THE COLLECTIVE
Who we are drives what we do.
Our core team members – a multifaceted, multitalented group of incredibly creative individuals – are as diverse as they are accomplished and atypical. We could carry on forever about them, but instead we’re sharing ten curious facts, cherry-picked for you.
Lisa Pellatt
Founder and Director
10 things about Lisa
1.
In her twenties Lisa was mistaken for Tori Amos, so she quick wittedly put on an accent and played along.
2.
Soon after that she entered the PR industry, working in South Africa and the UK for brands like the International Olympic Committee, Unilever and the England Rugby Football Union.
3.
Speaking of sport, her grandfather used to play for Charlton Athletic.
4.
When founding Marvello and Mill, Lisa used her keen understanding of the local media landscape to benefit clients in the entertainment, travel, FMCG, food and hospitality sectors.
5.
Her favourite dish is Dutch croquette, a nod to her grandmother, who was from the Netherlands.
6.
Lisa likes to be hands-on. If she’s wearing sleeves, they’re rolled up and ready for work.
7.
Even though she’s petrified of heights, she rose to the challenge and climbed Mount Kilimanjaro.
8.
When it comes to work, she values strong relationships, high quality standards and versatility.
9.
A passionate supporter of charitable causes, she has two rescue dogs from Mdzananda Animal Clinic in Khayelitsha.
10.
Lisa approaches all her projects with a devilish dash of humour.
Thembalethu Khumalo
Account Manager
10 things about Thembalethu
1.
Growing up, Noni Gasa was Thembalethu’s role models.
2.
She studied for three years at the University of Zululand and for a further year at the Durban University of Technology.
3.
While in secondary school, Thembalethu was a Girl Guide.
4.
Her first PR job was with Lisa, where she worked as an intern with roles that included answering phones and basic administration and office support.
5.
She admits it’s crazy, but just loves to eat tripe.
6.
As a fashion lover, Thembalethu is thrilled to have worked on SA Fashion Week.
7.
Her bucket list includes visits to Ghana and Kenya.
8.
At Ten x Collective she maintains key relationships, brainstorms fresh PR campaigns, manages client needs and develops comprehensive media coverage plans.
9.
Thembalethu is terrified of needles.
10.
She approaches work with a winning mindset, always looking to improve with each new project.
Genie Vittu
Communication Strategist
10 things about Genie
1.
Growing up, Genie wanted to be a detective, vet or air hostess.
2.
Not keen on ending up in an office after matriculating, she pursued a six months goldsmith apprenticeship.
3.
An amateur philatelist, Genie collects stamps and loves to think about their travels to distant places, and the kinds of news that they have delivered.
4.
Her love of adventuring led her to joining a travel group, where she gained valuable logistical training and experience.
5.
One of eight siblings, Genie is the youngest, having been born a full hour and fifteen minutes after her twin sister.
6.
She worked at UCT for fifteen years, honing her communication skills and engaging with students, lecturers, academics and high profile individuals.
7.
When Genie travelled across Europe, she made good use of home-sharing portal, CouchSurfing.
8.
At Ten x Collective she assists in obtaining media coverage, and dispensing communication advice to clients.
9.
Genie’s absolute favourite creature is the chameleon, and her bête noire is a shongololo.
10.
She is a highly skilled communicator who excels at Excel and – thanks to an incredibly inquisitive mind – values the importance of thorough research.
Cecile Blake Benadé
Traffic Manager
10 things about Cecile
1.
Whilst studying, Cecile worked for a puppet maker, helping build all the characters for Bananas in Pyjamas.
2.
She began work life as an animator and designer.
3.
Cecile has lived in Taiwan, traveled Asia and taught kindergarten along the way.
4.
Cecile’s article about hiking the Himalayas was published in Elle Decoration, Czech Republic.
5.
She spent five years in film production, working primarily on commercials, mostly as a creative head, and sometimes as an art director, photographer and stylist.
6.
In the past she has curated and managed a monthly goods market in Stellenbosch, and created her own kid-centric brand, Ménagerie.
7.
Cecile is chuffed that the nerds she’s raising secretly read the Children’s Atlas and National Geographic by torchlight after bedtime.
8.
She has been with Ten x Collective since 2020 where she ensures internal and external deadlines are always met.
9.
Cecile is a proud feminist.
10.
She remains constantly fascinated by the art and impact of good communication.
Aphiwe Faku
PR and Media Strategist
10 things about APHIWE
1.
Aphiwe hails from the windy city of Gqeberha, and currently represents Ten x Collective in Johannesburg.
2.
He studied Public Relations management at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology.
3.
Aphiwe describes himself as charismatic, headstrong, hardworking, stubborn and soft-hearted.
4.
He loves fast cars, especially if they are Mercedes-Benz.
5.
Aphiwe grew up as the only male in the family with three older sisters, which must be why he has slotted in so well with our mostly female team!
6.
As a seasoned PR and Media Strategist who is passionate about Public Relations, he loves pitching stories and securing content.
7.
He sees himself as privileged to have worked with some amazing and diverse clients in the lifestyle, consumer, business, FMCG, finance and political spaces, including the Corona Sunset Festival and Amazon Prime Video.
8.
Aphiwe loves fashion, music and street culture.
9.
He is also a self-confessed sneakerhead with a weakness for Nike Dunks and Yeezy’s.
10.
Aphiwe enjoys cooking and his favourite meal is a plate of traditional samp, beans and mince.
Samantha Copeman-Michau
PR Account Executive
10 things about SAm
1.
Meet Sam, a qualified attorney who practiced in dispute resolution for seven years at two of South Africa's top tier law firms before changing tack and joining our team.
2.
Sam and her dream team family own and manage a dairy farm in the Eastern Cape.
3.
A farm girl at heart, she loves being outdoors with her dog Willow.
4.
A true team player, Sam dives headfirst into any challenge that comes her way. She thrives on digging into project details and is perpetually eager to expand her knowledge.
5.
Fun fact: country music is her ultimate jam!
6.
Sam loves exploring new restaurants and can point you to the best bowl of ramen in town—trust her, she's a connoisseur!
7.
Love struck early for Sam—her husband has been by her side since her very first birthday party.
8.
Sam is a dedicated bookworm who rises with the sun to savor a good read.
9.
Her passion for exploration has taken her to 11 countries, from trekking the Annapurna trail in Nepal to catching an opera in Venice.
10.
Sam proudly embraces her inner nerd, a trait her team affectionately compares to Amy Santiago from Brooklyn 99 (iykyk).
Sean Loots
Podcast Producer
10 things about Sean
1.
At the age of nine, Sean received top honours at his first poetry eisteddfod, for a poem titled No Girls Allowed.
2.
He was a swim instructor and would probably be coaching in the Bahamas if he hadn’t followed his current career path.
3.
Sean has performed onstage at the Artscape theatre and at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown.
4.
He works as a multi-disciplined audio content creative director and coordinator, doing end-to-end podcast development, filming, editing, presenting and voice-overs.
5.
Sean has Richard Branson's PA’s number saved in his phone. He has no idea how he got it.
6.
As a podcast producer, he facilitates and coordinates the entire content creation process, from conception through to story creation and editing the final product.
7.
He has a wealth of radio presenting experience, and you can still catch him on the Weekend Breakfast on Magic 828.
8.
Sean works with Ten x Collective, producing and hosting a podcast for Veritas Wealth Management.
9.
He strongly believes audio is a powerful tool because of the way it moves people, emotionally, physically and mentally.
10.
When it comes to work, Sean values authenticity, integrity and efficiency.
Kind words
“You're a great big shining star. It's really difficult to package these issues to a general audience and you've done so brilliantly with all of the coverage.”
Robert Silke
Principal Architect: Robert Silke & Partners
“I would like to thank you so much for this amazing proposal. Thank you for the meticulous detail and communication, for totally understanding the brief and for being such a wonderful and very important part of “my life” at Scatec Solar. You and your team’s work and support are highly valued.”
Lynn Horak
HR Manager: Scatec Solar
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