COUNCIL MEMBERS

WARWICK VAN BREDA: BUSINESS RESTRUCTURING SPECIALIST

APPOINTED TO COUNCIL: 2011
QUALIFICATIONS: BEcon LLB LLM (STELL)
NATIONALITY: SOUTH AFRICAN

Warwick joined the St Alban’s College Council as an Old Albanian representative in March2011. An attorney/solicitor by profession, he trained and worked in corporate finance at Clifford Chance LLP in London for several years. He returned to South Africa to take up a position as the general counsel to the founding entitles of the JSE listed Torre Industries Group and subsequently moved into executive management and advisory roles within various JSE listed entities. In 2013, he co-founded Reed Edge, a boutique corporate finance advisory firm providing specialist treasury and advisory services to targeted clients.

VEN. REV. DR L MESHACK T MARIRI: ARCHDEACON OF PRETORIA EAST

APPOINTED TO COUNCIL: 2014
QUALIFICATIONS: BACCALAUREUS ARTIUM HONORES (BTH HONOURS) (PTA), MAGISTER ARTIUM (MASTER OF ARTS IN THEOLOGY), POVERTY AND DEVELOPMENT COURSE (HOPE AFRICA/FARANANI WITH UNIVERSITY OF KWAZULU-NATAL); PHILOSOPHIAE DOCTOR (PHD) (PTA)
NATIONALITY: SOUTH AFRICAN

Meshack currently serves as Archdeacon of Pretoria East. His primary responsibility is as aide-de-camp to the Bishop; listening, advising, and discerning with him on matters of diocesan life, relying on a high level of trust. Specific areas of focus include transition ministry, reconciliation work with parishes and clergy, parochial development and diocesan visioning.

Meshack is also Rector of Corpus Christi, Garsfontein, is a Member of the Chapter of the Cathedral Church of St Alban the Martyr, Pretoria, is Diocesan Director of Training For Ministries (TFM) Chaplain of the Diocesan St Lawrence Servers Guild and serves on the following committees: Diocesan Standing Committee (DSC), Diocesan Board of Finances (DFB), Diocesan Board of Trustees (DTB), Diocesan Executive Committee and Tumelong Mission and Development Governing Body.

ADVOCATE NEIL KEARABETSWE MODINGWANA: SENIOR ASSOCIATE

APPOINTED TO COUNCIL: 2017
QUALIFICATIONS: LLB (UP)
NATIONALITY: SOUTH AFRICAN

Neil is a senior associate in the Johannesburg office of Herbert Smith Freehills SA LLP, a global legal practice. He specialises in the areas of project finance project development, general commercial law and broad-based black economic empowerment (B-BBEE, within the South African context). Neil has experience and expertise in various aspects of public private partnerships (PPP) and infrastructure projects, including the energy finance. He has also advised on the renewable energy independent power producers (RE IPP) Procurement Programme, in South Africa.

Neil is an admitted Attorney of the High Court of South Africa and has previously worked at Webber Wentzel, a leading South African law firm, prior to which he trained and worked at Ledwaba Mazwai, another leading South African law firm. His experience includes advising on several transactions in Southern Africa – advising local and international lenders as well as development finance institutions. He serves on several boards and committees of the Anglican Diocese of Pretoria and serves as the Diocesan Deputy-Registrar of the said diocese.

THIRU PILLAY: MANAGING DIRECTOR

APPOINTED TO COUNCIL: 2016
QUALIFICATIONS: BSC ENGINEERING MAJORING IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
NATIONALITY: SOUTH AFRICAN

Thiru is the Managing Director of the Consulting Business of Deloitte in Southern Africa. He also ran the Strategy & Innovation practice in South Africa for 6 years, establishing Deloitte as one of the leading strategy players in South Africa.

Thiru has previously been on the Board of the Southern African firm. His industry focus is Energy and is the firms Lead Client Service Director for Eskom. In his consulting professional, he has led and advised a wide range of projects, e.g. transformation programmes, strategy development and implementation initiatives, various business improvement projects and technology implementations.

CHARL WIID: BANKER – COMMERCIAL PROPERTY FINANCE

APPOINTED TO COUNCIL : 2017
QUALIFICATIONS : C.A. (SA), B COMM, B COMM HONOURS (CTA), FPI, PLD (HBS)
NATIONALITY: SOUTH AFRICAN

After completing his accounting articles at KPMG, Charl started at Investec in 1999 as an external consultant in the Pretoria banking business. Six months later he was part of a team that started a new business in the Private Bank called International which serviced internationally wealthy clients. This business evolved into a property finance business where he was an external consultant and then the team leader of the Pretoria business.

In 2008, Charl became the Regional Head of the Pretoria Private Banking branch. He later also took on the role as Head of the national property finance business. Charl is now dedicated to the role as National Head of the commercial property finance business of Investec Private Bank.

MICHAEL GUY CROFTON HOPKINS: MANAGING DIRECTOR

APPOINTED TO COUNCIL: 2018
QUALIFICATIONS: NHDIP (CIVIL ENG.)
NATIONALITY: SOUTH AFRICAN/IRISH

Guy is currently the Managing Director and a Shareholder of Trollope Mining Services. The company operates in the Roads & Earthworks, Heavy Civils, Open Cast Mining and Crushing & Screening sectors, predominantly in the South African and Botswana markets. Guy also looks after the operation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Guinea Conakrey in West Africa through a Mauritian owned entity called Brute. Brute is a contract mining company operating in the open cast copper and bauxite sectors of the industry.

His previous experience is 18 years with Group Five in the Roads, Plant and Mining sector and 5 years with LTA Civil Engineering on the Heavy Civils side.

MIKE KNOLL: PROFESSIONAL ARCHITECT

APPOINTED TO COUNCIL: 2018
QUALIFICATIONS: B. ARCH. (PR. ARCH) M.I.A.
NATIONALITY: SOUTH AFRICAN

Mike is a qualified Professional Architect, registered with the appropriate statutory bodies with 44 years’ full-time experience. He has recently retired from BILD Architects, one of the oldest architectural practices (115 years), in South Africa and is now in private practice at home. He has extensive experience in the broader field of architecture – from concept design, detail design, technical documentation and contract administration.

Mike has fulfilled the role of either Principal Agent or working under a Project Manager on a very diverse range of building projects encompassing retail, corporate, commercial, educational, medical, residential, industrial and specialized buildings.

GRAHAM WHITTY: CEO OF EMVAFRIKA (PTY) LTD 

APPOINTED TO COUNCIL: 2020
QUALIFICATIONS: BCOM (UCT), BPHIL SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (STELL)
NATIONALITY: SOUTH AFRICAN

Graham has been the CEO of EMVAfrica since 2015, and has held numerous other senior positions in the business since 2004. He has been a key part of the leadership team that has overseen the growth of the business into one of the leading stockists and distributors of stainless steels, special alloys, and industrial valves. In addition he servers on the board of directors of the company’s subsidiary company Multi Alloys, as well as on the board of the South African Stainless Steel Development Association where he is the vice-chairman. In April 2020 Graham took on the role of Chairman of the Old Albanians.

LEAH LEDWABA: IT SPECIALIST

APPOINTED INTO COUNCIL: 2019
NATIONALITY: SOUTH AFRICAN

Leah Ledwaba joined St Alban’s College’s Council in 2019.  She is an ex-Albanian, after completing sixth-form at the time when it was offered at the college.  Her professional qualifications are a bachelor degree and a business management post-graduate certificate. Leah‘s career life was spent in the Information Technology space, working for multinationals that were original equipment manufacturers, as well as holding several positions at management consulting firms.  In 2017, she founded a company that is in the supply of petroleum and petroleum derivatives products.