Eskom’s outgoing CEO André de Ruyter.
It takes “a leader with unquestioned integrity and ethics” with a track record of “turning around organizations with business and operational challenges” to take the helm at beleaguered electric power company Eskom de SA.
Eskom published a quarter-page advertisement on Sunday for a new group chief executive following the resignation of current chief André de Ruyter in mid-December last year. De Ruyter took up his role on Christmas Day 2019 and is the utility’s 11th CEO since 2007, when load shedding was first implemented.
“The job of CEO of the Eskom group in its current configuration is impossible. There is a lack of support and when this became clear to me, it became fundamentally untenable (to continue) due to the repeated attacks on me and Eskom’s strategy by of senior members of government,” De Ruyter told News24 after his resignation.
This followed a barrage of public attacks on him led by Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe, and the subsequent failure of Minister for Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan and President Cyril Ramaphosa to publicly support him and his management.
Requirements for De Ruyter replacement include:
- A postgraduate degree in engineering and business administration or economics (an MBA would be an advantage);
- At least 15 to 20 years of senior management experience;
- A strong track record in proactive crisis management;
- A leader with unquestionable integrity and ethics; and
- A track record in recovering organizations with business and operational problems.
The incumbent will be responsible for “building an ethos of excellence” and ensuring an “efficient and sustainable delivery of electricity supply.” He or she must also have a history of working in a “complex environment” and “lead a business change.” The deadline for applications is February 27.
READ ALSO | Eskom COO position to be eliminated after Oberholzer retires
The power company has been fighting to keep the lights on and load shedding has been implemented every day of 2023. SA’s ruling party, the ANC, has said it wants to end load shedding by the end of the year at re-prioritize the national budget and declare a state of national disaster.
De Ruyter’s nearly three years at Eskom have been marked by death threats, sabotage, relentless prosecutions and investigations, the Covid-19 pandemic and a major lack of urgency from the government to meet calls for additional capacity.
According to the job advertisement, Eskom employs 40,421 people and has an annual revenue of R246.5 billion. It has debts of just under R400 billion, Bloomberg reported.
