EOH board appoints new chairman

Dr Xolani Mkhwanazi

Stephen van Coller, chief executive officer of EOH said, “We are very pleased with the appointment of Dr Mkhwanazi to the board. His track record of providing courageous leadership in challenging business environments, coupled with his commitment to sound corporate governance, were key drivers for his appointment. We believe Dr Mkhwanazi is a strong addition to the Board and will reinforce the newly-appointed executive team on our journey to ethical leadership and building the EOH of the future”.

Dr Mkhwanazi will lead board deliberations on all group matters, and more immediately, the findings of the investigation commissioned by EOH into public sector contracts being undertaken by ENSafrica.

Having been presented the preliminary findings, Dr. Mkhwanazi and the board will assess these, ask for such additional work as may be required and engage with relevant stakeholders where appropriate. Relevant findings and associated actions will be disclosed as soon as practically possible after the next steps have been agreed by the Board.

Dr Mkhwanazi said, “I am excited to be joining a company at the forefront of technology and job creation in South Africa. EOH is at the heart of the country’s future growth prospects. I am impressed by the way new management is tackling legacy issues and also by their clear vision for our future. I believe the more than 11000 staff members deserve transparent leadership and I am looking forward to the challenge.”

Dr Mkhwanazi was chairman of BHP Billiton in South Africa from 2008 to 2015 and previously president and chief operations officer of South Africa Aluminium with BHP Billiton (from February 2005). He has served as chief executive officer of Bateman Africa Ltd and the National Electricity Regulator (NER) which became NERSA in 2004.

Prior to that, he held senior positions at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. During this time he played a key role in the formulation of the South African National Science and Technology Policy while seconded to be the founding chief executive officer of the National Science and Technology Forum.