About us

Our people

Nick Rockey
Trialogue’s Managing Director Nick Rockey (BSc Eng. (Natal), MBA (Wits)) has 16 years of consulting experience across many market and industry sectors. Nick is involved in product development in the fields of CSI and sustainability, and leads the client consulting business for Trialogue. As such, he facilitates and compiles CSI strategies, reviews sustainability practices and assists clients in setting up sustainability knowledge and management systems. Nick is also responsible for setting up partnerships or alliances between other organisations and Trialogue, and provides strategic direction for the business.

Rob Worthington-Smith
Director and a founding shareholder of Trialogue, Rob Worthington Smith (BSc Agr Econ (Hons), has 20 years experience in development, from rural and agricultural to SMME development in peri-urban environments. Rob heads up the client publications division compiling and producing attractive social and sustainability reports. In addition to this focussed role, Rob is instrumental in integrating the design and content for various projects, and supports other divisions through the ongoing development of client relationships.

Vanessa Rockey
Vanessa Rockey (BCom) is a founding shareholder and Director of Trialogue, bringing with her a wealth of development expertise and relationships with both NGOs and corporate grantmakers. As initiator of The CSI Handbook, Vanessa served as editor and has grown the handbook in its stature and recognition over its nine-year life. Vanessa plays a central role in client relationship management and in supporting Trialogue’s strategic growth.

Ian Shepherd
Ian Shepherd has recently taken up a position on Trialogue’s board of directors to represent the interests of Trialogue’s BEE shareholder. He has a long and distinguished background in advertising and served as CEO of Grey Global South Africa for eleven years. Ian currently serves on the boards of the Advertising Standards Authority of South Africa and the Mazda Wildlife Fund, and is CEO of the CIDA Investment Trust and CIDA Learning. He is currently pursuing his passion by studying for an M.Phil in Sustainable Development at Stellenbosch University.

Andy Freemantle
Andy Freemantle (BSc (Agric) (Natal), BCom (Natal), MBA (UCT)) has some 15 years’ commercial experience, gained variously in financial services, communication, marketing and business development capacities. Andy is co-manager of Trialogue’s publishing division and has, since its inception, been the managing editor of The Sustainable Business Handbook (now in its 5th edition). He is also the managing editor of Trialogue’s latest publication, The Environmental Handbook, and consults on sustainability-related issues.

Heather de Wet
Heather de Wet (BA Hons (Natal) cum laude, MSc Dev Studies (SOAS, London)) is a journalist by profession and has many years of experience in the social development field across a wide range of NGO and government research and strategy formulation projects. Heather is Managing Editor of The CSI Handbook and The Environmental Handbook.

Michelle Matthews
Michelle Matthews (BA, with distinction in English (UCT)) Michelle joined Trialogue in 2009 as ‘writer at large’. She has ten years’ experience in writing, publishing and project management in the media and book industries. She is the author of The Whole Food Almanac (Sunbird, 2008), a guide to sustainably produced local foods. In 2005 Michelle was selected as one of 100 people who would ‘help build South Africa in the next decade’ by the Mail & Guardian. She is currently studying towards a BPhil in Sustainable Development Planning and Management at the University of Stellenbosch.

Gillian Mitri
Gillian Mitri comes from an advertising background and undertakes the full spectrum of Trialogue’s trafficking and production requirements for the handbooks and client publications. This includes a great deal of client liaison and the management of project deadlines.

Cathy Langerman
Cathy Langerman’s (BBusSc(UCT), MPhil (Cambridge), MBA (INSEAD)) experience includes five years in strategy consulting and five years of research and advisory work in the non-profit sector. Cathy managed a team of 12 research analysts at New Philanthropy Capital in the UK, before returning to South Africa where she managed the development of their international strategy. More recently, she has worked as research and development manager for Tshikululu Social Investments (TSI). Cathy joined the Trialogue Johannesburg office in October 2008 in a management and consulting capacity.

Gill Siebert
Gill Siebert (BSoc.Sci) has extensive experience and expertise in research within dedicated research houses as well as within the FMCG industry. Gill has project managed and co-ordinated Trialogue’s primary and secondary research for both handbooks and other consulting work for the past seven years.

Joanne Parsons
Jo Parsons (MA Public and Visual History (UWC), BSoc.Sci (UCT)) has recently joined Trialogue to assist in the custom publications division. While gaining experience in the hospitality industry she has, for the past three years, been involved with the African Programme in Museum and Heritage studies (a joint UWC, UCT and Robben Island Museum initiative). Her experience within the university arena has included administration, research and conference co-ordination.

Karen Petersen
Karen Petersen (BA HDE) taught for just over two years before embarking on a career in the advertising industry in Dubai. She spent seven years acting as an internal co-ordinator for all advertising briefs from clients. She moved into the sales arena in 2005 and is currently liaising with Trialogue clients on an ongoing basis, marketing the products and services.

Vanessa Sampson
Vanessa (Vee) Sampson has vast experience in the advertising and customer liaison environment and supports Trialogue’s Production Division. Her day-to-day functions include operating a wide-range of internal and eternal systems such as: online handbook sales; debtors and creditors; and, database management.