Minister of Public Enterprises, Pravin Gordhan, has announced the appointment of Michelle Phillips as Transnet’s Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) and Nosipho Maphumulo as the Group Chief Financial Officer (CFO).
Phillips has been acting as Group Chief Executive of Transnet, and according to the statement released by Gordhan on Wednesday, there have been improvements in the performance of ports and rails on her watch.
“These are critical appointments which represent our steadfast commitment as government to equip Transnet with a competent and experienced executive leadership team to drive the strategic interventions that the Board has put in place as part of the Transnet recovery plan,” Gordhan said.
Phillips currently leads the entire business operations and leadership team and is well regarded by the market as a problem solver with good networks, Gordhan said.
With more than 20 years of experience in Transnet in various roles, she has a track record of being a team player and collaborator and knows what it takes to turn the business around.
Phillips held roles such as continuous improvement manager at Transnet National Ports Authority, regional legal and contracts manager at Transnet Port Terminals, and business unit executive at Pier 1 Container Terminal from 2001 to 2010.
She later served as executive head and general manager at Transnet Port Terminals until November 2017.
Subsequently, she took on the general manager role in charge of customer growth and freight solutions at Transnet until August 2019.
She acted as chief executive for Transnet Port Terminals from August 2019 to June 2020 and has been CEO of Transnet Pipelines since August 2020.
When she joined Transnet Pipelines as CEO, she found an operating division with poor governance, theft, spillage and poor performance, Gordhan said, but she turned the business around.
She achieved the division’s first green audit report status on supply chain, meaning the business is clean and without deviations from good governance.
Phillips saved the business R1,5 billion over a period of 18 months.
She also completed the long outstanding development of the liquid natural gas terminals and Sapref tanks in a short space of time upon her appointment as CEO of Transnet Pipelines.
Gordhan added that Maphumulo is a highly accomplished business leader, financial steward, operational strategist, change catalyst and trusted advisor, offering extensive experience and providing sound financial and commercial guidance in complex and demanding environments
She has experience in financial management in a large complex commercial organisation.
Gordhan thanked the Transnet board Chairperson, Andile Sangqu, for expeditiously steering the recruitment process and ensuring that the requisite skills and experience are brought into the business.
“Transnet plays an important catalytic role in the South African economy.
“We are confident that these appointments will provide Transnet with the strategic direction and the ability to execute its ongoing reforms, including the implementation of the provisions of the Freight Logistics Roadmap, which envisages the granting of access for private rail operators soon,” Gordhan said.
