Trading Places

FAITH Lelaka is the new head of carmaker Volkswagen South Africa’s paint shop — the first black woman to head a production unit.

Lelaka started as a trainee in February 1999 and has spent most of her VW career in and around the paint shop. She has worked as a technician in the process lab, on the production line and in leadership.

She said: “I am honoured and humbled by the recognition I have received . . . As the new leader of this team, I know that a leader is just a team member with a bit more responsibility — being a part of a team is a core VW value.” WORK Dynamics, an organisational psychologist consultancy, has appointed Linda Nene as a nonexecutive board member.

Nene has many years’ experience in auditing and financial management. He holds a BCom in accounting and a postgraduate diploma in management, specialising in corporate governance, from Monash University. He is also a certified compliance professional. Nene has held senior positions in the internal auditing profession. He has been acting audit manager for BoE Bank, senior auditor at Engen Petroleum and supervising auditor for Chevron Oil South Africa responsible for the Africa, Pakistan and Middle East operations. FROM May 1, Sean Phillips will be the new MD of the Johannesburg Roads Agency, which is responsible for the maintenance, repair and development of Johannesburg’s road and storm-water infrastructure.

Phillips is a civil engineer with experience in performance monitoring and evaluation at national and municipal levels, coupled with operational management expertise within local roads authorities.

He has been CEO of the Municipal Infrastructure Support Agent, a component of the Department of Cooperative Governance, and was directorgeneral of the department of performance monitoring and evaluation in the Presidency. DORCAS Dlamini, the group sales director of Protea Hotels, has been appointed vice-chairwoman of the board of the Southern African Association for the Conference Industry.

The association is the umbrella body for the business events industry in South Africa.

Dlamini will head the organisation’s advisory committee, which is responsible for ensuring that its strategic plan is implemented effectively.

She said: “In addition to creating partnerships with similar bodies globally so that we can keep abreast of the latest trends, a large part of our work relates to improving the training and professionalism of the industry.”