LISETTE LOMBARD

Lisette Lombard is a financial journalist and communications professional with substantial international and national experience. With a background in journalism and corporate and agency communications management, Lisette brings a deep understanding of complex business environments to her work. She is an expert business writer with a light touch and the ability to simplify complicated concepts. Her skill set spans the full spectrum of an integrated marketing communications approach, including internal and external communications, social media strategy and implementation, reputation management, and client and stakeholder communication.

Since November 2016, Lisette has run an independent communications consultancy, Firefly, building brands for South African and British businesses in South Africa, into Africa, and beyond.

She has written various financial and business articles for numerous media publications and generates content for financial services companies in South Africa and across Africa, serving global companies.

Firefly clients included Independent Securities, Flagship Asset Management, World Gold Council, Just Retirement, The Old Mutual Investment Group, Old Mutual Wealth, Old Mutual Insure, and Investec Structured Products, in association with Shareable Communications. She has written articles for The Sunday Times, Business Live, and The Sowetan, as well as for Independent Newspapers’ Personal Finance magazine. She has written several cover stories for the Accountancy SA magazine and contributed to Jan the Journal, wine.co.za, and Eat Out magazine.

Before founding Firefly, Lisette spent a decade working for Old Mutual, advancing from media consultancy to communications manager, with a specialisation in personal finance, including Old Mutual Investment Group, Asset Managers (Such as Old Mutual Properties), and Old Mutual Wealth. She managed critical aspects of the company’s reputation in the local media and abroad, particularly in other areas of Africa and the UK.

Lisette has extensive experience in wine and property portfolios. She worked with Michael Fridjhon on the Old Mutual Trophy Wine Show for almost ten years and managed crisis communications for Old Mutual Properties.

During her time working in PR, Lisette has represented Warwick Wines, Brandhouse Reserve beverages, Pam Golding Leisure, Stonebridge Fractional Ownership with Stefan Anthoni, Lombardy Estates, and the Upper Deck Plettenberg Bay Property in the media. She has worked on social corporate responsibility initiatives, including Township Patterns and the Old Mutual Foundation.

Lisette holds two postgraduate diplomas from the Graduate School of Business, University of Cape Town (UCT), in Social Media and in the Business of Wine. She holds a B.Com degree in Communications Management and a postgraduate diploma in Financial Planning from the University of Stellenbosch. Over the past 18 years, she gained extensive experience working with a range of international organisations, including the Financial Times in London.

Lisette is passionate about financial empowerment, poverty alleviation, social upliftment, education, and conservation.