various reconstructive fields. He is a member of numerous medical societies, frequently presents at conferences and publishes in peer reviewed journals.
Anil has completed about 30 voluntary missions to third world countries to treat and perform surgery on patients with cleft lip and palate and other deformities. He has also been recruited by the International Red Cross to reconstruct post war deformities in Africa.
Nokuzola Cossie
DIRECTOR
A trust and estates attorney whose career spans a decade in corporate and private practice, Nokuzola Cossie advises high net worth families regarding the structuring of estates, succession and other related matters. With a keen interest in philanthropy, she also advises charitable organisations on governance and sustainability.
Nokuzola holds a BA, LLB (Rhodes University) and a postgraduate diploma in law, specialising in tax law (UCT). She is an Admitted Attorney and Notary of the High Court of South Africa.
She joined Operation Smile South Africa as a director in August 2017.
Jacques Fourie
DIRECTOR
Jacques has served on the Operation Smile South Africa board since 2017. He is a lawyer specialising in international succession, trust law, individual and corporate tax planning, international tax and trust planning for individuals and corporations.
He regularly advises on the set-up and structuring of non-profit organisations in South Africa.
Medical Council
Comprised of experts in their fields, who regularly attend medical projects, Operation Smile’s Medical Council sets the standards for recruiting medical volunteers within South Africa.
In this way, we ensure that our Global Standards of Care are met and implemented on all medical projects and at every stage in the volunteer credentialing process.
Prof Anil Madaree – Medical Director: Co-Chair Plastic Surgery
Dr. Conrad Pienaar – Co-Chair Plastic Surgery
Dr. Christian Kampik – Anaesthesia Chair
Dr. Pamela Rapiti – Paediatric Chair
Olivia Haslam (RN) – Nursing Chair
Robin Whittal – Bio-medical Chair
Basil Sodalay – Dental Co-Chair
Marius Van der Walt – Dental Co-Chair
Erika Bostock – Speech Therapy Chair
Meet the Team
Key Staff
Sarah Scarth
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Karien Lowe
FINANCE AND OFFICE MANAGER
Yasmina Follentine
DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR
Phelisa Manyisane-Somciza
PROGRAMMES MANAGER
Leigh Ras
VOLUNTEER & LOGISTICS COORDINATOR
Ronel Visagie
MARKETING, COMMUNICATIONS & EVENT COORDINATOR
Vuyo Somdaka
PATIENT COORDINATOR (Eastern Cape)
Dakalo Maguga
PATIENT COORDINATOR (Mpumalanga)
Jade Page
INTERN
Financial
Transparency
We appreciate your contribution, and work hard to make the most of every gift
Your gifts send medical professionals to the children who need them. They help us teach and train healthcare professionals, and build awareness of the plight of children born with cleft conditions. Your gifts also allow us to administer our programmes and raise more funds.
Thank you! We value the trust you place in our work. As a result, we are deeply committed to being the best steward of your gifts.
Please click the links below to see see the impact of your donations and our work.
Financial Report for the period ending 30th June 2023
Financial Report for the period ending 30th June 2022