SustainabilityServices.co.za

Sustainability reporting practitioners specializing in the provision of Independent Third Party Assurance, advisory and authorship services.

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Assurance Practitioner (CSAP) Training Course .....

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SustainabilityServices.co.za

Experience


	ACCA	Facilitation of a workshop on the Value of Sustainability Report Assurance
	Bidvest	Management of the annual data collection, collation and reporting process for their annual sustainability report, including training for data managers within over 100 South African business units. Design of technical specification development of the Bidvest Sustainability Data Toolkit.
	IFC	Facilitation of workshops for journalists from 25 African countries (Zambia, March 2009), on the Impact of Corruption on Business in Africa, and Corporate Social Responsibility in the African Context.
	Invitrogen	Facilitation of sustainability reporting strategy development sessions, including internal stakeholder engagement sessions, at Invitrogen (California, USA), leaders in DNA technology and genetic engineering.
	U Pretoria	Development of Continuing Education courses on Sustainability Reporting, including one for the NGO sector. (in progress)


	Bidvest	Design and programming of the BB-BEE components of the Bidvest Sustainability Data Toolkit.
	Impahla	Design and implementation roll-out of Excel-based data management systems for collecting and collating key sustainability data in a garment manufacturing SMME.
	Implats	Design, development and roll-out of a sustainability data management system to accommodate the sustainability information requirements of their operations in South Africa and Zimbabwe.
	Lonmin	Design, development and roll-out of a web-based toolkit for quantitatively selecting Socio-Economic Development projects against company-specific developmental objectives, and then monitoring project implementation and progress towards those objectives.


	Impahla	Sole authorship and photography for the 2007 and 2008 Impahla Clothing Sustainability Reports (see 2008 version on our homepage).
	Suzi	Sole authorship and photography for the 2007 Suzi Products Sustainability Report (see 2007 version in our online reports database).
	Vimal	Sole authorship and photography for the 2007 Vimal Clothing Sustainability Report (see 2007 version in our online reports database).


	Cotlands	Third party assurance over Cotlands’ adherence to the GRI G3 Guidelines within their 2008 AGM Report.
	Implats	Independent third party assurance – Indicator Based Assurance (Type 2 Moderate) over Implats’ 2007 and 2008 corporate responsibility reports.
	Merafe	Independent third party assurance – Content Based Assurance (Type 1 Moderate) over Merafe’s 2008 sustainability report.
	Vimal	Non-independent third party assurance – Content Based Assurance (Type 1 Moderate) over Vimal’s 2007 sustainability report.
	Xstrata Alloys	Independent third party assurance – Content Based Assurance (Type 1 Moderate) over Xstrata’s 2008 sustainability report.


	NestLife Assurance	Underwriter software policy management suite development and maintanance
	Status Property Trust	Events accommodation software development and maintenance. This web based application facilitates the registration and reservation of South African accommodation for Sports Events Accomodation.
	Key Learning Institute	Development and maintanance of online education suite


	Having started out working in a factory that manufactured construction equipment components, and then proceeding to work in retail electronic sales and management, Michael has had an eclectic yet progressive career thus far. With undergraduate degrees in Science (The Zoogeography of the Human Malarial Parasites: plasmodia spp) and Psychology (The Formation of Leap Order in Male Domestic Haitian Chickens), as well as an MBA in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR as a Strategic Imperative for Canadian Companies Operating in Emerging Markets), Michael is now a highly experience Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) consultant, based in Johannesburg. After spending 5 years on annual volunteerism projects in various developing countries (1991 through 1995), Michael completed his MBA as a mechanism to initiate conversations with global corporations that hold the potential to effect meaningful developmental progress in the countries in which they operate. From Nortel Networks in Brazil, to Inco in Indonesia, and throughout Africa, Michael has had the distinct pleasure of building up over 11 years of sustainability-related experience, across more than 25 countries, primarily in the emerging markets of Africa, South America and SE Asia. From ’99 through ’03 Michael worked as a Senior Manager in the Sustainability Services practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers (South Africa and Canada), from ’03 through ’05 as a Senior Manager in the Sustainability Services practice at KPMG (South Africa), and then from ’06 through the present as an Independent Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Consultant, with a year working as an associated consultant with Trialogue. Michael’s particular areas of interest and experience are Corporate Social Investment (a.k.a. Socio-Economic Development, or SED), sustainability reporting and socio-economic impact assessment of large scale mining in under-developed regions, and I have had the distinct privilege of completing assignments ranging from human rights monitoring in Sudan, to stakeholder engagement around the clearance of land mines in Eritrea and Angola, to the implementation of SED projects for mining companies in South Africa. In 2007 and 2008, Michael served as the GRI’s regional consultant for a project entitled, “Transparency in the Supply Chain”. This project, funded by the German government (GTZ) led to the development of three GRI-based SMME sustainability reports for South African suppliers to PUMA (the global sports brand): Impahla Clothing, Suzi Products and Vimal Clothing. Michael provides pro bono services to various South African charities – Cotlands, Orlando Children’s Home, Sparrow Ministries, etc. – and is the Founding Trustee of the Soweto Marimba Youth League (SMYLe) Trust. SMYLe is a steel drum and marimba music band based in Dobsonville, Soweto, which seeks to support educational advancement through participation in a community based youth empowerment programme.


	Mark Becking is the MD of Becking Holdings, a software and consulting firm founded in 2004. Coming from 4 years in the computer forensic environment at KPMG, Mark’s passion for excellence and his desire to change the world lead him in the direction of sustainability services and reporting, up to the point of co-founding sustainabiltyservices.co.za – a company that provides end-to-end solutions to those companies who already report on sustainable development and an easy, cost-effective mechanism for those who would like to. The Becking Holdings group has grown to include (some partly and some fully owned) 6 companies at present: Becking Holdings - the holding company Sustainabilityservices.co.za – our newest initiative described above Service with a SMILE – a strategic web marketing portal for world business’ Computer Answering Services – a digital telephony company Broker Portal – an insurance-assist company merging underwriter requirements and restrictions with broker needs through a web interface and Key Learning Institute – an online education initiative dedicated to the upliftment of Africa through education Aside from the formation and facilitation of these companies, Mark is a trustee on the SMYLe Trust – a non-profit organisation dedicated to inspiring a desire for education in children through music and dance. With many years experience, across numerous industries in South Africa and America, Mark has built a network of trust and expanded the name of Becking Holdings to become synonymous with excellence, passion and dedication.

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