2010 Organising Committee senior management bolstered

Carstens joins IT&T Chief Officer Phumlani Moholi and Transport and Logistics Chief Officer Skhumbuzo Macozoma, who have both also recently joined the OC's senior executive management. Macozoma hails from the national Department of Transport, while Moholi joined the OC from one of the FIFA World Cup commercial affiliates MTN.

The OC's Leslie Sedibe has also been promoted to the Head of the Legal Department, which also includes the very important aspect of ticketing.

While Macozoma is responsible for the key transport function, his OC responsibilities also include accommodation, hospitality and event logistics for the FIFA Confederations Cup 2009 and 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Moholi is responsible for the OC's IT-related FIFA World Cup requirements, including telecommunications and the IT set-up at Nasrec of the International Broadcast Centre, which will be the headquarters of the world's broadcast media in 2010.

Carstens, First National Bank's Brand Director, has been seconded to the OC, effective from September 1 2008.

Under Carstens' guidance FNB launched the “Proudly Helping South Africa Shine” campaign, with initiatives such as the 16 000 ticket promotion, which gives FNB customers the opportunity to win FIFA World Cup tickets, the Artificial Pitches for 2010 programme, which has already seen pitches installed in Pietermaritzburg and Umtata, FNB's Airport Countdown Clocks and the Countdown 2010 Television Show on SABC 1 to name just a few.

“With the Draw for the FIFA Confederations Cup 2009 taking place on November 22 2008 and ticket sales for the Confederations Cup going on sale the day thereafter, we will certainly be ramping up our marketing efforts. Derek, who is one of South Africa's leading marketers, will be critical to that process. So we welcome him on board and look forward to him making a valuable contribution to the Organising Committee's marketing efforts,” said Dr Danny Jordaan, Chief Executive Officer of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee.

“It's not often in your life that you get the chance to be involved with something great and joining the Organising Committee gives me that opportunity. I am grateful to the bank and to the Organising Committee for having confidence in me to do this job. I am looking forward to doing it justice, for the country, the continent and the game,” said Carstens.

At a briefing today, Macozoma noted that the new central terminal at the OR Tambo International Airport opened this week, as South Africa's main airport gears up to handle 25-million annual passengers by 2010. He added that the South African government was spending R13.6 billion on World Cup-related transport projects - “a level of investment that's never been seen before” and that the country's World Cup transport plans were proceeding well.