[X]
  1. Home

Search Results

Janeen Uzzell

Head of Women in Technology, General Electric (GE)

Biography

 

In her role as Head of Women in Technology at General Electric (GE), Uzzell is developing and executing the company-wide strategy to accelerate the number of women in technical roles across GE’s engineering, digital, manufacturing, and product management functions. Her scope includes identifying game-changing moves that all technical functions can benefit from, aligning metrics to measure progress and leveraging global best practices.

 

Prior to this leadership initiative, Uzzell was the Global Director for External Affairs and Technology Programmes with GE Global Research where she led a $125m P&L, and all operational and business development models for technology programmes. She and her team led portfolios of the GE core technologies (healthcare, aviation, energy, transportation) as well as new, innovative technologies funded by global commercial partnerships, external relationships and US and global governments.

During her 16 year tenure with GE, Uzzell has held a number of technical roles and is most proud of her time as an Ex-Pat where she led healthcare programmes for GE Africa, focused on building solutions for health in the world’s most challenging and compromised environments.

As a pioneer with the $6 billion “healthymagination” initiative since 2009, Uzzell spearheaded the design and positioning of the rural health platform for India and Asia, and in 2012 she extended her focus in Africa. Uzzell has been a lead advocate in positioning GE as a trusted advisor in rural health, strategising with ministries of health, heads of state, and global partners on how to best align GE’s innovation to solve global health challenges and expand access to healthcare through ‘disruptive’ models. Her strategic focus on healthcare solutions in low-resource settings has earned her leadership roles on United Nations and Global Health councils. She also co-authored joint publications focused on maternal and new-born health.

Uzzell also served as an ambassador for GE’s Developing Health Globally programme in Africa, leading sustainability for the company’s donation efforts, collaborating with the country medical leaders on growth and key projects. As ambassador, Uzzell oversaw the redesign and construction of rural and district hospital wings, the installation of village water towers, and global community outreach efforts.

A recipient of numerous awards for her professional accomplishments, Uzzell was most recently recognised by The Network Journal as one of The 25 Most Influential Black Women in Business. She notably received The United Nations Global Leadership Award, the GE ICON Leadership Award, and The Network Journal’s “40-Under-40” Business Leadership Award. Beyond her professional achievements, she is a member of the National Association of Female Executives, the National Society of Black Engineers, a Board Member of the International Black Women’s Public Policy Institute, and an advisor for the National MBA/Believers in Business Ministry Organisation.

Riaan Coetzee

Biography

 

Coetzee has been with the CSIR for more than 25 years. He has an MBA from Bond University, Australia and experience in systems engineering, technology management, technology roadmapping, product lifecycle management, product development and futures research. Coetzee was instrumental in the establishment of a mechatronics and micromanufacturing research unit at the CSIR with a focus on mechatronics and robotics, automation and control, micro-manufacturing and microsystems, as well as medical devices and systems. He was also part of the team that established the National Product Lifecycle Management Centre of Technology, as well as the National Nano-Micro Manufacturing Facility.

Rentia Barnard

Biography

 

Barnard has more than 30 years of experience in engineering, enterprise architecture and management, including extensive international industrial experience within various industries such as aerospace and defence, infrastructure, rail, ports, energy and nuclear, covering private, public and state-owned entities. She has a Bachelor of Science (Physics and Computer Science) from the North-West University and a Master of Information Technology Management from the University of Pretoria.

Barnard has been instrumental in establishing a national industrialisation support initiative. She views engineering capabilities as being essential for South African industry and small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) to become globally competitive in product development and manufacturing.

She played an instrumental role in an agreement with the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti), Rheinmetall AG and Siemens to obtain the required Siemens solutions as a first building block for the Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Technology Centre. The PLM Technology Centre was also announced in the dti’s Industrial Policy Action Plan 2017 – 2020.

Barnard’s interests include advanced manufacturing, Industry 4, Internet of Things, big data, predictive engineering analytics, cyber security, product lifecycle management and architecting the engineering enterprise.

Bas van Dijk

Regional Channel Manager for Siemens PLM software in Africa

Biography

 

Van Dijk is the regional channel manager for Siemens product lifecycle management (PLM) software in Africa. Siemens PLM Software is a leading global provider of product lifecycle management and manufacturing operations management software. Siemens helps manufacturers optimise their digital enterprise and realise innovation. Van Dijk started his Siemens career in 2006. Prior to this he worked as interim manager for franchise startups and he ran a business in programme management. He has worked in business development and sales for more than 20 years.  Throughout his career, Van Dijk received several achievement awards for outstanding performance in business development and sales.

Since 2013, Van Dijk has been working in Middle East and Africa territory. In this role, he contributes to growing the African business with a special focus on academic and educational programmes and the development of the distributor community of Siemens PLM Software. Van Dijk is also key account manager for a customer in the aerospace and defence industry.

Joost G.A. van Gemert

Vice President Corporate Offset Management: Rheinmetall AG, Duesseldorf, Germany

Biography

 

As Vice President Corporate Offset Management for Rheinmetall AG, Van Gemert is responsible for the execution of Rheinmetall’s worldwide offset programs. In addition, he leads Rheinmetall’s international offset team that comprises 12 offset professionals. Van Gemert advises Rheinmetall’s defence business units on offset- and countertrade-related issues and reports to the Rheinmetall Defence board of directors at the head office in Düsseldorf.

Van Gemert joined Rheinmetall AG in 2007. From 1994–2006, he was part of the offset team of Lucent Technologies/AT&T. He gained his first experience in offset programmes in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a result of AT&T winning a USD 4 billion GSM programme that comprised a 35% offset obligation in 1994. At Lucent/AT&T, van Gemert widened his experience in offset programmes in most NATO countries, South Africa, the Middle-East and Far-East.

Prior to joining Lucent/AT&T, Van Gemert was part of Stork NV Netherlands, as export manager for the Eastern European market for seven years. He gained experience in marketing and selling capital equipment in challenging markets and actively pursued countertrade transactions with Eastern European clients.

Gemert has a MBA from Erasmus University in Rotterdam.

Martin Sanne

Executive Director: CSIR Materials Science and Manufacturing

Biography

 

Sanne is Executive Director of CSIR Materials Science and Manufacturing (MSM).He joined the CSIR in January 2016 from an industry background of information technology (IT), telecommunications, electrical engineering and energy. Sanne is a board member of the Mandela Bay Composites Cluster.

In his role as Executive Director Sanne  drives research and product development in the National System of Innovation to solve science, engineering and technology (SET) challenges in collaboration with stakeholders, funders, and research and development  with industry partners in the areas of  nanotechnologies; micromanufacturing, robotics, health, water, infrastructure,  light metals and particularly titanium beneficiation, energy materials (batteries and energy storage), polymers, composites and textiles and Industry 4.0.

Sanne most recently headed up the Siemens Africa Smart Grid Energy business providing solutions for utilities such as Eskom, mines, a broad range of industry sectors and municipalities.

Sanne was part of the IT/Internet start-up SEACOM as General Manager of SEACOM South Africa (Pty) Ltd and Global Head of Sales of SEACOM Ltd Mauritius where he built sales and sales operations across Africa and internationally. Sanne was also head of Mobile Network Sales at Siemens Telecommunications and Nokia Siemens Networks.

A significant part of Sanne’s career was built with Siemens AG in Germany where he headed up the line of business for 3G communications.

Sanne is a registered Professional Engineer in South Africa.

He completed a BSc in electrical engineering at the University of the Witwatersrand in 1984 and an MSc in digital systems in England in 1987.

From 1988 to 1994 he managed research and development and product management leading to the registration of a number of patents in the mobile network and communications networks arena.   He helped drive the joint development and intellectual property definition, together with Telkom and Vodacom, of a distributed optical fibre concentrator and a GSM (global system for mobile communication )-based vehicle tracking system. Martin was involved in the research and development and intellectual property development of 3G and 4G mobile networks.

Dr Edwin Ritchken

Coordinator of the Mining Phakisa

Biography

 

Ritchken is the coordinator of the Mining Phakisa, a collaborative initiative between government, industry and civil society to address key challenges facing the mining cluster.   Previously, Ritchken was Strategy Advisor to the Minister and Director General of the Department of Public Enterprises.  In this post, he has been responsible for the development of overarching shareholder strategy and the shareholder management model, directing the development of the Competitive Supplier Development policy and strategy for state-owned enterprises and for the development of the defence-related industry strategy.  Prior to assuming this position, Ritchken was a transport industry specialist in the department responsible for assessing the strategies and structure of Transnet.  He has many years of strategy experience and has written extensively on industrial policy, rural development and political economy.

Ritchken has a Bachelor of Economic Science (Computer Science), a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) and a PhD in political studies from the University of the Witwatersrand.

Jack van der Merwe

CEO, Gautrain Management Agency

Biography

 

Van der Merwe obtained his B.Sc. Eng. and B.Sc. Eng. (Hons) in civil engineering from the University of Pretoria. He is also a graduate of the Harvard Business School’s Senior Executive Development programme.

He has worked in the public transport sector for more than 46 years. In 1994, he was appointed as the team leader of the strategic management team tasked with developing, structuring and establishing the new Department of Public Transport and Roads in Gauteng. He headed this department from 1995 to 2004.

During this period, Van der Merwe was also appointed as project leader for the Gautrain Rapid Rail Link project. He ensured that Gautrain became a project of national significance. Although the Gautrain Project was initiated long before the FIFA 2010 World Cup was awarded to South Africa, it soon became evident that it would be to the advantage of the country as a whole if the rail service between the OR Tambo International Airport and Sandton could be completed in time for the soccer. This was achieved on the 8th July 2010, three days before kick-off.

He was a member of the Civil Engineer Advisory Council, a board member of the former South African Rail Commuter Corporation and until recently, a board member of the South African Roads Board.

In 1998, the Transportation Engineering Division of the South African Institution of Civil Engineering awarded him the Chairman's Award for Meritorious Service to the Transportation Profession. He is a Fellow of the South African Academy of Engineers.

In 2010, Van der Merwe was awarded the University of Pretoria’s Laureate Award for exceptional achievements and promoting the interests of the University of Pretoria by the Tuks Alumni Board.

In 2011, he was appointed by the MEC for Roads and Transport to head up a special team of experts tasked with developing an 25 year Integrated transport Master Plan for the Gauteng Province. He was also elected Africa President for the African Association of Public Transport, an African association of urban and regional passenger transport operators, authorities, consultants and suppliers. Van der Merwe was also Vice-President of the International Association of Public Transport, the world-wide association of urban and regional passenger transport operators, authorities, consultants and suppliers.

In 2012, he was appointed as the project leader for the Ekurhuleni Aerotropolis project, which is part of Strategic Infrastructure Project 2 of the National Development Plan.

In February 2014 he was made an Honorary Fellow of the South Africa Institution of Civil Engineers.

He is currently the CEO of the Gautrain Management Agency tasked with overseeing the building and operation of the Gautrain, overseeing the implementation of the Concession Agreement with the Bombela Concession Company.

He has delivered countless papers on the development and execution of PPP contracts in South Africa and abroad. He has been asked by the World Bank to present the method, advantages and implementation of PPP’s in Russia and the Philippines. Van der Merwe is recognised as an international expert in public transport and project management.