New Director of Energy Leadership for WBS

New Director of Energy Leadership for WBS

22 August 2024 - Wits Business School

Dr David Phaho will take the helm of the Wits Business School African Energy Leadership Centre (AELC) from 1 September 2024.

Wits Business School (WBS) established the AELC in 2017, with funding from the Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority (CHIETA), to address the persistent energy challenges in Africa, with a particular focus on addressing the leadership skills deficit in the sector.

Under veteran energy expert Dr Rod Crompton's direction, the Centre developed the first academic programmes of their kind in Africa - a Master of Management and a Postgraduate Diploma in Energy Leadership. Since their launch in 2019, the programmes have attracted a growing number of students who wish to play a leadership role in this evolving sector.

In addition to its academic programmes, the AELC has established itself as a hub of research and thought leadership, forming strategic partnerships with industry players locally and globally, and hosting regular public debates and dialogues. This has involved, among other initiatives, the creation of the CHIETA Chair in the Hydrogen Economy and the Absa Chair in Future Energy, both focused on improving our understanding of the economic challenges and developments facing this nascent sub-sector of the South African economy.

Professor Logan Rangasamy, Academic Director at WBS, said: "The AELC is a crucial part of our academic offering at WBS given its potential to make a significant contribution to Africa's sustainable future. Energy is central to economic growth and development, as well as social transformation and equity. We are delighted to welcome Dr David Phaho to lead the Centre into an even more impactful future."

Phaho joins WBS from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) where, since 2020, he served as the Deputy-Vice Chancellor: Research, Technology Innovation and Partnerships. He has held a variety of positions at Sasol Group including its Research and Development division. He rose through the ranks of Sasol, culminating in being named Vice President: Centre for Innovation and Business Impact. He left Sasol at the end of 2019 to join CPUT.

Phaho also served as Chief Executive Officer of the Tshumisano Trust, a Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) entity mandated to improve the competitiveness and innovation capacity of the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME's) in areas of national priority. Over the years, the Trust oversaw the establishment of 18 Technology Transfer Centres (technology stations ) based at 11 higher education institutions. As of November 2009, the Trust was incorporated, through an act of Parliament, into the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA).

At board level, Phaho has, amongst others, been an independent, non-executive director at Foskor (Pty) Ltd, a for-profit phosphate fertilizer company, for over 13 years.

Phaho's qualifications include a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Chemistry, which he obtained in 2000 in the United States as a Fulbright Scholar. His research interests include industrial chemistry, sustainability, and innovation management, with a focus on regional as well as national systems of innovation.

About the African Energy Leadership Centre

The African Energy Leadership Centre was founded in June 2017 with support from the Chemical Industries Education & Training Authority (CHIETA). It is the first and only centre of its kind in Africa. The aim of the AELC is to sculpt leaders in the energy sector who think and act strategically and have the skills needed to navigate the challenges of an evolving African energy landscape. The AELC's postgraduate programmes are designed to address energy shortages and the skills deficit currently faced by the industry, issues that are stunting the economic growth in Africa. See https://africanenergycentre.ac.za/ for more information.

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