Freelance IT Project Manager with 8+ years delivering complex digital and technology initiatives across Health Insurance, FinTech, and Digital Banking — now available for contracts across South Africa and internationally.
I'm Marie Letta Akassou, a CAPM®-certified IT Project Manager based in Johannesburg, South Africa. With over 8 years of experience at Discovery Ltd — one of South Africa's largest financial services companies — I've built a reputation for delivering complex, high-stakes projects on time and within scope.
I specialise in short-term and contract engagements (1–3 months), bringing immediate structure, clear governance, and hands-on delivery to teams that need to move fast without losing control.
I bring a modern, AI-augmented approach to project management — having completed PMI's Generative AI and Prompt Engineering courses for Project Managers — helping teams work smarter and report faster.
I've worked across South Africa and internationally, with cross-cultural experience gained during time spent in France (2022–2025). I'm fluent in English and have basic French communication skills.
Structured, certified, and immediately deployable — here's how I can add value to your team.
Full lifecycle delivery from initiation and planning through execution, monitoring, and handover. I set up governance from day one so nothing falls through the cracks.
Sprint planning, backlog grooming, daily standups, and retrospectives. I work in JIRA and Confluence to keep your team aligned and your velocity consistent.
RAID log management, stakeholder communication plans, KPI dashboards, and executive reporting. I give leadership the visibility they need to make confident decisions.
I apply Generative AI tools to project planning, documentation, and reporting — reducing admin time and improving output quality across the delivery lifecycle.
System implementations, process optimisation, workflow automation, and change management. I translate technical roadmaps into business outcomes your stakeholders understand.
Experienced managing distributed, cross-functional teams across time zones. I bring structure and accountability to remote delivery environments from day one.
From large corporate portfolios to independent consulting — a track record built on results.
Independent consultant available for contract and freelance IT Project Management engagements. Achieved CAPM® certification (PMI, 2026), completed PMI AI courses in Generative AI and Prompt Engineering, and developed international perspective through extended time in France. Currently pursuing PMI-ACP®.
Managed a $3M digital project portfolio across Health Insurance, Medical Scheme Administration, and Digital Banking — achieving 95% on-time delivery and 20% risk reduction. Led Agile/Scrum cross-functional teams, maintained 100% regulatory compliance over 60 months, and delivered executive-level governance reporting via Power BI.
Led a company-wide financial system remediation, correcting 38,000+ billing discrepancies and recovering multi-million-rand value. Drove an Agile transformation that improved delivery efficiency by 25%. Awarded the Star Award (2015) — Best Performer of the Year.
Flexible engagement models for short-term contracts and freelance projects.
International engagements quoted in USD or EUR equivalent. All rates negotiable based on project scope and duration. A Statement of Work (SOW) is issued prior to commencement.
Available for short-term contracts and freelance engagements. Reach out and let's discuss your project.
I typically respond within 24 hours. For urgent project needs, please call or WhatsApp directly.