Directors
Mike
M ROBERTSON (52)Acting Group chief executive officer
Appointed 3 October 2011
Mike’s career in journalism and media began in 1981 as a reporter for Daily News. In 1985 he became Deputy News Editor of Business Day. His career at Sunday Times began in 1991 when he moved there as political correspondent from Business Day . He took up the position of Sunday Times Editor in 1992, becoming its Publisher in 2002, then CEO of then Johncom Media Division in 2003. Mike is currently MD of Avusa Media.
Committee membership: Executive committee (Chairman).
Mikki
M XAYIYA (51)BA (Unisa), Cert of Defence Management (Wits), Emerging Market Leadership Programme (University of Pennsylvania)
Non-executive Chairman
Appointed 20 September 2011
Mikki served in various capacities in the African National Congress since 1977. In 1995, he was appointed as a policy advisor to the Office of the Premier, Gauteng Provincial Government. He left public office and joined Mawenzi Asset Managers as Managing Director. In 1998, he co-founded Mvelaphanda Holdings and is currently the executive chairman of Mvelaphanda Group and Mvelaphanda Holdings.
Committee memberships: Human Resources, Transformation, Remuneration and Social and Ethics committee, Nominations committee Chairman appointed 3 October 2011
Howard
H BENATAR (47)BCom, BAcc, CA(SA)
Chief financial officer
Appointed 1 April 2005
Howard joined what was then Johnnic Publishing (now Avusa Publishing) as finance director in September 2002 and, following the group restructure in July 2003, was appointed Avusa’s group executive: finance and administration. He was appointed chief financial officer in April 2005.
Committee memberships: Executive committee.
Laura
L M MACHABA-ABIODUN (51)BCom (Law), HDip Ed (postgraduate), MBA, MA, OCM (Harvard)
Independent non-executive director
Appointed 5 February 2008
Laura advises chief executive officers and chairmen of companies. She is the founder and managing director of the management consultancy firm AMC International Group. She began her career in the Department of Finance as an assistant accountant, followed by four years at Shell Oil as a marketing executive. Laura has experience in the USA in both the private and public sectors, and has contributed to the books Why the Bottom Line Isn’t by Norm Smallwood and Dave Ulrich and The Capable Company by Richard Lynch. She is chairman of The Argus Voting Trust, former vice-chair of the board of the American International School of Johannesburg (AISJ), and serves on the human resources and remuneration committees of the South African Revenue Service. Laura completed her two-year service on the council of the Institute of Directors Southern Africa (IoDSA). She was previously group chief human resource officer (Group CHRO) and strategic adviser on people management for the Alexander Forbes Equity Holdings group.
Committee memberships: Social and Ethics committee, Nominations committee, Audit and Risk committee, appointed member and chairman of the remuneration, Human resources and Transformation committee on 7 February 2011.
Andrew
A D BONAMOUR (40)BCom
Non-executive director
Appointed 12 March 2012
Andrew is the founder of Blackstar Group SE and is the executive chairman of Blackstar Group (Pty) Limited. Andrew previously worked at Brait S.A Limited where he held positions in investment banking, principal investment divisions and corporate finance. He has been the interim chief executive officer of Mvelaphanda Group Limited since January 2012. He serves on the boards of several listed and unlisted companies including Litha Healthcare Group Limited.
Mark
M J WILLCOX (42)BA, LLB, Postgraduate Dip (Tax) (UCT)
Non-executive director
Appointed 21 April 2008
Upon completing his studies, Mark worked for an investment bank in the USA. During this period, he was exposed to various significant mining and property transactions in the USA, the Far East and Africa. Mark is the chief executive officer of Mvelaphanda Holdings.
Harish
H MEHTA (62)Diploma in Printing Technology (Leeds), BSc Industrial Engineering (University of Wisconsin), MBA (University of Wisconsin)
Non-executive director
Appointed 1 July 2011
Harish has been instrumental in the expansion of Uniprint which was founded well over 80 years ago to over 60 times its original size. Uniprint was recently acquired by Avusa. Harish is non-executive director of Spar and Redefine Income Fund, he is also Chairman of Clearwater Capital, and trustee of Nedbank Eyethu Fund. He is currently joint chairman of UHC Communications.
Committee memberships: Remuneration, Human resources, Transformation, Investment committee, Social and Ethics committee (appointed 20 September 2011).
Colin
C CARY (60)MD Retail Solutions
Appointed 1 July 2011
Colin joined the Avusa board after 35 years as founder and major shareholder of the modern-day Hirt & Carter which was recently acquired by Avusa. He built Hirt &Carter from small beginnings to a national organisation that is an acknowledged leader in the provision of solutions for retail marketing communications and advertising, which are used by most major South African FMCG retailers.
Colin is MD of Avusa Retail Solutions
Committee memberships: Nominations committee (By invitation), Investment committee.
Tommy
T R A OLIPHANT (67)Management Advancement Program (MAP)
Independent non-executive director
Appointed 5 February 2008
Tommy spent 24 years at the Metal and Electrical Workers Union of South Africa, latterly as general secretary. He joined Fedsure Life in 1995 as national sales manager. In 2002 he was appointed chairman of Aventura Resorts, resigning in 2005. Other directorships include LA Group and African Legend Investments. He is a former chairman of Airports Company South Africa and Bonitas Medical Fund.
Committee memberships: Nominations committee, Investment committee (appointed 7 February 2011), Audit and Risk committee (appointed 1 April 2011).
Jacques
J SCHINDEHÜTTE (53)BCom (Hons), CA(SA), HDip Tax
Lead Independent Director
Appointed 3 October 2011
Jacques is the chief financial officer of Telkom SA, and the past financial director of Absa Group. Prior to joining Absa, Jacques was employed by Transnet in a number of senior roles.
Committee memberships: Audit and Risk committee - Appointed 20 September 2011(Chairman).
Ravi
R NAIDOO (48)B.Sc (Hons), MBA
Independent non-executive director
Joined group 1 January 2012
Ravi is founder and managing director of Interactive Africa, a media, marketing and project management company established in 1994. Prior to that, he spent three years as an account director at Young and Rubicam where he managed a number of multinational accounts. Ravi project managed the first African in space mission, as well as South Africa’s bid campaign for the football World Cup and the African Connection Rally. Amongst other accomplishments, he is well known for establishing the International Design Indaba, which has become recognised as one of the world’s leading design institutions. Ravi also sits on the jury of the Index Awards in Copenhagen, the world’s richest design prize.
Committee memberships: Human Resources, Transformation, Remuneration & Social and Ethics committee (appointed 1 January 2012)
Amanda
A Z JIVHUHO (35)B.BusSc (Hons)
Independent non-executive director
Appointed 1 January 2012
Amanda is the group chief executive of Z-Capital, a diversified investment and management consultancy group. Her experience includes enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementations, change management and turnaround strategies. Prior to establishing Z-Capital, she worked for Accenture, both in South Africa and in the U.K., in various executive roles. She has extensive experience in both oversight and business management consulting in the private and public sectors. She has worked in various other niche consulting firms, including MAC Consulting. She also serves on various boards within Z-Capital group’s investment portfolio.
Committee memberships: Human Resources, Transformation, Remuneration & Social and Ethics committee (appointed 1 January 2012)
Alison
A N GILLWALD (53)B.Journalism (Hons in African political studies), MA, Certificate in Economics & Public Finance, PhD
Independent non-executive director
Appointed 1 January 2012
Alison is currently the executive director of Research ICT Africa, responsible for directing and developing 18 African country ICT policies and regulatory research network in support of evidence-based IT policy and effective regulation on the continent. She is also adjunct professor at the University of Cape Town, Graduate School of Business, Management of Infrastructure Reform and Regulation programme. She was appointed by President Mandela on the recommendation of Parliament to serve on the first inaugural Council of the South African Telecommunications Regulatory Authority and before that set up the policy department in the country’s first Independent Broadcasting Authority in 1994. She has served on the board of a number of public and non-governmental bodies and on state advisory bodies and is published in the areas of policy and regulation, gender and politics more broadly.
Committee memberships: Investment Committee (appointed 1 January 2012)
Anthony
A C RUITERS (51)(BA), Higher Diploma in education, Executive programme at Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, U.S.A.
Independent non-executive director
Appointed 1 January 2012
Anthony currently serves as the non-executive chairman of Business Connexion and Sentio Capital Management. He is the former chief executive officer of African Harvest and former managing director of African Harvest Fund Managers. He is an entrepreneur and businessman with operational and leadership experience in listed and unlisted companies in key sectors of the South African and Southern African economy for the past 15 years. He is founder and trustee of the Dullah Omar Foundation and Lillian Mary Ruiters Trust.
Committee memberships: Investment Committee (appointed 1 January 2012)
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