Dr Rica Viljoen is a well-known Human Resource Executive, researcher, sought-after international systems psychodynamic-facilitator and Jungian coach who specialises in diversity and multiculturalism. She is associated with the Da Vinci Institute for Business Leadership, the Jungian Coaching School Africa and acts as the Human Resource Executive: Strategy for the Meridian Group of Companies. She currently handles the international integration of companies in Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Rica was the founder member of Mandala Consulting, a niche organisational development house that worked in 42 different countries. She developed the Benchmark of Engagement, a research approach to understand social dynamics in systems – an approach that is widely acknowledge as a way to build trust and support the cultural optimisation resulting in business results.
With the adaptation of a scholarly-scientific-practitioner organisational developmental approach, Rica continues to contribute to the publishing of case studies, international coaching and consulting on organisational dynamics, culture, social system dynamics and multiculturalism.. She supervised more than 90 PhD and Masters students.
Rica received the Institute of People Management CEO award for her national and international contribution to the field of study (2017) and the South African Board of People Practices CEO award (2021) as an acknowledgment of her contribution towards the profession. Her doctorate on Inclusivity in Organisations as radical transformational strategy, received an global award for one of the 10 best contributions to the field of study by the Academy of Management.
Rica served, with honour, as the 13th and 14th South African Board of People Practices Board. She is also on the Exco and chair one of the subcommittees of the Board. Her key interest resides in supporting organisations to create inclusive cultures through the optimisation of individual leadership behaviour, functional group dynamics and organisational sustainability, contextually applied. Rica worked closely with dr Don Beck (USA) to translate spiral dynamic theory in a pragmatic way and with dr Avi Goren-Bar (Israel) on Jungian coaching. She is widely published, academically and in practice. Amongst other publications she co-authored the book Spiral Dynamics in Action, currently translated in nine languages.
Her life purpose is to tell untold stories and help leaders to find their voice. She is the co-chair of the ISPSO AM 2023; to be hosted in Johannesburg, South Africa.
