Qualifications: BEd, Marketing (Hons), MA International Business
REPSSI Country Advisory Board Member
Other roles: Manager: Marketing Services – GIPF, Trustee Kuleni Umbrella Fund, Programme Advisory Board Marketing (NUST)
Expertise: Branding and marketing
Ms Saara Herta Pendapala Asino is a Certified Business Accountant in Practice and Independent Reviewer registered with the Southern African Institute of Business Accountant, Practice number 2075.Ms Asino holds a Bachelor of Accounting Degree (Honours) from the University of Namibia. She started off her working career in 2010 when she was employed as an Intern Assistant Accountant at the Ministry of Finance assigned to the General Ledger Section and later in 2011 joined Topaz Investment CC working as a Tax Consultant overseeing tax and accounting matters of more than 2000 companies until January 2013 when she decided to join the auditing world and was appointed as an audit clerk by KPMG Namibia . Ms Asino left KPMG and joined Namibia Procurement Fund (Nampro Fund) ‘’ one of the statutory bank in Namibia’’ as an Investment Analyst/ Business Development Officer a position which she held until October 2014 when she decided to step out of the corporate world and run her own Accounting practice known as SHP Accounting Services CC and become full time employed in the business due to growth and demand in business consulting and clientele base which she could no longer assist on a part time basis. Apart from being a managing member for SHP, In 2015 Ms Asino served as a Business Development Manager for Unisun Energy (Pty) Ltd, one of the company which is part of the Renewable Energy Feed in Tariff Program jointly facilitated by Electricity Control Board and Namibia Power Corporation (‘’Nampower’’) having lead several negotiations with various investors and project financing in the Energy sector around the World (Spain, South Africa, Italy and France) to the development of a 5MW Solar Plant a project with an estimated lifespan of 25 years and annual turnover of N$100 million. Ms Asino also wholly own a company called VL Investment Cc a close corporation founded and established in 2014 by Ms Saara Herta Pendapala Asino with interest in Energy, Property Development and Construction. Apart from being involved in her two fully operational companies on a full time basis, in 2016 Ms Asino served as a Board member of Combatants Mining (Pty) Ltd.In October 2018 Ms Asino was appointed as a non-executive director of Breeztek Technologies Limited, a fully registered telecom infrastructure company with Headquarters in Nigeria but have projects across African countries including Tanzania, Uganda, Ghana, Ivory coast and Namibia.In October 2019 Ms Asino was appointed as a Country Advisory Board Member of REPSSI.
Nicolette Bessinger, currently Director at Lifeline/Childline, Namibia with 25 years of experience in development work (Civil Society Organizations) ranging from Program Management, Monitor Program Implementation and Grant Management in partnership with different Development Partners such as USAID, UNICEF, EU, IFRC, REPSSI, SONKE (Gender Justice) including different International Foundations.
Contracted under different organizations responsible for Budget Program Development and Support, Community Based Capacity Building, Training in Psychosocial Support (PSS), Coordination and Network and Governance Support.
Her extensive travels in her professional capacity with different key officers from Government to Civil Society including community members (Namibia,, Africa – South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, Benin, Botswana, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Zambia. Europe – Geneva, Austria, Middle East – Jordan, Amman, Unite States of America – Washington DC, New York, Baltimore-Maryland, Austin-Texas, New Orleans-Louisiana, Cleveland-Ohio, San Francisco-California, Caribbean – Guyana), throughout her career has contributed to her vast experience in the development sector.
She has established good working relationships and collaborative arrangements with different leaders at Government, Community and Non Governmental Organizational level. She is adaptable, tolerant in changing environments and still maintain effectiveness and efficiency.
She fosters teamwork, partnership and respect in positively influencing decisions to be made.
