Dr Thulani Dlamini is the new CEO at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
Dr Dlamini assumed his duties as the new CEO on 1 February 2017, having served in different positions in the organisation in the past.
He joined the CSIR in 2005 as the head of the National Laser Centre and, in 2008, was appointed to the position of Group Executive for Research and Development, a position he held until 2011 when he left to join Sasol.
At Sasol he was the Executive Manager: Research and Development and later became Vice-President for Strategic Research and Technology.
Dlamini holds a PhD in Chemistry from the University of the Witwatersrand and a Master’s in Business Leadership from the University of South Africa. He has also completed advanced courses in several aspects of technology management and the chemical industry, offered by institutions such as the International Institute for Management Development in Lausanne in Switzerland.
He was instrumental in the establishment of the Photonics Initiative of South Africa and the development of a national strategy for photonics research, development and innovation. He is a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa. Furthermore, he has served on numerous boards, including those of the Sasol Pension Fund, the Automotive Industry Development Centre, and Sasol Technology UK and Netherlands.
"I am excited about my return to the CSIR to take forward the excellent work of my predecessors. I look forward to working with our partners and the brilliant minds in the organisation. The CSIR is well positioned to have an impact beyond South Africa's borders, and it is my hope that, together with our global partners, we can deliver on the mandate of the CSIR to use science, engineering and technology to advance society and industry," says Dlamini.
CSIR Board Chairperson, Prof. Thokozani Majozi, says that the appointment of such a leader positions the CSIR for further success.
"The board is excited about Dr Dlamini joining the CSIR and we have full confidence in his leadership and management skills. He is the ideal incumbent to usher the CSIR into a new phase. He lands on solid ground, prepared by his predecessors. He can only succeed. We would like to thank Dr Molefi Motuku, who has done a sterling job in leading the organisation as the Acting CEO since October 2016. He will, henceforth, be resuming his duties as the Group Executive for Research and Development," says Majozi.
