| 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 strategy 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 senior executive and board member with significant experience spanning higher education, global high-tech industries, and financial and business sectors. He has a strong record of success in executive management and board governance, driving strategic transformation, strengthening governance frameworks, and advancing organisational sustainability.

As Founder and Managing Director of MOKGOBU Consulting, Dr Mokgobu delivers specialised advisory services in human capital, organisational transformation, and productivity enhancement. His leadership style integrates talent development with corporate strategy, ensuring measurable outcomes and sustainable value.

Previously, Dr Mokgobu served as Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-Principal for Institutional Development and Transformation, and Executive Director of Human Resources and Transformation within the higher education sector. His responsibilities encompassed Human Resources, Organisational Transformation, Marketing and Communications, Alumni and Fundraising, Internationalisation, and Institutional Partnerships. In addition, he has held distinguished executive roles outside academia, including Co-founder and CEO of a medical supplies company and Policy and Strategy Analyst in the defence industry, where he oversaw major change initiatives and improved organisational competitiveness under challenging conditions.

Dr Mokgobu’s governance acumen is demonstrated through his service as a Non-Executive Director on several boards, providing strategic oversight, risk management, and promoting ethical leadership consistent with international best practices. He is also an author and an internationally accredited mentor and business coach. His academic qualifications include a PhD and Master’s degrees from the University of Pretoria, an MBA from Regent Business School, a B.Admin (Hons) from the University of Limpopo, a Diploma in Labour Law, along with programmes in Human Resource Management and participation in the Executive National Security Programme.

Throughout his career, Dr Mokgobu has displayed unwavering dedication to leadership excellence, institutional transformation, and human capital development. His expertise in harmonising people strategies with organisational goals positions him as a trusted advisor, effective board leader, and driver of meaningful change in both the public and private sectors.

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.

| M.Inst.D, COBIT, PMP®

Dr. Portia Desia Maluleke is an experienced Non-Executive Director and Technology Leader. Her IT experience spans over 31 years in IT, 16 of which were at the Executive Level in the financial, aviation and ICT sectors. Her executive leadership roles in IT involved digital transformation, IT Risk and Governance, IT operations and service management, in addition to, information security capability automation and optimisation.

She serves as a Non-Executive Director on the board of Ikusasa Student Financial Aid Programme and also chairs their IT Governance Committee. Secondly, she is also a member of the Audit Committee for the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA). Lastly, she chairs both the Audit and Risk Committee and IT Steering Committee at the Companies Tribunal.

Dr. Maluleke holds a National Diploma (IT) from the Tshwane University of technology, BCom Degree (Informatics) from UNISA, Master’s Degree (IT) and a PhD(IT) from the  University of Pretoria. She also holds international certifications in Project Management and IT Governance respectively. She is a Member of the Institute of Directors South Africa and the Project Management Institute.

Lebogang Senne is a purpose-driven leader and independent consultant specialising in financial and sustainability reporting, regulation, and governance. With nearly two decades of experience in standard-setting, regulatory implementation, stakeholder engagement, and oversight, she has worked for the IFRS Foundation and the Pan African Federation of Accountants, and worked with regulators, multilateral organisations, and professional bodies to advance the adoption and implementation of international reporting, assurance, and ethics standards across Africa. Drawing on her technical expertise and strategic insight, she advises regulators, supports multilateral initiatives, and contributes to public sector governance through service on boards and audit committees. As a global speaker and consultant, Lebogang champions African perspectives in building systems that balance global standards with local realities.

A Chartered Accountant (South Africa), she is a member of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) and holds a Master of Business Administration from the Gordon Institute of Business Science, University of Pretoria.

Luyanda Ntuane is a seasoned Non-Executive Director, C-Suite Executive, and Information Technology professional. His professional career has been built over three decades, mainly in the IT discipline, across a myriad of sectors that include Financial Services (Insurance, Banking, and Asset Management), Technology, State Owned Enterprises, and Tourism. A consummate strategist, over the years, he has honed his skills in the areas of Cybersecurity and Risk Management, Digital Transformation, and organisational leadership. Some of his professional responsibilities have included serving as Group Chief Information Officer of Ithala Development Finance Institution, Chief Technology Officer of the Public Investment Corporation, Group Chief Information Security Officer of Motus Holdings, and Chief Information Officer of Motus Car Rental Division.

Luyanda serves as a Non-Executive Director on the board of Small Enterprise Development and Finance Agency (SEDFA), wherein he serves as the Chairperson of the Risk and ICT Committee, a member of the Nominations Committee, and a member of the Khula Credit Guarantee (KCG) subsidiary. He also serves on the Human Resources, Social, and Ethics Committee of the Office of the Pension Funds Adjudicator (OPFA) and is part of the CIO Advisory Panel for the International Data Corporation (IDC). He has previously served on the Risk Committees of the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) and OPFA, respectively, and has served as an IT Advisor to the board of Ubank (Pty) Ltd before its acquisition by African Bank. Appointed by the Hon Minister of Finance, he served as Chairperson of the Cooperative Banks Development Agency (CBDA), wherein he turned around performance and produced clean audit results in 2023-24 and 2024-25, respectively.

Luyanda’s academic qualifications include a Bachelor of Commerce (Economics and Business Information Systems) – UKZN, Postgraduate Diploma in Management (Distributed Commercial Information Systems) – UCT, Certificate in Professional CIO Practice – WITS, and an Advanced Diploma in Project Management – Cranefield. Through ISACA, he is Certified in the Governance of Enterprise IT^® (CGEIT^®), Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control^® (CRISC^®), and a Certified Information Security Manager^® (CISM^®). He has completed a course in Artificial Intelligence through the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT Sloan), and a course in Cybersecurity Risk Management through Harvard VPAL, respectively. As a member of the Institute of Directors South Africa (IoDSA), Luyanda’s diverse industry experience and qualifications have resulted in a well-rounded governance professional who adds immense value to all organisations he serves. He is currently in his third term as a member of the Audit and Risk Committee of the FAIS Ombud

Tania Ajam is an Associate Professor in Public Policy, Finance and Economics at Stellenbosch University’s School of Public Leadership. She holds a Master’s in Business Science from the UCT, an M.A. (Econ) from Cambridge University and a PhD (Public Management) from the University of Pretoria.

She has held several non-executive directorships in both private and public sectors, including the Reserve Bank of South Africa. She served as a Commissioner on the Financial and Fiscal Commission for a decade, until 2014, and has been a Senior Advisor at the Government Technical Advisory Centre (GTAC) in the National Treasury, as well as a member of the Davis Tax Review Committee. She was a member of the President’s Economic Advisory Council between 2019 and 2024.