Leadership

Who we are

Leadership

Meet the Team

Metair’s Board of Directors comprise a diverse blend of relevant industry, investment and financial skills. The subsidiary managing directors have significant experience in the automotive and manufacturing industries, with an average tenure at Metair of some 25 years. Recent appointments to the team have strengthened capacity and expertise, and the team steering the ‘Reset and Growth, African Mobility Strategy’ combines deep company knowledge with fresh perspectives and new skills.

Appointed to the Board: 2018 Qualification: BSc (Eng) Electrical, GCC, PMD, ADP Other directorships: Impala Platinum Holdings, Exxaro Resources Limited Over 20 years’ experience in mining and 6 years in automotive 

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Billy Mawasha

Lead independent non-executive director

Appointed to the Board: 2016 Qualification: MA (Clinical Psychology) Other directorships: Zimplats, Jojose Investments and Differential Capital (Pty) Limited Over 20 years’ experience in automotive and logistics, 6 years in investments and over 10 years in health services      Chair and Independent non-executive director MA Clinical Psychology   Ms Mgoduso started her career as a clinical psychologist, during which time she lectured at universities and practiced both in South Africa and abroad. She served as group HR executive at Transnet SOC Ltd and then as Chief Executive Officer of Freight Dynamics. She later joined Imperial Logistics as Group Transformation Executive. She left Imperial Logistics to serve as Managing Director of Ayavuna Women’s Investments. After her time at Ayavuna, she spent time in strategic consulting and infrastructural development and HR. She is currently a Trustee of Ayavuna Trust, a board member at Zimplats, where she chairs the remuneration committee. She is the chairman of Jojose Investments. She chairs the remuneration committee at the Competition Commission.   Ms Mgoduso was appointed to the Metair board on 1 March 2016 and serves as member of the Remuneration and Nominations Committee. She was appointed as Chairperson of the Board on 16 February 2023.
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Thandeka Mgoduso

Chair and Independent non-executive director

Thandeka Mgoduso

Chair and Independent Non-executive Director

Billy Mawasha

Lead Independent Non-executive Director

Manfred Muell

Independent Non-executive Director

Alupheli Sithebe

Independent Non-executive Director

Noluvuyo Mkhondo

Independent Non-executive Director

Ndumi Medupe

Independent Non-executive Director

Peter Giliam

Independent Non-executive Director

Sam Sithole

Alternate Director to N Mkhondo

Paul O’Flaherty

Chief Executive Officer

Anesh Jogia

Chief Financial Officer

Paul O’Flaherty

Chief Executive Officer

Anesh Jogia

Chief Financial Officer

Alastair Walker

Executive: Capital Structure and Treasury

Johan Mouton

Chief Operating Officer

Wolfgang Ropertz

Chief Operating Officer

Lauren Otto

HR Executive

Sanet Vermaak

Company Secretary

GR Ting Chong

Alfred Teves Brake System

Bilall Ally

Automold

Selvin Konar

Smiths Manufacturing

Mark Barley

Supreme Spring

Yesigan Chinapen

Unitrade

Russell Bezuidenhout

First Battery

Alin Loanes

Rombat

Alex Holmes

Hesto

Jaco du Plessis

Lumotech

Dion de Graaff

AutoZone

Strategy
Metair at a Glance
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Thandeka Mgoduso - Chair and Independent Non-executive Director

Age: 67

Appointed to the Board: 2016

Qualification: MA (Clinical Psychology)

Other directorships: Zimplats, Jojose Investments and Differential Capital (Pty) Limited

 

Over 20 years’ experience in automotive and logistics, 6 years in investments and over 10 years in health services

Ms Mgoduso started her career as a clinical psychologist, during which time she lectured at universities and practiced both in South Africa and abroad. She served as group HR executive at Transnet SOC Ltd and then as Chief Executive Officer of Freight Dynamics. She later joined Imperial Logistics as Group Transformation Executive. She left Imperial Logistics to serve as Managing Director of Ayavuna Women’s Investments. After her time at Ayavuna, she spent time in strategic consulting and infrastructural development and HR. She is currently a Trustee of Ayavuna Trust and a board member at Zimplats, where she chairs the remuneration committee. She is the chairman of Jojose Investments. She chairs the remuneration committee at the Competition Commission.

 

Ms Mgoduso was appointed to the Metair Board on 1 March 2016 and serves as a member of the remuneration and nominations committee. She was appointed as Chairperson of the Board on 16 February 2023.

Billy Mawasha - Lead independent Non-executive Director

Age: 45

Appointed to the Board: 2018

Qualification: BSc (Eng) Electrical, GCC, PMD, ADP

Other directorships: Impala Platinum Holdings, Exxaro Resources Limited

 

Over 20 years’ experience in mining and 6 years in automotive

Mr Mawasha has been CEO of Kolobe Nala Investment Company (KNI) since April 2019. Prior to KNI, he was Country Head – South Africa for Rio Tinto and Managing Director of Richard Bay Minerals. He previously held leadership, operational and technical roles at Anglo American (Kumba Iron Ore), the De Beers Group and AngloGold Ashanti. Mr Mawasha is passionate about education and the development of others. He is a member of the Witwatersrand University Mining Advisory Council. In 2017, he was selected as a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum. Mr Mawasha was appointed to the Metair Board and the audit and risk committee on 1 March 2018. On 2 May 2019, he was appointed as chairman of the investment committee. He was then appointed as the lead independent non – executive director on 15 February 2023.

 

He is a certified director with the Institute of Directors of Southern Africa and a member of the South African Institute of Electrical Engineers.

Manfred Muell - Independent non-executive director

Age : 63

Appointed to the Board: 2019

Qualification: Betriebswirt (BA)

Other directorships: Stracienta Africa (Pty) Limited and Scientrix Holdings Limited

Over 30 years’ experience in the automotive industry

Mr Muell holds a Diplom-Betriebswirt (BA) from Berufsakademie Stuttgart, Germany, equivalent to a Bachelor of Commerce. He has over 30 years of experience in the motor industry and is the co-founder and CEO of Scientrix Holdings Limited (Scientrix). Prior to Scientrix, Mr Muell was the President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Argentina S.A and held various other executive positions within the Daimler Group in Germany, Turkey, South Africa, Mexico and Argentina. He has multinational and broad cross functional management experience in the fields of finance and controlling, logistics, procurement, strategic planning, sustainability and stakeholder management.

 

Mr Muell was appointed chairman of the social and ethics committee on 17 February 2020. He is also a member of the remuneration and nominations committee.

Alupheli Sithebe - Independent non-executive director

Age: 41

Appointed to the Board: 2021

Qualification: BCom Acc (Hons), CA(SA), MBA

Other directorships: Dis-Chem Pharmacies Limited and Altron Limited

More than 18 years’ experience in financial services and 13 years in investments (industrial sector focus)

Ms Sithebe is a private equity practitioner with extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions (‘M&A’) and corporate finance garnered from a wide range of businesses primarily in the industrials value chain. She began her career with EY where she trained to qualify as a CA(SA) after which she established an accounting and audit practice named Kamva Advisory & Associates Inc. between 2008 to 2011. Ms Sithebe later went on to join the Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa (IDC) where she was a Senior Dealmaker. Ms Sithebe later held the role of Principal at African Phoenix Investments Limited which was a JSE-listed mid-market focused private equity investment firm. Ms Sithebe is currently Managing Director of Kamva Investments, an investment holding entity with a focus on unlisted investments and M&A advisory. Ms Sithebe also serves on the boards of Altron Limited and Dis-Chem Pharmacies Limited. Ms Sithebe holds a BCom Acc (RAU) with Honours (UNISA) and an MBA from GIBS.

Ms Sithebe was appointed as an independent non-executive director and a member of the audit and risk committee with effect from 1 January 2021 and to the social and ethics committee with effect from 29 January 2021.

Noluvuyo Mkhondo - Independent non-executive director

Age: 40

Appointed to the Board: 2019

Qualification: BAcc, CA(SA), MBA

Other directorships: PPC Limited, Value Capital Partners

 

Over 15 years’ experience in corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, and investments

Ms Mkhondo is an investment director at Value Capital Partners Pty Limited (‘VCP’). Prior to joining VCP, Ms Mkhondo was a seasoned investment banking and corporate finance professional, having spent time at Goldman Sachs International Plc and Anglo-American Plc (both based in the United Kingdom) where she was responsible for mergers and acquisition execution, investment evaluation and strategic long-term financial planning. During her time at Goldman Sachs and Anglo American, Ms Mkhondo executed cross-border transactions in the consumer/retail, healthcare, real estate, and metals and mining sectors across the United Kingdom, Africa and the Americas. Ms Mkhondo is a Chartered Accountant (SA) by profession, having begun her career in the audit and advisory financial institutions services team at Deloitte & Touche, in Johannesburg. In addition, Ms Mkhondo has a Master of Business Administration from the London Business School, where she was a Mo Ibrahim Scholar.

 

Ms Mkhondo was appointed as an independent non-executive director of the company and as a member of the investment committee on 28 June 2019. On 3 August 2022, she was appointed as a member of the remuneration committee. She currently serves as the chair of the remuneration and nominations committee.

 

She also serves as an independent non-executive director on the board of PPC Limited.

Ndumi Medupe - Independent non-executive director

Age: 53

Appointed to the Board: 2023

Qualification: BAcc, Postgraduate Diploma in Accountancy, Certificate in Sustainability Leadership and Corporate Governance

Other directorships:


City Lodge Hotels Limited, Alexander Forbes Group Holdings Limited and Exxaro Resources Limited

 

More than 8 years’ experience in financial services and automative

Ms Medupe is a qualified Chartered Accountant (South Africa) and holds a Bachelor of Accountancy from the University of Durban Westville, a postgraduate diploma in Accountancy from the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal and a certificate in Sustainability Leadership and Corporate Governance from the London Business School.

Ms Medupe has over 29 years of professional experience, while her non-executive director experience is 15 years.

 

She serves on boards that include, Alexander Forbes Group Holdings Limited, City Lodge Hotels Limited and Exxaro Resources Limited. She also has experience chairing committees such as audit and risk, social and ethics and remuneration. Ms Medupe has served in numerous executive roles including her current role as chief executive officer of Indyebo Incorporated, chief operating officer of Nedbank Group Internal Audit, as well as Partner in other audit firms.

Ms Medupe has been appointed as an independent non-executive director of the Company and chairperson of the audit and risk committee with effect from 13 June 2023.

Peter Giliam - Independent non-executive director

Age: 67

Appointed to the Board: 2021

Qualification: BEng (Hons)

Other directorships: None

More than 30 years’ experience in the international automotive industry

Mr Giliam holds a BEng (Hons) in Automotive, Project Management and a Bachelor in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pretoria. Mr Giliam was previously the managing director of Robertson and Caine Proprietary Limited and has a wealth of experience in the automotive industry, gained through various senior roles, including, inter alia, project director at Jaguar Land Rover UK, vice president at BMW Group and plant coordinator of Metalsa South Africa.

 

He was appointed as an independent non-executive director of Metair and a member of the investment committee with effect from 1 May 2021. Mr Giliam also serves as a member of the remuneration and nominations committee.

Sam Sithole - Alternate director to N Mkhondo

Age : 51

Appointed to the Board: 2019

Qualification: BAcc (Hons), CA(SA), CA(Z), Programme for Leadership Development (Harvard Business School), Diploma in Banking (UJ)

Other directorships: Value Capital Partners, Adcorp Holdings (alternate), Sun International Holdings and Tiger Brands

Over 30 years’ experience in finance and automotive

Mr Sithole is the CEO and co-founder of Value Capital Partners Pty Limited (‘VCP’). Prior to starting VCP, he was at Brait for more than 8 years as an executive director. Prior to Brait, Mr Sithole was a partner at Deloitte, where he spent 6 years as an audit partner and departed the firm as group leader for the Financial Services Audit Practice in Johannesburg. He currently also holds directorships, among others, in Sun International (Chairman of the Board) and Tiger Brands. 

 

Mr Sithole was appointed to the Metair Board on 1 March 2019 and to the remuneration and nominations committees on 2 May 2019. On 3 August 2022, Mr Sithole resigned as an independent non-executive director of the Company and consequently stepped down as a member of the remuneration and nominations committee. Mr Sithole now serves as an alternate director to Ms Mkhondo, an independent non-executive director of the company.

Paul O’Flaherty - Chief Executive Officer

Age : 61

Appointed to the Board: 2024

Qualification: BCom, B. Acc, CA(SA)

Over 23 years’ experience in the infrastructure, manufacturing, energy and banking industries

Mr O’Flaherty is a qualified Chartered Accountant (SA) and began his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers Inc. in 1986, having served as an audit partner for 6 years in the Energy and Mining sector. Since 2001, he has served in both CFO and CEO roles in JSE listed companies (Group Five Limited and ArcelorMittal South Africa Limited), the public sector (Eskom Holdings Limited) and in large multinational private companies.

 

Mr O’Flaherty has a remarkable track record across multiple emerging markets coupled with in-depth experience in turnarounds, restructurings, mergers and acquisitions, and programme and project management. Prior to joining Ernst & Young Inc., he had the overall responsibility for the $1bn separation of ABSA Bank Limited from Barclays Plc.

 

Mr O’Flaherty is a commercially focused leader and has gained extensive experience across the manufacturing, mining, infrastructure, energy, trading, and financial services industries. He has also served as a non-executive director of JSE listed companies.

Anesh Jogia - Chief Financial Officer

Age : 46

Appointed to the Board: 2023

Qualification: BCom Acc, PGDA, CA(SA)

10 years’ experience in the automotive industry 10 years in Metair Group

Mr Jogia qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2003 after completing his articles with Baker Tilley Morrison Murray. Thereafter he joined PwC’s consumer and industrial products division and gained extensive experience within listed and multinational companies. During his tenure at PwC, he served as the auditor in charge of the Metair audit and also spent 2 years in Birmingham, United Kingdom working on global industrial and automotive related companies.

 

Mr Jogia joined Metair as the group finance executive and member of subsidiary executive committees in 2013 during the Mutlu acquisition. He is primarily involved in operational and financial oversight of the group. Mr Jogia was appointed Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director of Metair on 31 May 2023.

Alastair Walker - Executive: Capital Sructure and Treasury

Age : 49

Appointed to the Board: 2025

Qualification: CA (SA), B. Com (Wits), Bachelor of Accounting (Wits)

Alastair has extensive private equity and corporate finance experience. After working for Deloitte in both Johannesburg and London, in 2004 he joined Anglo American Corporate Finance where was he involved on several high-profile transactions. In 2007, he joined the Brait Investment Team where he represented Brait on the boards of both UK and SA based portfolio companies.

 

Since 2018, he has been investing and partnering with several SA based entrepreneurs across a range of industries.

Johan Mouton - Chief Operating Office

Age : 63

Appointed to the Board: 2023

Qualification: BMW Management Development Programmes

Responsibilities: ATE, Automould, Smiths Manufacturing, Supreme Spring, First Battery, Mutlu Akü and Rombat

 

42 years’ experience in the automotive and logistics industries

Mr J Mouton has been appointed as the company’s COO on a fixed term contract, with effect from 1 October 2023. Mr Mouton served as the technical and logistics director at the BMW Group plant in Rosslyn from 2018 to April 2023.

 

Mr Mouton has a wealth of experience, over 40 years, in the motor manufacturing and logistics industry gained through various leadership roles, including, inter alia, director of painted body and press plant at the BMW plant in Oxford and Swindon (UK), vice president of body and press plant at the BMW Tiexi Plant in mainland China and assembly general manager at the BMW South Africa Rosslyn plant.

Wolfgang Ropertz - Chief Operating Officer

Age : 64

Appointed: 2023

Qualification: National Higher Diploma – Mechanical Engineering, MBA

44 years’ experience in the automotive Industry with 36 years in Metair Group

Mr Ropertz began his career in the Product Development department of Volkswagen South Africa in1986. He moved into the Auto Components supply Sector in 1988 when he joined Metair subsidiary, Smiths Manufacturing. He served as IT and Operations Director before being transferred to Lumotech (previously Hella South Africa) in 2007 where he served as Managing Director. He was appointed to Metair in 2023 to oversee the turnaround of Hesto Pty Ltd. He is currently responsible for Hesto, Lumotech and Unitrade in the group.

 

Mr Ropertz has a significant track record in the Automotive industry with in-depth experience in all manufacturing systems including Finance, IT, Supply Chain & Logistics, Project Management and Lean Manufacturing practises.

 

Mr Ropertz is a technically focused leader and has gained extensive experience across all aspects of the automotive manufacturing industry. He has served as Chairman of a number of institutions, SA benchmarking club, Durban Automotive Cluster, Eastern Cape Automotive Industry Forum.

Lauren Otto - HR Executive

Age : 46

Qualification: BA Humanities, Advanced Management Diploma

23 years’ experience in Human Resources Management within retail and automotive industries.

Sanet Vermaak - Company Secretary

Age : 58

Appointed to Metair: 1998

Qualification: B Comm (Fin M) AIRMSA

25 years’ experience in company secretarial and the automotive industry all with Metair

Ms Vermaak joined the company in August 1998 and was appointed as company secretary in March 2001 and group finance manager in July 2003. From 1 April 2015, she shifted focus from finance and was appointed as group risk and compliance manager. She completed her B Comm Financial Management degree (cum laude) in 2005 on a part time basis and has more than 23 years’ experience in the listed company environment.

 

Ms Vermaak has been appointed as group risk and compliance executive from February 2023.

GR Ting Chong - Alfred Teves Brake System

Age : 55

Qualification: National Diplomas in Industrial Engineering and Production Management, Certificate in Management (Henley College UK)

36 years’ experience in the automotive industry

16 years in Metair Group

Management, Certificate in Management (Henley College UK)

Mr Ting Chong joined Alfred Teves Brake Systems Pty Ltd in April 2008 as Manager: Operations until July 2009. He then moved to Manager: Purchasing & Logistics until December 2010, and in January 2011 was promoted as General Manager (Directorship Appointment). In January 2015 he was appointed as Managing Director. He is a qualified Industrial Engineer and has more than 36 years of Manufacturing/Automotive experience.

Bilall Ally - Automold

Age : 54

Qualification: National Higher Diploma – Mechanical Engineering

35 years’ experience in the automotive Industry

Mr. Ally Joined Smiths Plastics/Automould in August 2004 as the Process & IE Manager. Was promoted to GM Eng in 2008, Technical Director in 2012 & appointed as MD in Oct 2021. Holds a National Higher Diploma in Mechanical Engineering & has 35 years in the Automotive Industry.

Selvin Konar - Smiths Manufacturing

Age : 56

Qualification: BCom (Hons), MBA

37 years’ experience in the automotive Industry

 

37 years in Metair Group

Selvin Konar holds the position of Managing Director for Smiths Manufacturing and Managing Director and Chairman of DENSO Sales South Africa, a Joint Venture company that Selvin was instrumental in forming with DENSO Corporation, Japan. Selvin commenced his career at Smiths Manufacturing in 1987 and has 37 years’ experience in the Automotive Industry having had exposure in both the OEM and Independent Aftermarket sectors.

 

He has spent time in Marketing, Business Planning, Costing and Purchasing, and served as Supply Chain Director before being appointed as Managing Director in 2014. Selvin obtained a Bachelor of Commerce (Hons) from the University of South Africa (Unisa) and an MBA from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). Selvin is currently enrolled for the Doctoral programme at UKZN focussing on the Digital Transformation of Metair subsidiaries considering New Energy Vehicles.

Mark Barley - Supreme Spring

Age : 62

Qualification: Principles of Business Management, Toyota Executive Management Programme

43 years’ experience in the automotive Industry

 

43 years in Metair Group

Mr. Barley joined group in 1981 at National Spring and held various roles in the Technical and Sales Dept’s. When National Spring was incorporated into Supreme Spring in 1999 he became overall Sales Manager and was promoted to Sales Director in 2002. In 2015 he was promoted to Managing Director which is the position he still holds today.

Yesigan Chinapen - Unitrade

Age : 37

Qualification: BCom, Management Development Programme

15 years’ experience in the automotive industry

 

15 years in Metair Group

Mr Chinapen joined Unitrade 745 in December 2008 and held various roles within the organisation before being appointed as Director in March 2019 and Managing Director in September 2023. During his directorship, he has overseen major projects and a complete facility relocation. He completed his B Comm degree (UKZN) in 2010 and an MDP (UKZN) in 2018. He has more than 15 years’ experience in the wire manufacturing industry.

Russell Bezuidenhout - First Battery

Age : 57

Qualification:National diploma in Human Resources Management

36 years’ experience in the manufacturing industry

 

32 years in Metair Group

Mr Bezuidenhout joined First Battery in February 1992 in the Human Resources department. In January 2001 he was appointed to the board as the Human Resources Director a role he fulfilled until 2011 when he took over as the Commercial Director of the business. In November 2013 he was appointed as the company MD and in 2018 as the CEO. With 32 years of service and having served on the company board in several roles for the past 23 years he has a broad depth of experience in the battery business.

Alin Ioanes - Rombat

Age : 49

Qualification: Company Management, Masters in Management of Business Development, MBA

5 years’ experience in the automotive industry, 24 years in manufacturing

 

3 years in Metair Group

Alin joined Rombat SA in 2021 as CEO & Vice-President of the Board of Directors. A leader with over 20 years’ experience in international business environment. Previously he had been Managing Director & Member of the Board in various international companies.

He held various executive positions in manufacturing and consultancy. He holds an E-MBA and two master’s degree in management. His passion for sustainable businesses, for circular economy, it made him get involved in various initiatives.

Alex Holmes - Hesto

Age : 53

Qualification: MA (Hons) Cantab, Mechanical Engineering

29 years’ experience in the automotive industry

Jaco du Plessis - Lumotech

Age : 48

Qualification: IT Systems Architecture, MBA

24 years’ experience in the automotive industry

 

14 years in Metair Group

Dion de Graaff - AutoZone

Age : 52

Qualification: CIS, CiMA and MBA

33 years’ experience across varied industries and geographies