Former Telkom heavyweight joins Eskom

Eskom has announced the appointment of Len de Villiers as its chief information and technology officer, along with three other new executives at the state-owned power utility.

CEO Dan Marokane says the four new executives will help address current business challenges and future-proof the entity to enable growth and long-term sustainability.

De Villiers holds a wealth of experience in CIO positions at prominent South African organisations, including the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Absa, Nedbank, and Telkom.

He also served as chairman of the CIO Council of South Africa for more than four years. He has been appointed to Eskom on a three-year contract.

“He has over 40 years of experience in the Information Technology industry and is considered one of the top Chief Information Officers in South Africa,” Eskom said in a statement.

“He has extensive experience in the financial services industry and complex technology change projects and is expected to assist our business in embracing the pace of digitalisation, the use of artificial intelligence, and increased levels in areas of cybersecurity.”

The state-owned power utility added that the new appointments are part of its efforts to align its executive execution capability and capacity to focus its skilled people on delivering value quickly.

“Eskom recognised that it needed to bring in some new skills at the executive level to guide its teams in the business so it can execute strategic initiatives in a competitive market faster, more efficiently, and in areas which are new to the utility,” said Marokane.

“I have been impressed with the volume and calibre of applicants who were willing to be associated with our brand. Our new executives had a choice of who they could work for. They chose Eskom.”

Other new executive appointments include Portia Mngomezulu as group executive for corporate affairs, Nontokozo Hadebe as group executive for strategy and sustainability, and Roman Crookes as group executive for group capital.