Cheryl is the Executive Director of the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR). Prior to this she was Executive Head of the Africa Institute of South Africa in the Human Sciences Research Council and was a Professor in the Department of Politics and International Studies at the University of Johannesburg. She also worked at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS). She holds a PhD in Government and International Relations from the University of South Carolina and a master's degree in Southern African studies from the University of York, England. Her expertise is in the areas of conflict analysis, conflict management, peacebuilding, women peace and security, international relations, transitional justice and African regional security architectures. Cheryl works with a range of government and intergovernmental organisations, universities, research institutes, think tanks, civil society and women's organisations providing research, technical support, evaluations, supervision, strategic advice and policy engagements. Cheryl is a Fellow of Salzburg Global.