Melissa is a communications specialist whose career has spanned publishing, advertising, brand, and marketing development. She has worked with global NGO’s, local government, major brands and was head of strategy at specialised advertising agency Ogilvy Earth. She has worked with the GDS-Index since 2015, and is now head of communications at the GDSM.

Melissa is an experienced event creator and content curator specialised in conceptualising and presenting at transformation events about sustainability and regeneration. Examples of her work include co-creating Sustainable Brands Cape Town 2016, event host and presenter at Sustainability Week South Africa and being MC at the inaugural Sustainable Brands Oceans event in Porto, Portugal in 2019.

During her career Melissa was the editor of Green Home magazine, The Green Economy Journal and is the founding publisher of South Africa’s first conscious lifestyle publication and website – Life in Balance.
Melissa is a published poet, inspiring presenter and lecturer, editor of business books, academic papers, opinion pieces and an expert in crafting sustainability strategies and narratives relating to social, environmental, and economic regeneration.