Nick van der Leek CV

Curriculum Vitae

Nick van der Leek                                    Photo of applicant→

084 411 44 91

Writer/Photographer

·         Interesting fact #1: Over 50 narratives published including four #1 Amazon bestsellers

·         Interesting fact #2: Offered a publishing contract from a US-based publisher for Bloodline, a dystopian epic.  Due out in 2017.

·         Interesting fact #3: In May 2017 DOUBT [covering the Madeleine McCann mystery] went to #2 on Amazon UK's true crime charts.  

·         Writing has been published in the following newspapers: Sowetan, City Press, Sunday Times, Sunday Independent, Saturday Argus, Cape Times, Weekend Post, Free State Times and Rapport

·         Magazines featuring my photojournalism: GQ, Travel Ideas, Ironman Magazine, Tour de France magazine, Bicycling [UK], Sawubona, Afropolitan, Finweek, True Love, Bicycling, Shape, Car, Getaway, go!, Country Life, Leisure Wheels, TriathleteSA, AbouTime, Financial Mail, Brainstorm

·         Websites with my content: Shakedowntitle.com, Moneyweb, Gotravel24, Channel24, CountryLife.co.za. Ohmynews International, Reporter.co.za

Current Experience and Capacity

1)      Currently working on a freelance basis, with regular work appearing in Country Life, Car and AboutTime.  Recent commissions include work for Blue Train magazine and GQ.

2)      Clients in 2011/2012 include Harmony Gold Mine, the Free State Provincial Government (Premiere’s office), Mercedes Benz, SKA (Square Kilometre Array), The Blue Train, Specialized etc.

3)      Interviews with Morgan Freeman, Gavin Hood (director of Wolverine), Professor Tim Noakes, and numerous world class sportsmen and women, leaders in business etc.

4)      My blog, www.nickvanderleek.com has been rated one of the top 20 News & Politics blogs in South Africa (although not necessarily a News or Politics blog).  Currently the site averages over 600 page impressions a day, and totaling more than 910 000 page impressions.

5)      I personally have over 13 700 followers on Twitter (@shoot_hirezlife, and almost 1500 on Facebook.

6)      Press Tour May 2017 – Visit to Mauritius at the behest of Mauritius Tourism.

 Experience

A) Full time author with over 50 narratives published on Amazon between 2014 and 2017.  
B) 2 years working for AVUSA media as a communications specialist across multiple platforms (Sowetan, Sunday World, Times).  Editing, content management and statistical analysis were implicit in the role, along with a certain amount of content creation (writing, photography, slideshows, photo editing). – June 2007 – September 2009

C)    June 2007: Photo Exhibition in Bloemfontein

D)    Worked for 6 months at Brebner High School teaching Economics and Business Management to grade 10 and 11’s, then worked a further 6 months as Data Team Lead for a pharmaceutical firm (Quintiles, Bloemfontein branch)  May 2006 – May 2007

E)    4 Years teaching ESL (English as a Second Language) at Kang’s Language School in Ilsan South Korea (January 2002 – November 2005)

Qualifications

·         B.Economics degree but also a B.Sc (3 years) and Law (1 Year)

·         English (up to 3^rd year level)

·         Integrated Marketing Communication Diploma (Postgraduate) from AAA School of Advertising (Cape Town), specializing in Brand Management.

·         Excellent English acumen (contact Dr. Susan Brokensha at the Free State University for a reference: 0829241282, or Dr Ruth Ulyatt 0834514270)

Personal Philosophy

Anything is possible.

Restrospective:

1)      2000/2001 Earned Degree in Economics, postgraduate diploma in Integrated Marketing Communications at AAA Advertising School and completed an Internship at The Jupiter Drawing Room Cape Town.

2)      1991-2000 Studies at the UFS including B-Iuris and a B.Sc in Quantity Surveying.  Also traveled for 2 years to the United Kingdom where I worked for asset management companies like Hargreaves Lansdowne, and in insurance (AXXA Sunlife).

3)      1990 South African Air Force: Mobile Communications Unit – taught radio and digital communications, licensed to drive several military vehicles and also put on a typing course.

4)      Matriculated at Grey College Secondary School with Full University Exemption.

5)      Free State Provincial Colors in swimming, biathlon, triathlon and soccer.

References:

1)      Dr. Susan Brokensha, Department of English, tel: 082 924 1282

2)      Ms. Jenny Lake, Editor at the UFS, tel: 083 265 2654 or email: jennylake@fastmail.fm

      3)    Ms. Louise McAuliffe at AVUSA; supervisor 083 444 2500