About Us

Bernadette Furnell is a qualified attorney (admitted in January 1998). She worked for three years in the legal field, specialising in general litigation. Thereafter she worked for a number of years for The Arbitration Forum (now Equillore) as a Sales and Marketing Manager and later as a Branch Manager.

In 2005, she commenced full time studies in the field of Industrial Psychology, having previously obtained an undergraduate degree in Psychology from UCT. In March 2008 she obtained her MComm (Industrial Psychology) cum laude from Stellenbosch University.

Since then she has gained exposure in the corporate industry and has been involved in various organisational development and human resource related projects within large organisations (e.g. a major South African telecommunications company, a global oil company and an insurer in the legal environment).

Bernadette has also lectured in Law and Industrial Psychology at Varsity College and UNISA respectively. Since April 2007, she has been extensively involved in the assessment of personal injury claims. In September 2008, she joined Deborah Atkins as an Associate. Their association became a leader in the field of Medico-Legal / Forensic assessments. After a successful partnership, Bernadette has since branched off to create Furnell & Associates, a leader in the industry in it’s own right. Bernadette has also gained experience testifying in cases in both The Arbitration Forum and various High Courts throughout South Africa.

Zelda is a registered Industrial Psychologist. She has attained a MComm (Psych), specializing in Industrial Psychology, at the University of Stellenbosch. Her experience spans an area across all occupational levels in large and complex organisations, and various industries including Manufacturing, Education, FMCG and Petrochemicals.

Zelda enjoys an undisputed track record through which her skills, knowledge, attributes and competence are demonstrated. She believes strongly in family values and attains her ability to reach her predetermined goals through her family’s continued support . Ultimately Zelda focuses on building solid relationships through her proven ability to ensure successful outcomes and her non-negotiable goals of excellence.

She serves as a non-executive director on the board of an international Recruitment Advertising and Media Company. She is also a board member of a Non-Profit Organisation, believing in community development and social upliftment. She serves on the Economic Development Portfolio Committee for the Cape Chambers.