“Whilst I am proud of the contribution I made to that success, the end of the World Cup has given me the opportunity to return to my first love – the intelligent, strategic counsel we offer at Forge Marketing,” Dambe-Hansen says.

“I will help offer counsel to clients on market-entry strategies; brand and corporate positioning; communication and PR; media liaison; experiential / event marketing; and CRM.”

In addition to her position at Forge, Dambe-Hansen will also be playing a significant role in the media and key boards that she has been asked to participate in.

In 2003, Dambe-Hansen established Forge Marketing and Management as one of the black enterprises development entities within DraftFCB. She worked as Group Business Development Director for DraftFCB for four years, participating in the transformation process.

Dambe-Hansen joined Coca-Cola South Africa as Strategic Initiatives Director in April 2008 before being appointed Director of Public Affairs and Communication.

With more than 18 years of top executive management experience and 24 years of post-graduate experience, Dambe-Hansen has achieved 'firsts' in areas into which very few African women have ventured. Her career began in 1984 with De Beers/Anglo American, where she was one of the first black female management trainees to work in a management position in the mines.

Moving to Price Waterhouse in Botswana, she became the most senior female manager within the firm’s consultancy division.

In 1994 she was appointed the first female Executive Director at Thebe Investment Corporation, the first black-owned investment company in South Africa. It was in this position that she led the bid for the first black, private commercial radio license and established Kaya FM.

Educated in Botswana; USA; and Canada, Dambe-Hansen holds a BA Honours from Queens University, Ontario, Canada. She has vast international exposure, with work experience from more than 28 African countries; USA; Europe; and Asia. She has an extensive business network of key decision-makers from private corporations; strategic organisations; and governments in Southern Africa and internationally.

She has highly developed corporate-management skills in business strategy; entrepreneurship; strategic marketing; communications; media relations; and PR.