NWU | Leadership Summit 2019 | Speakers |

2019

Prof Dan Kgwadi

Professor Dan Kgwadi was born on 28 July 1967 at Kraaipan Village in the North West Province, South Africa. He is the current Vice Chancellor of the North-West University (NWU) and was appointed to this position as from April 2014. Prior to his appointment as the Vice Chancellor, Professor Kgwadi served as the first Rector of the North-West University, Mahikeng Campus. He started his term as Campus Rector on 1 January 2005. His leadership has been most profound as he continued to guide the Campus through the challenges of transformation and a changing environment read more...
 

Adv Mtho Xulu

Mtho Xulu goes by many titles: advocate, entrepreneur and business leader. As the President of the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SACCI), Advocate Xulu is passionate about innovation and excellence in service whilst also being fiercely committed towards the creation of sustainable wealth. He holds a Bachelor of Law (LLB) degree from UNISA and prides himself on attaining this qualification by means of a distance learning programme read more...
 

Stafford Masie

Stafford Masie is a computer scientist who thrives in the world of disruption. He has been involved in the IT industry for more than 25 years. He has been closely involved in such pre-eminent ICT companies as Telkom, Dimension Data, Novell and Google. His passion for technology led to him being appointed to senior executive positions at Novell USA (based in Utah for 7 years) and thereafter at Novell South Africa read more...
 

Bongiwe Beja

Bongiwe Beja is the Youth Stream Lead at YES and works directly with the CEO Dr Tashmia Ismail-Saville to oversee that the youth that are placed in the YES Programme have a quality work experience read more...
 

Michelle Groenewald

Michelle started her academic career studying actuarial sciences, but soon found a love for development economics. She acknowledges that her field of interest is not without challenges, but feels that this, together with her deep desire to know more, keeps her pushing herself to find new and better ways of doing her job read more...
 

Kgalema Motlanthe 

Mr Kgalema Motlanthe is the Former President of the Republic of South Africa. Born to a working class family on 19 July 1949 in Alexandra Township, Johannesburg, South Africa, he fought against the injustice of the Nationalist Party system of apartheid-based racial discrimination of the African population read more...
 

2018

Prof Dan Kgwadi

Professor Dan Kgwadi was born on 28 July 1967 at Kraaipan Village in the North West Province, South Africa. He is the current Vice Chancellor of the North-West University (NWU) and was appointed to this position as from April 2014. Prior to his appointment as the Vice Chancellor, Professor Kgwadi served as the first Rector of the North-West University, Mahikeng Campus. He started his term as Campus Rector on 1 January 2005. His leadership has been most profound as he continued to guide the Campus through the challenges of transformation and a changing environment read more...
 

Prof Rolf Stumpf

Rolf Stumpf started his academic studies and career at the University of Pretoria and holds a Ph.D. in Statistics (Analysis of Qualitative Data) from UNISA.  After occupying various positions in academia, the research environment, and in the higher education policy environment where he served as Deputy Director General of the Department of National Education, he was appointed as President of the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) in 1993 and in 1998 as Vice-Rector (Operations) at Stellenbosch University and in 2000 as Vice-Rector (Teaching).  In 2002 he was appointed as Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the University of Port Elizabeth and in 2005 as Vice Chancellor and Rector of the Nelson Mandela University in Port Elizabeth that arose from the merger of the University of Port Elizabeth, the Port Elizabeth Technikon, and the Port Elizabeth Campus of Vista University read more...
 

Brand Pretorius

Brand Pretorius attained his M.Com degree in Business Economics at the University of the Free State in 1972, and started his career at Toyota South Africa in March 1973. Following a number of management positions in research, planning, sales and marketing, he was appointed managing director of Toyota SA Marketing in 1988. Under his leadership Toyota became the leader in both market share and customer satisfaction. In March 1995 he joined McCarthy Motor Holdings as chairman and CEO and was promoted to chief executive officer of the holding company, McCarthy Retail Limited, in October 1999 read more...
 

Dudu Mkhwanazi

Dudu Mkhwanazi is the Chief Executive Officer of Project Isizwe, the South African non-profit organization that advocates for free internet access within walking distance of every citizen in low-income communities. Dudu completed her undergraduate degree in Development and Management at the North-West University (Vanderbijlpark Campus), while working full time as a Research Support Assistant. She also pursued her Honours Degree in Political Science at North-West University read more...
 

Adèle Croucamp

Adèle is a HPCSA (Health Professions Council of South Africa) registered Organisational Psychologist with 10 years’ experience in Process Facilitation, Change Management and Talent Management. She is also a qualified teacher and holds Honours degrees in Organisational Psychology and Educational Management from the North-West University in South Africa. She completed her Masters degree in Social Sciences at the University of Cape Town. Her research dissertation was in the field of Talent Management and focused on developing a competency framework for HODs of Higher Education Institutions in South Africa read more...
 

Dorette Visser

Dorette a registered accountant and with the South African Institute of Professional Accountants (SAIPA) and a registered Tax Practitioner.  She holds a B Interior Design Degree (University of Pretoria, 1999), B Compt Degree (UNISA, 2009) and M Phil in Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management (University of Pretoria, 2012) and is currently completing a Higher Diploma in Taxation at UNISA read more...
 

Cllr Bongani Baloyi 

In 2013, Bongani Baloyi made history when he became Executive Mayor of Midvaal Local Municipality, marking him as the youngest mayor in South Africa.  His political interest began as a child, and in 2011, whilst still in his early twenties, Bongani was already elected Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) in charge of the Development, Planning and Housing Portfolio read more...  

 

2017

Dr Adrian Saville

Adrian Saville’s qualifications include a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) (cum laude) degree and M.Com (cum laude) from the University of Natal. He completed his PhD (Economics) at the University of Natal in 1997, for which he was awarded the Economics Society of South Africa’s Founders Medal. He is a UNESCO laureate and a matriculant of Linacre College (Oxford). He has completed programmes in value investing and competitive strategy at New York’s Columbia University and Harvard Business School in Boston read more...

 

Bonang Francis Mohale

Bonang is the former VICE PRESIDENT UPSTREAM & CHAIRMAN of Shell South Africa (Pty) Limited, where he is Chairman of the boards of Shell South Africa Holdings (Pty) Ltd; Shell Downstream South Africa (Pty) Ltd; Shell South Africa Refinery (Pty) Ltd and South African Petroleum Refinery (SAPREF). He has country responsibilities for the Oil, Chemical, Aviation, Marine and Lubricants global businesses and is operationally accountable for the Retail; Fuels & Bitumen; Supply & Distribution classes of businesses as well as Finance; Legal; HR; Safety (HSSE) and Transformation classes of functions read more...

 

Prof Raymond Parsons

Professor Raymond Parsons is a professor at the North West University School of Business and Governance (SBG).  He is also chairman of the NWU-SBG Advisory Board.  Until 2012 he was the Deputy CEO of BUSA and subsequently a Special Policy Advisor to that organization until April 2014.  He has also lectured at the Department of Economic and Management Sciences at the University of Pretoria.  Professor Parsons was the Overall Business Convenor at the National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC) until 2010, which is the major social dialogue institution in South Africa read more...

 

Prof Dan Kgwadi

Professor Dan Kgwadi was born on 28 July 1967 at Kraaipan Village in the North West Province, South Africa. He is the current Vice Chancellor of the North-West University (NWU) and was appointed to this position as from April 2014. Prior to his appointment as the Vice Chancellor, Professor Kgwadi served as the first Rector of the North-West University, Mahikeng Campus. He started his term as Campus Rector on 1 January 2005. His leadership has been most profound as he continued to guide the Campus through the challenges of transformation and a changing environment read more...

 

Yusuf Abramjee

Yusuf Abramjee joined Talk Radio 702 as a freelance reporter ahead of the first democratic election in 1994. He was based in Pretoria and was appointed full-time in 1995 and, only a year later as 702 and 567’s Crime Editor. The highlight of Yusuf’s career was when he cornered fugitive cash heist kingpin, Colin Chauke, hours after he was arrested and Yusuf managed to get the famous words: “I feel good” out of Chauke as he left the court building. It made national headlines and the story won him a number of awards read more... 

 

Songezo Zibi

Songezo Zibi is head of communications for Barclays Africa Group, better known in South Africa as Absa. He is responsible for internal and external communication read more...

 

Cllr Bongani Baloyi 

In 2013, Bongani Baloyi made history when he became Executive Mayor of Midvaal Local Municipality, marking him as the youngest mayor in South Africa.  His political interest began as a child, and in 2011, whilst still in his early twenties, Bongani was already elected Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) in charge of the Development, Planning and Housing Portfolio read more...  

 

Justice Bess Nkabinde

Bess Nkabinde-Mmono was born in Silwerkrans/Tlokweng (North West Province) in 1959. Nkabinde-Mmono matriculated at Mariasdal High School (Tweespruit - OFS) in 1979. She obtained a BProc degree at the University of Zululand in 1983, and an LLB from the University of the North West in 1986. She also attended the Damelin College, which awarded her a Diploma in Industrial Relations with Distinction read more..

 

 

2016

Brand Pretorius

Brand Pretorius attained his M.Com degree in Business Economics at the University of the Free State in 1972, and started his career at Toyota South Africa in March 1973. Following a number of management positions in research, planning, sales and marketing, he was appointed managing director of Toyota SA Marketing in 1988. Under his leadership Toyota became the leader in both market share and customer satisfaction. In March 1995 he joined McCarthy Motor Holdings as chairman and CEO and was promoted to chief executive officer of the holding company, McCarthy Retail Limited, in October 1999 read more... 

 

Alan Knott-Craig jnr.

Alan Knott-Craig is a highly successful businessman, best selling author and social entrepreneur, currently the Executive Chairman of HeroTel, a wireless broadband provider operating throughout South Africa read more... 

 

Francois van Niekerk

Francois van Niekerk is recognised for his imaginative focus on using commercial success to redress societal imbalance in a Christian context read more...

 

Prof Tawana Kupe

Responsible for all matters related to students and staff at the University, Professor Tawana Kupe manages human resources, transformation and student affairs at Wits. He is responsible for the University's financial affairs and that of all of Wits' subsidiaries. He assumed this senior executive position in January 2013 read more...

2015

Advocate Thuli Madonsela, Public Protector of SA

Adv Thulisile (Thuli) Nomkhosi Madonsela was appointed as Public Protector SA by the President on the recommendation of Parliament with effect from 15 October 2010. At the time of her appointment, Adv Madonsela was the only full-time Commissioner in the South African Law Reform Commission. Before then she held various leadership positions in civil society and the public sector. These include membership of the inaugural Commission for Commission for Employment Equity and the Steering Committee of the legal Services Charter and various executive management positions in the Department of Justice and constitutional Development. 

 

Themba George Nkosi, General Manager: Human Resources, Corporate Communications and Transformation, ArcelorMittal South Africa 

Themba Nkosi holds the position of General Manager, Human Resources, Corporate Communications and Transformation at ArcelorMittal South Africa. He manages functions including, HR, Corporate Communications, Branding, Corporate Social Investment and the ArcelorMittal Foundation, Internal & External Relations and Government Relations. 

 

Mr Abe Thebyane, Group Executive: Human Resources, Nedbank Group Limited

Abe Thebyane has acquired almost thirty years of extensive Human Resources and overall business experience in various senior and executive positions, in several large corporations and across a range of industries. Some of his most notable leadership positions include Executive Head: HR, at Angola Platinum Limited and Executive Director: HR at ISCOR LTD. 

 

Ms Charmaine Lemao, HR Director, Nissan SA

Charmaine Lemao is HR director for Nissan South Africa, in charge of the company's HR department and its sub-divisions, including training and development, recruitment, talent management and talent retention. Lemao joined Nissan SA in 2013 following stints in the mining and paper industries. 


Ms Suzanne Ackerman-Berman, Director: Transformation, Pick n Pay

Ms Suzanne Ackerman-Berman is a Director for Transformation at Pick 'n Pay Retailers Pty Ltd. and Chairman at the Ackerman Pick n Pay Foundation. She is on the Board of Directors at Pick 'n Pay Stores Ltd. and the Smile Foundation (South Africa). She heads the Pick n Pay Small Business Incubator. 


Mr Stavros Nicolaou, Senior Executive: Strategic Trade Development, Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Limited

Nicolaou is Aspen's Group Senior Executive responsible for Strategic Trade. Previously he was Chief Executive Officer of Aspen's Export Division. Aspen is Africa's largest and the world's 9th largest generic Pharmaceutical Company by revenue ranking. He has been instrumental in introducing the first generic ARV's on the African Continent developed by Aspen, which has gone on to save hundreds of thousands of lives in South Africa and on the African Continent. 

 

Mr Geoffrey Qhena, CEO: Industrial Development Corporation

Geoffrey Qhena started his career as an administration clerk in the then Soweto Council, and later joined KPMG as an articled clerk. At the same time he studied for a BCompt from the University of South Africa, which he obtained, and subsequently he completed a BCompt (Hons). 

 

 

 

Updated by Magdel van Rensburg - 25/06/2019