INTRODUCING NEW EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT TEAM (EMT) MEMBERS

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University of Botswana is going through a process of transforming into a High Performance Organisation owing to its new Strategic Plan (2020-2029) of Creating a Future for the Knowledge Generation. Implementation of the strategy has also resulted in new executive management positions: Deputy Vice Chancellor Teaching and Learning, Deputy Vice Chancellor Research and Enterprise, Chief Finance Officer and Chief Operations Officer.

PROFESSOR GEORGES-IVO EKOSSE Deputy Vice Chancellor Teaching and Learning

Deputy Vice Chancellor, Teaching and Learning Professor Georges-Ivo Ekosse who is not new to the University of Botswana is an experienced and accomplished Higher Education Leader, with over 35 years of experience in the field. He has held several leadership roles in different institutions of higher learning. He was Director of Research and Innovation, University of Venda (UNIVEN), responsible for Research, Innovation, Technology Transfer and Postgraduate Studies and former Director; Research Development at Walter Sisulu University (WSU), South Africa.

Professor Ekosse holds several qualifications including a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Soil Mineralogy from the University of the North and a Doctor of Technology (DTech) in Environmental Health from the Central University of Technology; as well as two Masters’ Degrees, Postgraduate Diploma, and several Certificates in Higher Education Management, Strategic Management, Project Management, Governance and Risk & Ethics. He is Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences (FAAS), Life Member of the Geological Society of Africa, Member of the Soil Science Society of Southern Africa (SSSSA), Southern Africa Research and Innovation Management Association (SARIMA), and Association Internationale Pour l’Etude des Argiles (International Association for the Study of Clays) (AIPEA). He has served as an Independent Expert to the African Union and its Working Group on Extractive Industries, Environment and Human Rights in Africa of the African Commission on Human and peoples’ Rights; Subject Matter Expert in Mining and Water with The World Bank/Association of African Universities (WB/AAU) Regional Africa Higher Education Centres of Excellence for Development Impact. In South Africa, he was the Deputy Chairperson of Limpopo Research Forum (LRF); Panel Member for review of Intellectual Property Rights from Publicly Financed Research & Development Act and National Intellectual Property Management Office (NIPMO); Panel Reviewer: Doctoral Degrees in South African Universities, Council on Higher Education (CHE) South Africa.

PROF. DOREEN RAMOGOLA-MASIRE Deputy Vice Chancellor Research and Interprise

Deputy Vice Chancellor Research and Enterprise, Prof. Doreen Ramogola-Masire is a Professor of Medicine and an Obstetrics & Gynaecology physician with subspecialist training in perinatal medicine. She has devoted most of the last two decades to studying the continuum of cervical cancer prevention, which supports her provision of clinical care and medical education. Her work has culminated in evidence that has contributed to change in policy locally and internationally regarding screening for, and management of cervical precancer.

Prior to coming to the University of Botswana Prof. Ramogola-Masire was the Country Director for Botswana UPenn Partnership for eight years. She joined the Faculty of Medicine (FoM) four and half years ago. Prof. RamogolaMasire’s primary role at the university was to set up the first office of research and graduate studies. The FoM office of research supported several researchers in their application for external funding and more than P50 million worth of grants were awarded by various funding agencies during this period.

Furthermore, over the last decade, Prof. Ramogola-Masire has attracted P150 million in externally funded grants as a principal investigator or a co-investigator working with various collaborators. She is actively involved in research and is currently leading a 5-year grant of P2 million a year funded by the USA National Cancer Institute.

Chief MR DAWID KATZKE Chief Operations Officer

Operations Officer, Mr Dawid Katzke holds BComm and MDP (With Distinction) from the School of Business Leadership, UNISA. He has also served in various Universities in Botswana and South Africa. He began his career at University of South Africa in 1974 as Director Finance. He went on to serve as Deputy Vice Chancellor, Finance and Administration at University of Fort Hare.

Mr Dawid Katzke then moved to the University of Port Elizabeth where he served as Executive Director, Finance and Operations.

In 2005, Mr Katzke joined the University of Botswana as Deputy Vice Chancellor, Finance and Administration before moving to the Botswana International University of Science and Technology in 2016 where he served in the same portfolio.

He is responsible for leading and undertaking the following: Transformational Operations Strategy, Operations Planning, Operations Policy, Functional Management, People Management, Human Resources, Facilities Planning and Management, Information Technology, Operational Quality Management, Corporate Records Management, Marketing and Communication, University Development and University Governance and Management as well as Project Management.

Chief MS PEO PILLAR Chief Finance Officer

Finance Officer, Ms Peo Pillar is a Chartered Accountant with 26 years practical experience in Finance, risk Management, internal and external audit. She holds Bcomm Accounting degree (UB), Management Development Programme (UNISA) and Masters in Financial Services (LSBF-UK). Ms Pillar’s career started in 1995 as an external auditor for PWC, then joined Mascom in 2000 where she served the company for 22 years of which 13 years was in financial accounting and nine years in assurance.

She has held Senior Management positions for 13 years in both Finance & Assurance. She was Chief Business Risk Officer at Mascom, the position she held for 9 years, earlier to leading the assurance function which she established, Peo was Deputy Chief Finance for 4 years still in Mascom. Ms Pillar has served in different boards in Botswana, she served Turnstar Holdings board for 10 years and chaired Finance, Audit and Investment Committee of Turnstar Holdings for more than 5 years. She was a Council member and a Treasurer at BICA for 2015/2016 financial year. She is currently a board member for BPOMAS sub investment committee and BPOMAS Property Holding , a Council member for Quantity Surveyors Registration Council and a board member for National Development Bank and she also chairs the Risk Committee at NDB.