Board Members

Philip Steyn: Chairman of the Board

Philip Steyn has a BSc in Business Mathematics and Informatics, BSc Honours in Computer Science and an MSc in Business Mathematics and Informatics (Majors: Bank Risk Management, Data-Mining & Statistics). While studying, he lectured at the PU for CHE and also at the Vaal-Driehoek Technikon. He completed his MSc with a project at ABSA in the field of Event-Driven Marketing. In July 2007 he started Multisoft Consulting (PTY) Ltd. Before starting his own consulting firm, he worked in various statistical and analytical implementation roles in the consulting services and financial services industries. The positions include senior manager of Credit Risk, and Management and Quantitative Modelling consulting at IQ Risk, as well as various roles at ABSA. His first role at ABSA was in the field of Customer Relationship Management and then in Enterprise-Wide Risk Management Development (recently changed to Group Credit, Portfolio Decision and Analysis). 

Prof Inger Fabris-Rotelli, PhD: Chief Executive Officer

Inger Fabris-Rotelli holds a PhD in Applied Mathematics from the University of Pretoria. She currently works at the Department of Statistics, University of Pretoria. Her expertise is Statistics and Applied Mathematics, specifically image analysis and spatial statistics. She is now an Associate Professor giving classes to third year and Honours students, as well as coordinating the postgraduate degrees within the department. She is currently supervising a number of Honours, Masters and doctoral students, each of whom are looking at a different application of the theory of spatial statistics. Some research topics include spatial analysis of crime, informal road detection using remote sensing, and doctoral supervisor capacity in academic statistics.

Dr Wilbert Chagwiza, PhD: Director

Wilbert Chagwiza is a data science manager at Standard Bank (SBSA) in the Fraud Risk Management department, specialising in machine learning models development to predict suspicious and fraud transactions both in South Africa and Africa region. Prior to joining SBSA, Wilbert worked as a senior data scientist at EOH Holdings heavily involved in machine learning models development for product marketing, insurance sales and credit score cards development. He is also involved in academia, which is supervising masters and doctoral students in the fields of statistics, data science & machine learning and financial mathematics at University of the Witwatersrand, University of Venda, National University of Science & Technology (Zimbabwe) and University of Lusaka (Zambia). He is also an external examiner at the University of South Africa, assisting MANCOSA and IMM in dissertation supervision. Wilbert holds PhD in Financial Mathematics from University of Venda, MSc in Financial Engineering from National University of Science & Technology (Zimbabwe), MSc in Operations Research from National University of Science & Technology (Zimbabwe), MComm in Finance from Great Zimbabwe University (Zimbabwe), BComm (hons) in Financial Modelling from University of South Africa and BSc(hons) in Mathematics from Bindura University of Science Education (Zimbabwe).

Jenny Holloway: Director

Jenny Holloway is a senior statistician at the CSIR. She joined CSIR as a bursar in 1990 and has more than 28 years’ experience working as a researcher at the CSIR. Her initial experience at the CSIR involved systems analysis, design and programming but, after a few years, changed to focus more on data analysis, involving a range of statistical techniques and other quantitative methodologies. Her current expertise lie in the research and application of statistics or other quantitative methods to complex problems, particularly in the area of time series modelling and forecasting, as well as the design and implementation of simulation models. She holds an MSc in Mathematical Statistics from the University of Cape Town.

Nico Katzke: Director

Nico Katzke is the Head of Portfolio Solutions at Satrix where he is involved in building out the research capacity of their factor portfolio and analytics offering, with research aimed at providing insight into how best to utilize factor signal information in a local context. He also works with the Investment Team in providing rebalancing and portfolio construction assistance. Nico has experience working on both the buy- and the sell-side, and before joining Satrix, worked at Prescient Securities, the BER, Fairtree and ASISA, while providing statistical consulting to the South African Reserve Bank and other institutions.

Nico earned a dual Master’s Degree (cum laude) from Stellenbosch University and Tuebingen University, Germany, after completing a BCom Honours degree in Mathematical Statistics and Economics. He is currently reading towards a Phd in Quantitative Finance at UCT, and is also an ICCSSA chartered statistician.

Nico has published a number of academic papers and have lectured Master’s level courses in data science, quantitative finance and finance part-time at the University of Stellenbosch, while also presenting research at international and local conferences. He was awarded first place for risk management in the 2020 Financial Mail rankings and achieved second place in the quantitative analyst category.

Anesu Gelfand Kuhudzai: Director

Anesu is a detail-oriented Statistical and Data Science Consultant with extensive hands-on experience acquired within private companies and top-tier academic institutions in South Africa, Zimbabwe, UK & China. Renowned for in-depth knowledge and application of statistical and machine learning techniques. He has assisted 1070 postgraduate students from honours to post-doctoral level and staff researchers pursuing various disciplines of research, with quantitative research designs, data analysis and interpretation of statistical results to enhance research output and publications. Anesu currently has 7 publications.

Athisha Lankesar: Director

Athisha Lankesar holds a BSc in Applied Mathematics and Statistics, and a BSc Honours in Statistics.

She is currently the Senior Advisor for Short Term Coal Supply Planning at Eskom. She is responsible for the short term coal supply plans, and the principal user of the optimisation model utilised in the planning process. A fundamental outcome of the coal supply plan is the stock days, which measure the coal stockpile levels available at Eskom coal fired power stations for electricity generation. She provides input into the long term primary energy coal supply plans, and actively engages with internal and external stakeholders on primary energy planning matters.

Athisha is a member of the South African Statistical Association (SASA) and is also an ICCSSA chartered statistician.

Katlego Tshepang Makgale: Director

Katlego Tshepang Makgale is currently a Board Member at Sanlam Staff Umbrella Pension & Provident Funds (SSUF), Risk Manager at Santam Insurance and Director at Debt Adjudicator. Since 2014. Katlego has a Hons in Statistics from NWU and Advanced Risk Management from UNISA.  He is a Risk and Audit Committee Member of SSUF.  A Investment Committee Member of SSUF.

Katlego has a passion and dedication in risk management profession and enjoys innovating around risk and return capital modelling, as well as providing risk assurance within an organisation.

Seasoned experience across various roles in the financial services industry. Many of which focused on Internal Model Validation, Enterprise Risk Management and Investment Risk Performance.

Marcia Mokaba: Director

Marcia Mokaba holds a BSc in Mathematics and Statistics and a BSc Honours in Statistics. She first joined Eskom in 2004 as a Graduate in Training. She worked at various sites of Eskom business as a Statistician, Senior Contracts Supervisor, Technical Plan Coordinator , Engineering Support Manager (Acting) and is currently a Senior Advisor (Business Strategy) at Eskom. In the years that she served at different sites of Eskom, she was exposed to various disciplines such as price forecasting, plant performance statistics, as well as project & contracts management. She is a member of the South African Statistical Association (SASA) and also has experience in offering statistics tutorial services at the University of South Africa. 

Mfundo Zwane: Director

Mfundo Zwane is a Data Quality and Analytics Specialist at the University of Cape Town. Mfundo holds a BCom in Accounting (UWC); Postgraduate Diploma in Public Sector Accounting (UCT); and a Postgraduate Diploma in Computer Software and Media Applications (UWC). He holds expertise in Public Finance, Data Analytics, Business Intelligence, Corporate Governance and Risk Management. Mfundo is passionate about the use of Science for Development and showcasing the social benefits of investments in Science. Mfundo’s research interest lies at the intersection of Big Data, Machine Learning and Supply Chain Risk Management.

Ex-officio Board Members

Ashwell Jenneker: Deputy Director-General, Statistics South Africa

Ashwell Jenneker has been the DDG for Statistical Support and Informatics at Statistics South Africa since 2008. The cluster exists to optimise the use of technology in the production and use of official statistics, to promote and provide better access to official statistics, and to support the production and use of official statistics. Ashwell started his career at Stats SA as a Statistical Training Officer before progressing to Deputy Director of Marketing, Acting Director of Communication for the Census 2001, Executive Manager of Statistical Information Services and Executive Manager of the Data Management and Information Delivery Project (DMID) before his DDG appointment. Ashwell is married and has two sons. His passion is clearly visible on the squash court. He has won numerous squash tournaments and currently plays in the Northern Gauteng squash team. He has a BSc (honours) in mathematics and a higher diploma in education from the University of Western Cape. He is a Fellow of the seventh class of the Africa Leadership Initiative-South Africa.

Dr Warren Brettenny, PhD: President of the South African Statistical Association

Warren Brettenny, Head of the Department of Statistics at Nelson Mandela University, was elected Vice-President of the South African Statistical Association (SASA) in 2020, and became SASA President in 2021 and completed his PhD in Mathematical Statistics at Nelson Mandela University.  Warren currently lectures postgraduate and undergraduate modules in data analytics and is supervising several Masters and PhD students and his research interests are in statistical applications in photovoltaics, resources allocation and efficiency assessments and finance.

Past Chairpersons of the ICCSSA Board

Yoko Chhana: Chairperson of the Board 2018 – 2021

Yoko Chhana holds a Master of Science (Mathematical Statistics) from University of KwaZulu Natal. She is a staff member in the School of Statistics and Actuarial Science at the University of Witwatersrand and the Past President of the South African Statistical Association

Dr Pravesh Debba, PhD: Chairman of the Board 2015 – 2018

Dr Pravesh Debba was born in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. He obtained a BSc degree with majors in Mathematics and Statistics from the University of KwaZulu Natal (UKZN) in 1991. He completed an Honours degree in Statistics from UKZN in 1992. He was then appointed at UKZN in the Statistics Department in 1993 and at the University of South Africa (UNISA) in 1994. In 1998, he completed an MSc degree in Biostatistics at Universiteit Hasselt in Belgium.

He was awarded a full scholarship from the Flemish Ministry of Education during this period. He then joined UKZN as a lecturer in Statistics in 2000. He completed his Ph.D. in Statistics in 2006 from the International Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation ITC and Wageningen University in the Netherlands. He was awarded a scholarship from ITC and grants from NRF Thuthuka during 2003–2008. In 2007, he returned to Unisa as an associate professor in the Statistics Department. In 2008, he joined the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research CSIR as a senior statistical researcher and promoted to principal statistical researcher in 2009. He is currently the manager of Inclusive Smart Settlements and Regions at the CSIR.

Dr Vincent Micali, PhD: Chairman of the Board 2012 – 2015

Dr Vincent Micali, with 37 years of varied experience in the energy industry, has a PhD from the University of the Free State in Extreme Value Theory (Statistics). Dr Micali is one of South Africa’s most knowledgeable people regarding quantitative techniques as applied to energy generation asset utilisation, performance management (target setting) and benchmarking. He plays a leading role in the measurement, estimation and contractual settings in Industrial Companies’ performance. He is also involved with instruments that use complex trending techniques, forecasting and risk analyses; these are applied with foresight and discrete expertise in achieving a delicate balance between enhanced performance, international best practice and hedging of business risks. Dr Micali is particularly interested in the field of measuring and analysing the production of energy behaviour. Born in Asmara (Eritrea) in 1951, lived and attended the French Lyceum in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) till 1969 and immigrated then to South Africa. He is married and lives in Johannesburg.