South Africa, November 2025 — Zelna Symms has taken on the role of Chief Operating Officer at Herbst Group, marking a significant advancement in her leadership journey across analytics, business excellence, and operational transformation. In this role, Symms will support the firm’s mission of delivering high-impact consulting solutions across human resources, commercial excellence, and organizational performance.
Symms’ promotion to Chief Operating Officer follows more than two years at Herbst Group, where she most recently served as Chief Data and Analytics Officer. In this capacity, she shaped the organization’s data strategy, strengthened analytical capabilities, and advanced decision-making frameworks that enhanced client outcomes across dynamic environments.
Before joining Herbst Group, Symms spent over 15 years at Sanofi, where she held multiple leadership roles. As Performance Manager, she drove performance insights and operational improvements across the organization. Prior to this, she excelled as Competitive Intelligence Analysis Expert, leading advanced analytical modelling, and earlier as Business Excellence Analyst, where she contributed nearly nine years to data warehousing, secondary pharmaceutical market insights, reporting systems, incentive calculations, and QlikView development. This tenure established her as a core contributor to Sanofi’s commercial intelligence and operations foundation in South Africa.
Earlier in her journey, Symms gained hands-on experience at MedData as Database Administrator and Key Account Manager, where she worked on database maintenance, QlikView model creation, and pharmaceutical client management—building a strong technical and customer-centric base in the healthcare ecosystem.
At the beginning of her career, Symms served as Senior BI Consultant at BIPS for more than four years, supporting organizations through SQL Server-based data warehousing, DataStage integration, and Cognos reporting. These early experiences grounded her in core analytics, reporting tools, and enterprise data architecture.
Across her career, Symms has developed deep capability in data strategy, business intelligence, commercial analysis, operational transformation, and team leadership—skills that strongly position her to deliver high-impact outcomes as Chief Operating Officer at Herbst Group.
About Herbst Group
Herbst Group is a boutique consultancy and integrated services firm known for designing simple yet powerful solutions for complex and dynamic business environments. Specializing in human resources and commercial excellence, the organization partners with clients through both strategic advisory and hands-on operational execution. Through global partnerships, local expertise, and a passion for empowering enterprises, Herbst Group delivers high-impact consulting that connects talent, opportunity, technology, and potential.
Read Also : When HR “Produces Nothing”: A Response to Jennifer Sey’s Anti-HR Vision
The Fine Balance: Navigating Work, Life, and Mental Wellbeing
Mind the Leadership Gap – From Learning to Real-World Impact
How the Adecco Group is empowering its employees for the future of work
