| Chairperson

Having accumulated a vast amount of experience in the financial services, mining, government, non-profit, and professional services industries over the past 25 years, Lerato Molebatsi has amassed a great deal of experience. While in government (Department of Labour and Transport), she gained an excellent understanding of the complexities surrounding policy development and transformational change initiatives.

Lerato was additionally involved in many critical initiatives where she was required to drive policy changes and contribute to the upliftment of long-term strategic changes within these critical departments. She has also been involved in lobbying and advocacy across the continent, working with stakeholders on highly complex projects that require her specialist involvement. This gave her a unique vantage point to understanding regional politics on the continent, further affording her a wealth of contacts and strategic relationships.

Having stakeholder relations experience, both locally and internationally, provided Lerato with an opportunity to work with decision-makers of all levels within major global institutions, such as General Electric, while serving as the CEO of GE South Africa. She attained extensive experience across a myriad of functional areas such as formulation, communications, marketing, corporate social investments, stakeholder relations, black economic empowerment (BEE), administration, governance, policy development, and upliftment of the broader African continent. Lerato has the natural ability to bring together and develop highly motivated teams and is operationally astute.

Dr. Phasoane Mokgobu is a highly accomplished Human Capital Executive with a track record of driving people, values & culture with years of experience in senior management roles. He has an extensive background in higher education and the global high-tech industry, with further exposure to the financial and business sectors. His expertise encompasses a diverse range of strategic leadership functions, including being a Non-Executive Director with a deep strategic appreciation of corporate governance and a wealth of experience in board-level decision-making across multiple sectors.

Dr. Mokgobu is the founder and Managing Director of MOKGOBU Consulting, where he offers business and management solutions, particularly in human capital, aimed at enhancing productivity through strategic interventions. He previously served as Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-Principal of Institutional Development and Transformation at the University of South Africa (Unisa), overseeing key portfolios such as Human Resources, Organisational Transformation, Marketing, Communication, and Liaison, Alumni and Fundraising, Institutional Relations, Internationalization, and Partnerships.

In addition to his robust experience in human resources, Dr. Mokgobu has held leadership roles across various sectors, including his tenure as Co-founder and CEO of Sinda Medical Pty Ltd., and General Manager of Human Resources at the Commission for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) and the Executive Director of Human Resources and Transformation at the University of Technology (TUT), Senior Manager Huma Resources and Employee Relations including being a Policy and Strategy Analyst in the Defence-related industry. His leadership has been pivotal in implementing transformation strategies and driving organisational success in highly dynamic environments.

Dr. Mokgobu is internationally accredited as a mentor and business coach and holds a PhD and Masters degrees from the University of Pretoria. B. Admin (Hons) from the University of the North, now Limpopo. He also holds an MBA from Regent Business School, Diploma in Labour Law, HR Management, ENSP, among other qualifications.

His contributions extend beyond academia and business into board memberships, where he serves on multiple boards.

Dr. Mokgobu’s career is distinguished by his ability to lead strategic transformation and manage complex human capital processes, with a focus on aligning HR strategies with business objectives to foster growth and sustainability. His diverse experience, coupled with a passion for human resource development and institutional transformation, positions him as a highly valuable leader in the industry.

Thapelo Kharametsane is a graduate of the University of Pretoria and a practicing attorney and Director of Thapelo Kharametsane Attorneys Inc. He specialises in employment and labour law and is a member of the South African Society for Labour Law (SASLAW). He has over the years represented both employers and employees (in the public and private sector) in various dispute resolution forums such as Bargaining Councils, the CCMA, Labour Court, Labour Appeal Court and the Constitutional Court. His experience further includes wage negotiations between employers and employees, conducting misconduct investigations, representation and presiding over disciplinary hearings, drafting and reviewing of employment contracts and policies, assisting employers to conduct fair retrenchment processes and assisting with the establishment of trade unions. Some of the notable matters which Thapelo Kharametsane has handled include the following:

• Steven Motale v The Citizen.
• Naasei Appiah v Cricket South Africa.
• Stokwe v Member of the Executive Council: Department of Education, Eastern Cape and Others.
• SD Manamela v The National Commissioner, SAPS and others.

Khali is an associate with the Ethics Institute and a research associate and university lecturer of moral philosophy with the Department of Philosophy at the University of Pretoria. He also serves as an adjunct lecturer of ethics, governance, and sustainability at the Graduate School of Business Leadership, University of South Africa, and was a former assistant lecturer of applied ethics at St. Augustine College of South Africa, as well as a lecturer in political and administrative studies at the National University of Lesotho.

He is a certified Ethics Officer with the Ethics Institute and a Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) professional with the International Compliance Association (ICA), UK. He has over 15 years of national and international professional work experience, in managing organisational ethics in the private, public, and tertiary sectors.

Khali holds a PhD in Applied Ethics from Charles Sturt University in Australia and is a passionate student of applied ethics. He has a total of six degrees from Charles Sturt University, the University of Manchester, Stellenbosch University, the University of Cape Town, the University of Namibia, the University of the West Indies, and the National University of Lesotho. He is a dedicated researcher and scholar with a particular interest in the Mohlomi and Moshoeshoe legacy—focusing on leadership, ethics, and philosophy.

He serves on the ethics committees of several boards of private and public organisations in South Africa and is a regular guest speaker on Mohlomi ethics for the IoD Lesotho.

His motto: “Cur non ego” – why not I.

| Chairperson

Nico Esterhuizen is an experienced and strategic executive with a proven track record in the public sector of South Africa, the global financial sector, and international non-governmental organizations (INGOs). With over two decades of leadership experience across the public, financial, and international NGO sectors, his expertise spans multiple disciplines, including finance, risk management, compliance, and governance. His work has taken him across Africa and the globe, enabling him to gain a unique perspective on both local and international challenges.

Nico is deeply committed to making a meaningful impact, particularly in Africa, by leveraging his skills and experience. His passion for using new technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), to bring about quicker, cost-effective, and impactful change is a testament to his forward-thinking approach. He firmly believes that his leadership style is a catalyst for the growth and sustainability of any organization he joins.

Nico’s professional career includes being the Global Director of Financial Compliance at ICAP at Columbia University, where he oversees the financial compliance program across 30 country offices, working with global donors such as the Global Fund, USAID, and CDC. ICAP’s annual income is over US$200 million per annum. He also served as the Global Audit Director at World Vision International, leading audit engagements across multiple regions and developing the internal audit methodology for the World Vision Partnership. He was also instrumental in modernizing financial systems as the Global CFO at ForAfrika, overseeing a consolidated budget of US$70 million (2023) across multiple African countries.

Nico’s experience is not limited to the international NGO sector; he has also significantly contributed to the financial sector. As the General Manager of Insurance Risks at the South African Insurance Association (SAIA), he represented the non-life insurance industry on critical matters such as climate change, insurance crime, and regulatory compliance. He also led the Solvency Assessment and Management (SAM) project on behalf of the non-life insurance industry. Nico was also a Board Member of the Insurance Crime Bureau, the Fire Protection Association of Southern Africa and Business Against Crime South Africa.

Currently, Nico is the Chairperson of the Audit Committee of the FSCA and the Pension Fund Adjudicator, and the Chairperson of the Audit and Risk Committee of the FAIS Ombud. Nico is also a member of the Audit Committee of Business Leadership South Africa.

Nico’s academic background further supports his professional achievements. He holds a Master of Science in Professional Accountancy from the University of London and a Master of Philosophy in Leadership in Emerging Economies from the University of Johannesburg. He is also a Chartered Public Finance Accountant (CPFA), a Chartered Accountant (ACA), a Fellow Chartered Certified Accountant (FCCA), and a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA). These qualifications, combined with his practical experience, make him a well-rounded leader capable of driving financial performance and excellence, as well as organizational impact.

Luyanda Ntuane is a member of the Audit and Risk Committee of the FAIS Ombud. He brings knowledge and expertise gained in his Non-Executive Directorship roles within the SOE environment, serving on the Risk Committees of the FSCA and OPFA respectively, and having rendered Board IT Advisory services in the Financial Services sector. He is an Information Technology professional with close to three decades of IT experience. His educational qualifications include a Bachelor of Commerce (Economics and Business Information Systems), Postgraduate Diploma in Management (Distributed Commercial Information Systems), Certificate in Professional CIO Practice, and an Advanced Diploma in Project Management. He is also Certified in the Governance of Enterprise IT® (CGEIT®), Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control® (CRISC®), and a Certified Information Security Manager® (CISM®), among others. He is currently in his second term serving as a member of the of the FAIS Ombud Audit and Risk Committee.