In what some would see as a sudden move, Eskom announced on Monday the 18th of November, it has employed finally, a new CEO. Andre de Ruyter, has officially been announced as new Eskom CEO. But who is he, I am sure you would like to know a little bit more about Eskom’s new CEO, who will be charged with the “unbundling” of Eskom into three separate entities. So, who is this new CEO? We take a brief look back at the 50 year old’s accomplishes.
Currently employed as the CEO at NAMPAK, the largest packaging company Africa. He has been employed in this role for the past 5 years. He has a LLB and MBA, from the university of South Africa and Pretoria respectively.
He has spent more than 20 years with SASOL in senior management roles and has worked in their energy and chemicals industries. This included overseeing work in the US, Nigeria, Angola, Mozambique, Germany and China.
The 50 year old has had an amazing career inside the boardroom for quite a number of years. However, the task he faces in his new role requires harder work than he’s arguably ever had to deal with before.
So what was the reaction like to the news? Below we note some of the reactions on the appointment:
Political Parties
ANC – “The responsibility accepted by Mr De Ruyter is one that must be shared by all South Africans whose well-being depends on the well-being of the energy utility.”
DA – “With experience in both the private and public sectors, he has a wealth of experience and we implore upon him to use this experience to set Eskom on the right course to recovery,”
EFF, unsurprisingly dismissed the appointment – as “anti-transformation and racist”, calling it “a clear demonstration of deliberate intent to collapse Eskom to rationalise privatisation”.
TRUE LEADER: Andre de Ruyter. Pic: Geoff Brown. © Unknown.