CURRICULUM VITAE
(A brief summary of my career thus far, with descriptions of my consulting practice, coaching, written and media work, with further details available on request)
NAME: Andre Vlok
RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS: Maitlands, Gqeberha
MARITAL STATUS: Married
CHILDREN: One
TERTIARY EDUCATION: B.Proc degree (NMMU, 1986)
LEGAL CAREER:
Admitted attorney. Practiced in commercial litigation (specializing in employment disputes) from 1990, first with Brown Braude & Vlok Inc. thereafter in own practice, Vlok Attorneys. Established well-known national practice – top twenty cases in public domain available on request. Participated in Stop Rape campaign in 2013, added GBV work to list of focus areas.
CAREER SINCE 2017:
Retired from legal practice in 2017, started three specialist consultancies practicing specialized mediation and conflict resolution, workplace disputes and commercial negotiation at advanced corporate level. Established national consultancies in all three areas.
NATIONAL CONSULTING PRACTICE:
Conducting high-profile mediations and arbitrations for corporations, several politicians and high-profile personalities. National client base of corporations and large, medium and small corporate clients, advising and / or representing on workplace conflict mandates, advanced negotiations, team performance and conflicts, advising various boards on conflict and related disputes, working with corporations in designing and implementing modern, effective and measurable workplace conflict environments. Extensive experience in divorce and family mediation and other dispute resolution mechanisms. Chairing various levels of internal disciplinary inquiries and related processes, including design and implementation of such processes, using modern best practices in dispute systems design field. Arbitrations on complex workplace and commercial disputes. National client base includes large, medium and small corporations, factories, NGOs, political parties and individuals, and high profile individual clients. Serving on various corporate boards. Designed effective retainer system fee solution for national client base. * Also consulting on various mediation and other conflicts globally.
COACHING AND TRAINING:
Developed very successful national specialist six-month distance courses in conflict resolution and commercial negotiation, focusing on cutting edge negotiation best practices, workplace cultural diversity (DEI), team dynamics and diversity integration personal tuition, high level of academic rigor and actual field work. Specialist in workplace DSD (dispute systems design). Standardised industry-compliant or uniquely designed coaching courses for individuals in large range of topics, including leadership and team conflict competency. Interpersonal and family conflict mandates developed countrywide. Coaching and training in these fields for management teams nationally. Consulting in corporate and industrial sectors on workplace and individual conflict, cultural integration and commercial negotiation. Advanced six months distance learning and hybrid courses, including coaching, seminars and workshops for senior management and teams presented countrywide.
BOOKS AND OTHER WRITTEN WORK:
Author of Dangerous Magic: essays on conflict resolution in South Africa (with Amazon details and reviews at Amazon.com: DANGEROUS MAGIC: Essays on conflict resolution in South Africa eBook: Vlok, Andre: Kindle Store This book has featured in several national media interviews, and has been accepted as a textbook by North-West University.
Author of Hamlet’s Mirror: Conflict and Artificial Intelligence: Understanding the intersection of technology and human conflict, published in September 2023, with the Amazon link at Amazon.com: HAMLET'S MIRROR: Conflict and AI: Understanding the intersection of technology and human conflict eBook : Vlok, Andre: Kindle Store
Author of essay on global mediation, featuring in the iconic The Routledge Handbook of Peacebuilding (2nd edition), edited by Prof Roger Mac Ginty of Durham University. The Amazon link at Amazon.com: Routledge Handbook of Peacebuilding: 9781032275772: Mac Ginty, Roger: Books
Extensive database of practical and / or academic essays and articles, updated on a monthly basis, at www.conflict-conversations.co.za Comprehensive list of articles on various current conflict topics published in national press (examples available on request).
MEDIA:
My national conflict work has established my reputation as a trusted expert in these fields, which has led to extensive media appearances on general or specific conflict topics and events. These activities include a popular long-running conflict resolution radio series on SAfm and a weekly conflict series in the business section of The Herald newspaper (now in its fourth year), a radio series on Namibian Nova radio, regular expert appearances on national television (eNCA, Newzroom Afrika, Carte Blanche podcast etc.) and other radio stations such as Radio 702, CapeTalk, and RSG, regular podcast appearances on local and international podcasts (see Conflict Conversations blog for examples), regular articles in Business Day, Daily Maverick, News24, City Press, LitNet and others, various other radio and podcast programs, a GIBS School of Business presentation, guest panelist at 2022 Prof. Thuli Madonsela/US expert panel on xenophobia etc), to mention a few examples. Twelve-part series on modern conflict on RSG radio.
See blog at www.conflict-conversations.co.za for examples of recent work, database and articles.
PERSONAL INTERESTS:
Outdoor life, music (jazz and classical), reading, animals, chess, workplace efficiency, educating South Africans on effective conflict resolution, and returning selected classical values and norms to the business world.
CONTACT DETAILS:
Cell: 073 548 0862 (includes whatsapp availability)
Email: andre@conflictresolutioncentre.co.za
Or via various social media platforms, including @vlok_andre on Twitter, and on LinkedIn.
Publisher: Paradigm Media at enquiries@paradigmmedia.co.za
(Complete confidentiality guaranteed)