Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter's post is up for grabs. Apart from having to report to the chairman of the board, serve as a member of the group executive committee and executive director of the utility giant, you will also have to put up with constant scrutiny from the media and public (and experts who graduated “summa cum laude” from the University of Facebook), and there's also the odd death threat, sabotage and that pesky load shedding.
De Ruyter resigned in December. Eskom board chairperson Mpho Makwana said: “De Ruyter has agreed to stay for an additional period beyond the stipulated 30-days’ notice to ensure continuity while we urgently embark on a search for his successor. His last day at Eskom will be March 31, 2023.” The announcement was made following the country’s 192 720-minute-long tussle with rolling blackouts.
According to the advert, “Eskom’s core business is to keep the lights on and maintain appropriate levels of Energy Availability Factor (EAF). He/she will be responsible for strategic leadership and financial sustainability of the organisation, with particular emphasis on pro-actively shaping the future of Eskom. They will also be responsible for building an ethos of excellence and continuous improvement in the provision of the highest levels of customer service within a dynamic market environment.“
The ad continued: “Key to this role will be effectively partnering with the Chairman, Board, Executive Committee and relevant stakeholders to ensure that Eskom’s strategies are financially prudent and operationally focused to ensure efficient and sustainable delivery of electricity supply.”
So, the ideal candidate “should possess a track record working in a complex environment leading a business turnaround, ideally within emerging markets”.
He or she should also have a postgraduate degree in engineering, business administration/economics, or a suitable qualification on NQF level 8 with 480 credits, a solid track record in mitigating systemic risks and proactive management of crises, a leader with unquestionable integrity and ethics, and a demonstrable and sustainable track record of turning around commercially and operationally challenged organisations.
Personal qualities? Well, the job advert states that the ideal candidate “must be a disciplined and goal-oriented professional with proven leadership experience at Executive level with personal integrity, must be able to take calculated risks and make tough decisions and must have excellent communication, motivational and negotiation skills”.
Salary? According to engineeringnews.co.za, the total salary of executives at Eskom for the year ended March 2021 was R11.9 million. So it’s an attractive package.
IOL