About Maxine Smith

Maxine Smith

Maxine delivers a unique combination of experience, skills and expertise. She is a goal setter and an achiever with a clear vision and ability to find creative solutions to meet or exceed organisational objectives and priorities. Maxine specialises in operational auditing, with over 25 years of business experience, she has a proven track record of achievements through a career which evolved to senior board level executive management in the private sector to executive board public sector (academic and research based university syndicates – within an international portfolio of appointments) all within a 20 year period.

Maxine's current venture is Nyumbani Estate Bush Lodge, a luxury Bush Camp in a safari big game conservancy in South Africa www.nyumbaniestate.com

Maxine has driven many key initiatives and led on a range of important initiatives:

First Operational Auditor for the Swinton Insurance Group - covering over 400 local branch outlets.
Was the CEO of a leading UK Newspaper Publishing Group.
Founded and led a Women in Media networking group in London, UK.
Mentor for a range of inner city London schools, Aberdeenshire Boxing Club and various young people and entrepreneurs
Previously an elected Parish Councillor in Clanfield Hampshire in the 1990's.
Conducted a range of expat assignments: Wits University - South Africa, CISCO Systems - Saudi Arabia, and Innovate UK (UK Government) - England
Involved in women in business, arts & culture networks in the Middle East
Previously elected Community Councillor, representing Drumoak for Crathes, Drumoak & Durris Community Council in Aberdeenshire.
Founded and developed a range community group initiatives in Aberdeenshire
Was the Project Director of the Wits Research Unit (previously RHRU), global flagship Hillbrow Health Precinct initiative in Hillbrow, Johannesburg, South Africa

She had key involvement in the high profile Stephen Lawrence Campaign in London, and was a founding Trustee for the Daniel De Gale campaign, which became the African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust (ACLT).

Seeking further challenges, Maxine chose to enhance her professional and personal skills and experience by committing to a Voluntary Services Oversees (VSO) engagement in 2003 which culminated in a two year posting to South Africa in the HIV/AIDS programme; AIDS being one of the most significant challenges in health within the developing world.

Maxine was directly involved with a pioneering team of scientists, clinicians and specialists forging breakthroughs in strengthening the public healthcare systems, leading research and business processes to meeting the challenges presented by the AIDS virus. Her core focus was to identify key organisational mechanisms for improvement and significant business funding opportunities and viable programme development models; and in doing so, integrate them into a realistic sustainability plan.

The delivery of these high level programmes involved the buy-in and implementation from a team of scientific and technical movers and shakers in World health. Her reputation to identify, attract, negotiate and secure significant donor funding to ground-breaking projects is well documented and recognised via a range of endorsements, and remains evident in projects that continue to run and thrive in Southern Africa nearly a decade later.

Although Maxine has lived and worked in different parts of the UK and the world, she is Wiltshire, England born and raised, married with one daughter and now lives in the Aberdeenshire countryside.

Maxine's work and charity interests continues to take her to various parts of the world.