Acting Chief Executive Officer

Thanduxolo Mendrew

Thanduxolo Mendrew is acting chief executive of the Johannesburg Development Agency.  Before leading the agency, Mendrew was its executive manager for risk and compliance management and human resources, a position he held since 2007. His contract as acting CEO will run for one year and expires at the end of September 2011, as the JDA board has opted not to appoint a permanent new CEO prior to the 2011 municipal elections.

After receiving his LLB degree from Wits University, Mendrew started with legal firm Edward, Nathan & Friedland in Sandton as a commercial lawyer specialising in corporate law.  Here he first sharpened his teeth on risk and legal compliance in the corporate world before extending his scope to commercial banking, gaining much experience in the legal compliance side of corporate finance and debt management.

In 2004, he joined the City of Johannesburg as director of corporate governance, where he oversaw the group risk compliance and financial stability of the City's municipal-owned entities.

Mendrew grew up in Burgersdorp in Eastern Cape and is married with two children.

Company Secretary

Adam Goldsmith

Adam Goldsmith is the company secretary of the JDA, previously having spent two decades – from 1981 to 2001 – in the City’s housing and the inner city units.

During this period, he was responsible for undertaking broad-based social science research and survey work in support of the council’s housing strategy.

He holds a bachelor of arts degree from Unisa, the University of South Africa.

Chairperson

Luthando Vutula

Luthando Vutula has been on the board of the JDA for the last eight years. He is the managing executive of Absa Home Loans, where he has a strategic responsibility for identifying new business and market opportunities for the company.

He has specialist experience in housing development and management. His previous positions include executive manager of the National Housing Finance Corporation and the chief executive officer of the Cope Housing Association.

Vutula has played an active role in implementing operational and policy issues relating to housing and economic development.

He holds a bachelor of business administration degree and a masters degree in development finance from the University of Stellenbosch. He also has a bachelor of economics and accounting degree from the University of Botswana.

Vutula also serves on numerous sub-committees focusing on tenders, audits and remuneration.

Non-Executive Director

Nopasika Lila

Nopasika Lila, also a JDA board member, is a qualified chartered accountant who manages her own business, Astute Intellect (Financial Consultancy), which she started in 2006.

Lila studied accounting science at the University of Transkei and the University of Natal, where she obtained a post-graduate diploma in accounting.

She began her career as a trainee accountant at Deloitte Touché Tomanshu International in 1995, moving to Gobodo Incorporated for two years before being employed at Portnet as a compliance and performance review manager.

Skotaville Press, Old Mutual and the Public Investment Corporation are other companies for which she has worked.

She brings to the board broad experience in finance and business management.

Lila is a member of several institutes and committees, including the South African Institute of Chartered Accounts and the Department of Foreign Affairs South Africa.

Non-Executive Director

David Lewis

An economist with experience in both academic and corporate environments, David Lewis is widely respected and recognised in the arena of economic policy issues.

He is the chairperson of the Competition Tribunal, with a career that has spanned trade union organisation, lecturing, research management and the public service.

He has been actively involved in policy development in the Congress of South African Trade Unions – Cosatu – and is a founder member of the Economic Trends Research Group, a collective of economists and other social scientists established to advise unions on economic policy issues.

He serves on numerous boards of directors including the Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa and the National Research Foundation.

Popo Masilo

Non-Executive Director

Popo Masilo was born in 1970 and completed his BProc (law) degree at Unisa. He was admitted as an attorney in 2002, joining the firm R Masilo Attorney as a partner in 2007. He focuses mainly on civil litigation, commercial, family and labour law.

He is also an executive director of Morentho Hygiene Services.

Non-Executive Director

Lesenyego Matlhape

A seasoned businessman, Lesenyego Matlhape has held senior positions in various leading institutions. He is currently the executive vice president: human resources of the Industrial Development Corporation.

Starting his career at Mine Safety Appliance as a labour relations and training manager, Matlhape later joined SA Philips for two years before moving to Shell Africa as a divisional human resources manager.

In addition to operating at senior management and executive level in numerous organisations, Mathlape has also chaired the Clinix Health Group board of directors and the Prilla board of directors.

He has served as a director on numerous boards, including Hulett Aluminium, Siemens (South Africa), Saldanha Steel and SAMES.

Matlhape holds degrees from Fort Hare University, University of the Free State, University of Pennsylvania and University of the Witwatersrand.

Non-Executive Director

Dayalan Naidu

Dayalan Naidu has a BPaed science degree from the University of Durban Westville, graduating in 1986.

He started his career with Haggie Rand in 1988, thereafter joining OK Distribution in 1990 as an industrial engineer. He spent four years at the retailer before moving to Spoornet, where he was an operations manager for two years.

Naidu later moved to SAB as an operations manager in charge of managing operational productivity and warehouse stock. In 1998, he joined World Class Industrial as a general manager. He is currently responsible for market development and production management.

Naidu has extensive management skills and knowledge and has been exposed to several industries.

Non-Executive Director

Alexander Robert Roriston

Alexander Robert Roriston was appointed to the JDA board as a non-executive director in July 2005. He has a long and distinguished career with Standard Chartered Bank, where he is a director in the Real Estate Investments Division.

Here he is responsible for developing, managing and maintaining the Standard Bank Group's property portfolio.Prior to that, he was a site agent for Murray and Roberts Construction.