Our Team

Javier Garcia

Javier is our Sr delivery director with over 18 years’ experience delivering large programmes across many large UK and global businesses working for Big4 consulting companies. His passion is helping organisations deliver business outcomes by removing any separation between technology and the business. In this free time, Javier enjoys scuba diving, photography and travelling

John McGuire

John is our Sr Technology director. He has been delivering technology solutions for over 15 years. His passion is helping organizations with their transition to the cloud and to leverage all its potential. He also enjoys designing cost optimized cloud architecture and is the father of our ‘analytics in a box’ solution. In his free time John enjoys skiing with his family.

Sebastian Nowak

Sebastian is a Senior AWS cloud architect at Taitan , with over 18+ years experience in IT and 12 years in cloud architecture, security and delivery. He has worked with multiple international companies, across multiple sectors including finance, aviation, national security, entertainment and communication. He is an expert in cloud efficiency, migration strategies and technical communications. He also leads one of Taitan’s analytics platform and our DevOps team in Poland. In his spare time he enjoys snowboarding, archery and solving escape room puzzles.

Csaba Horvath

Csaba is a Lead Solution Architect with a proven track record successfully leading and participating in complex, multi-stakeholder projects within financial services and other industries. Acting in a lead and advisory capacity providing leadership, governance and advisory services in extremely high-pressure environments. He is passionate about driving cultural change through technology, enabling organisations to reach their true potentials.

Owen Kaminski

Owen is our analytics and AI lead with over 3 years’ AI and business innovation consulting & 20 years analytics and insight transformation experience delivering agile solutions to small, medium and large in local to global enterprises. He excels in understanding new innovations and how they align to business improving growth and decision making. He has worked for global companies like Kimberly Clark Professional and Lonely Planet and delivered consultation in many others like EDF Energy, Transparency International, Superdrug, Savills UK.

In this free time, Owen enjoys discovering new restaurants and playing board games.

Yusuf Aksum

Yusuf is our Sr DevOps engineer. He has over 19 years’ experience delivering large software projects across various businesses. He has experience in Billing, CRM, Customer Care, Revenue Assurance, Sales and Marketing projects. He has a strong development background and architecting in different cloud environments.

In this free time, Yusuf enjoys travelling and reading.

Ricky Ashwin

I have spent the past eight years in the business-to-business and business-to-consumer markets with great success in being a part of and leading the marketing teams on local and international brands.

Driving the marketing strategy for the global brands included Trek Bicycles and industry-leading multi-media brands Mining Review Africa, ESI Africa and Smart Energy International.

The opportunity to join the Taitan Consulting family and head up their marketing division was an opportunity I couldn’t decline and I am really excited to support the Group as a leader in the international talent solutions market.

I believe it’s important for a balance in life and outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my family and exercising.

Nicky Aberdeen

I couldn’t resist the opportunity to become Taitain Consulting’s Learning & Development Manager; the prospect of designing new training courses for graduates and advanced consultants whilst getting to deliver these on a domestic and international stage was just too much and fitted perfectly with the next step in my career path.

The years preceding CloudStream Global (a company with the TechStream Group) saw me complete my HR degree at the University of Cape Town in 2007, upon which I decided to follow a path that so many South Africans had trodden before me – take a year in London and experience the world. For me what was meant to be a year working holiday somehow extended to 8 years and the start of my career in recruitment.

My first 3 years in London was focused exclusively on recruiting across the financial services market for one of the UK’s largest agencies. This helped me to a build a strong recruitment foundation before I moved into my true passion & vocation – training.

I then spent the following 5 years building my training capability as a learning and development manager for an international recruiter. The pinnacle of which was developing an award-winning training program for trainee’s up to management level recruiters.

In 2015, I felt it was time to return to Cape Town; If I remember correctly I had left with a small suitcase and was now returning with a husband a young daughter and a much bigger suitcase!

Taitan Consulting created an environment that would really allow me to develop more advanced courses and work across our entire office network. What I liked as much as the role was the level of flexibility Taitan Consulting had that would allow me to balance my family and work. I try and spend as much quality time with my husband and daughter as possible whether that be having a braai or strolling down the beach. Here in Cape Town we are perfectly positioned for both.

Abigail Naude

When offered the opportunity to enter into the role of Group Compliance Manager, I accepted with open arms. With a background practicing law and working as In-house Counsel, working in a dynamic and vibrant environment alongside a diverse set of cosmopolitan individuals was a new and inviting challenge.

As Compliance Manger, my responsibility is to ensure not only that we as a business are compliant, but that we remain current and equipped to provide our clients and contractors with creative solutions in an ever-changing global recruitment landscape.

This offers me the opportunity to gain invaluable experience in areas such as tax law, data protection, labour regulations, corporate governance and the drafting and review of commercial contracts.

It is my firm belief that sound corporate governance and compliance are the foundation of any business, and my personal goal is to constantly assess risk and ensure that our policies, processes and procedures are in line with regulations and industry standards. Considering the extent of our global presence, this requires rapid adaptation to regional legislative requirements, whilst also ensuring exceptional customer service and support.

When I am not saving the world one contract at a time, I enjoy mountain biking, the outdoors and anything that ignites a fresh sense of adventure and fun.

Mohammed Abdullah

I am a DevOps professional with a history of working in multiple industries. I have over 16 years Technical Hands-on experience working in Telecommunications, Financial, Insurance to Consultancy. I’m skilled in AWS Cloud & Data Centre Architecture Design & Deployment. Security first Architecture Design across all layers of AWS Cloud. I’m an expert in AWS Automation, guiding organisations in adopting best practices in designing reusable code to deploy scaleable Architecture in the Cloud and have a strong professional services experience and customer engagement.

In my free time I do like to travel to different cities and enjoy the cultures.

Aira Iris

Aira is a Programme Manager with over 10 years experience delivering innovative solutions, underpinning full lifecycles that lead to operational efficiencies, financial benefits and enhanced customer experiences. She has mastered the art in bringing people, processes and technology together for a successful change. In her free time she enjoys travelling and live music.

Nikola Lambert

Nikola is a DevOps Architect with extensive experience in the design and implementation of complex large projects in industries as Gaming, Energy and Financial Services. She also has strong hands-on experience with automation, CI/CD, cloud architecture, security and is a strong proponent of utilizing best practices.

In her free time, she enjoys reading and traveling with her family.