CSIR announces appointment of new group executives

Motuku is currently CEO at the National Metrology Institute of South Africa (NMISA). He managed the physical metallurgy division at Mintek and was later appointed general manager of research and development before joining NMISA in 2010. Prior to his time at Mintek, he was director of the Fort Hare Institute of Technology, and before that assistant Professor of Mechanical and Materials Engineering at Tuskegee University, US.

Motuku has worked with local and foreign governments at all levels. His familiarity with the national system of innovation, experience in working with government, specifically the Department of Science and Technology (DST), and industry is a perfect fit for his position at the CSIR.

Facilitating global alliances

Dr. Rachel Chikwamba has been appointed CSIR group executive of strategic alliances and communication. In this portfolio, she will manage the CSIR's high-level partnerships and stakeholder interactions and associated communication.

Chikwamba joined the CSIR in December 2004 from Arizona State University, US, where she served as a post-doctoral research associate. She has served at various levels of science leadership and was a member of the CSIR Strategic Research Panel for two terms. Chikwamba also championed the development of the CSIR Health Research Impact Area strategy. Prior to her appointment, she was chief researcher and competence area manager at CSIR Biosciences where she was instrumental in facilitating major global alliances, which resulted in the transfer of key technologies and skills to the CSIR, and continue to result in collaborative projects and programmes.

Holding the communication forte under Dr. Chikwamba's direction is Collette Vosloo, who has been appointed group manager of CSIR strategic communication. She joined the CSIR in 2007 as editor and was promoted to senior manager of research communication in 2009. She has also worked in the private sector at a communication consultancy where she covered a broad spectrum of communication disciplines for clients in the information technology and pharmaceutical industries, as well as organisations such as UNICEF and the World Health Organisation.