Dries Wehmeyer

Associate

Dries has over 55 years of experience in all the facets of the aviation industry. He has held positions as Squadron Commander, Head of Advanced Management Training as well as Head of Aviation Safety of the SA Air Force, Director of Flight Operations, Head of Flight Operations Training, Safety Manager and Emergency Response Planning Manager. He is certified as a Safety Professional with the Institute of Safety Management and is a qualified military pilot, instructor and trainer. Before his retirement Dries was the Executive Manager Aviation Safety and Emergency Response Planning with South African Airways.

His leadership and management expertise includes areas such as Advance Management Training, Strategic Management, Aviation Safety, Flight Operations, Operational Control, Training Management, Quality Assurance, Cargo Handling, Ground Handling, Accident Investigations, Risk Management, Continuous Airworthiness Management (CAMO) and Emergency Response Planning.

Dries assists Companies, Flight Operations Departments, Safety Departments, Airports, Training Organisations and Maintenance Organisations to conduct their business safely and effectively. He assists Companies in preparation for CAA, IOSA, BARS and other related audit standards. He provides legal compliance assistance and guidance to Civil Aviation Authorities, Companies, Operators, Maintenance and Training Organisations. He has developed and successfully implemented several flight operations, aviation safety, occupational health and safety (OHAS), integrated safety risk management systems, cargo handling, CAMO, emergency response plans and formal safety culture, in various Companies.

As a qualified aircraft accident investigator and has conducted several major aircraft accident investigations. He is also a qualified Lead Auditor and has led and conducted a number of operations, quality, aviation safety, OHAS, airports, training, maintenance organisation, emergency response and related aviation audits.

He develops Emergency Response Plans and provide training for scheduled and charter operators. He has directed several emergency response incidents and facilitates tabletop and full functional emergency response exercises.

Dries develops and compiles a variety of required manuals and provides similar training to help Companies to operate and function at world best practices and standards and thereby ensures that their business is effective and safe. To achieve this, he supports Companies to develop and optimize required management, operational and safety management processes and then articulates the associated procedures in the respective manuals. He subscribes to the concept of “Document what you do, and then do what you have documented”.

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Nicky Whitehead

Associate

Nicky has over 20 years’ corporate experience, ranging from legal to humanitarian development.

She is currently head of the False Bay base for National Sea Rescue Institute in South Africa. In her role,  she has been involved in multiple rescue operations, body recoveries and multi-sector training and scenario exercises.

Her qualifications include Health & Safety, Risk Assessments, Confined Spaces Training, Hazard Communications, Incident Command Systems, Search & Rescue Techniques, Maritime Emergency Care, Emergency Response Planning & Family Assistance.

She also Freelances as a Medic and after successfully completing her Tactical Operative course she further qualified as a Firearms Instructor & Assessor.

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Neil Clarke

Associate

Location: Africa

Neil has over 30 years of multi-disciplinary experience in the aviation and airline industry. He has recently retired from South African Airways as a Senior Captain operating on international route networks.

His experience and skills have built a demonstrable track record with multi-sector credentials within high-risk domains including aviation, corporate business, health care and wildlife tourism. He is also a Human Factors expert with experience in aircraft accident investigation and accident prevention.

Neil is a leader in the development and implementation of high-performance training for various industries, which have included Integrated Human Performance Programs, Resilience Engineering Projects and Safety Management Systems. In addition, he has had experience in conducting and leading enterprise-wide risk analyses and assessment projects.

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Linden Birns

Senior Associate

Location: Africa

Linden has more than 35 years of experience working in reputation management, crisis communications, media relations, public affairs, journalism and media production. He has worked in a number of countries around the world, preparing leaders and management of airlines, aircraft operators, airports, aircraft manufacturers, industry associations, law enforcement agencies and governments for crises, and guiding them through the intense heat that accompanies every crisis. In this role, Linden has led and participated in responses to several aircraft accidents, airline groundings, the 2004 Asia tsunami, labour strikes, corruption and corporate governance crises.

In addition, Linden has managed and worked on communications campaigns in several industries, including defence, minerals and resources, automotive, tourism, medical research, forestry & timber, engineering, public service administration as well as in industrial research and development.

Linden’s background is in journalism – he has also worked in TV, radio, on newspapers, and for magazines. During that time, he covered several disasters and emergencies including bombings, commuter train massacres, hostage dramas, and an ocean-liner sinking. He has an intimate understanding of how journalists work and how the various types of news media function, which is invaluable when preparing and supporting clients with their crisis communications.

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Erla Coetzee

Senior Associate

Location: Africa

Erla qualified as a social worker in 1995 with a BA Soc Sc Hons degree and started working with the Child and Family Care Court and counselling cases.

After five years, she left social work for the corporate world, but the profession called her back and she continued her work within the Child and Family-care field at St George’s Children’s Home for almost two years.

Thereafter, she specialised in addiction counselling at Elim Clinic Professional Treatment Centre and supported in- and outpatients for six years. The next five years were spent as a behavioural-risk manager in the EAP at Icas Southern Africa, providing telephonic counselling to employees of client companies. She is also a wellness specialist, providing on-site counselling, mediation, stress management, trauma debriefing, retrenchment counselling, and coaching. Erla’s other passion is training and facilitation on a variety of topics, making her a valued contributor on the GoCrisis Associate team.

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David Doull

Associate

Location: Africa

David Doull is a Human Factors and Risk Management specialist, with over 25 years of experience in high-risk industries in the areas of operational and management roles. He spent nine years in the healthcare industry where he started as a paramedic, and 16 years in the aviation industry, first as a pilot and later as a Human Factors Specialist.

Within healthcare, David gained experience in emergency service operations, medical care, and helicopter emergency service management within South Africa. As a pilot, he gained experience in training, charter, and flying doctor service operations within South Africa. David also flew in Afghanistan under contract to the US Department of State and, for ten years, was in short and long-range airline operations at South African Airways (SAA).

David managed SAA’s human factors and CRM (Crew Resource Management) training and led major safety incident investigations. Through his involvement in the safety department, when applying the ICAO Annex 13 standard, he dealt with international safety agencies, aircraft manufacturers, regulating authorities, unions, academics and large investigation teams.

David holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Emergency Medical Care from the Durban University of Technology, a Masters Degree in Human Factors in Aviation with Coventry University (UK) and is currently undergoing certification to apply systems engineering to safety and risk management.

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Emad Fahem

VP, Client Relationships

Location: Middle East and North Africa (MENA)

With almost two decades of experience in various aspects of the aviation industry, Emad brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the team. With a Master’s in Aviation Management, a degree in aircraft maintenance, and a commercial pilot license, Emad’s understanding of both the aircraft and the industry is an invaluable resource. Emad has held various roles within the industry, including over 15 years of steering ground and flight operations with a multitude of operators across numerous countries, including Canada, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates. He is a certified auditor (IS-BAH) for the International Business Aviation Council as well as a Crew Resource Management Instructor. Emad’s expertise also extends to Safety Management Systems.

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Hennie Crous

Manager, Infrastructure & Resources

Hennie is a highly experienced resource, infrastructure, and senior-level network support systems specialist with a demonstrated history in the Aviation, Management Consulting, Project Management and Information Technology Industries.

He has worked on multiple fatality accidents and serious incidents, focusing on Family Assistance Support Operations, Data Management and Contact Centre Operations.

As the “Keeper of Keys”, Hennie develops and maintains all information and IT resources within GoCrisis, focusing on the security of all information and GDPR requirements. He also manages and maintains all GoCrisis social media pages and the branding and design of all related media. In addition, he serves as the first point of contact for all website enquiries and is the technical lead for all webinars and virtual training to ensure stability and a positive customer experience.

Hennie oversees the GoCrisis GoResponder Program, which includes training requirements, work assignments, and scheduling of all 1200+ GoResponders, pre-, during, and post-emergency response deployments. During activations, he serves as the Contact Centre Director, monitoring call volumes, system resources, and the quality of service provided by all GoCrisis Contact Centre Agents across all communication platforms.

Hennie carries formal qualifications in numerous disciplines with regard to the Information Technology industries, as well as in Travel and Tourism.

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Adrian Rodgers

VP, Response Readiness

Adrian is Vice President of Response Support at GoCrisis. He is part of the GoCrisis team that ensures our clients are supported and remain closely connected with us throughout our partnership. With 27 years experience in mitigating risk for businesses in a variety of industries such as agriculture, logistics, insurance and aviation, Adrian is passionate about engaging with our clients to help ensure their business is prepared for any possible crisis event.

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