Lesedi Executive Committee
Led by industry experts, our team combines technical insight with hands-on experience to deliver integrated, future-ready energy solutions
OUR TEAM
With years of experience in both brownfield and greenfield projects, Lesedi is ideally placed to respond to clients’ integration requirements of existing systems and processes.
Francis Carruthers
Executive Director
Francois Billot
Non-Executive Director
Ludovic Devos
Chairman of the board & Non-Executive Director
Leon Van Wyk
Chief Executive Officer
Qualifications
Qualifications: Master of Engineering in Chemical Engineering; Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering (Cum Laude).
Career Summary
An innovative Professional Mechanical Engineer with 15 years of experience in the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) industry. Leon began his career with Eskom, focusing on the return-to-service of decommissioned power generation units. He later concentrated on environmental compliance, supporting Eskom’s overarching compliance technology programme and its implementation. Leon also played a significant role in resolving major design defects at Medupi and Kusile, Eskom’s latest two large coal-fired stations. In 2018, he joined Lesedi to focus on business development and strategic objectives before being appointed Chief Executive Officer in 2023.
Interests
Leon enjoys spending time with family and friends. His hobbies include reading, DIY projects, golf, and playing various instruments.
Shane Pereira
Executive: Business Development
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Business Science (Marketing Honours Degree)
- Advanced Diploma in Organisational Leadership
Career Summary
Shane graduated with honours from the University of Cape Town in 2004 before beginning his career as a Marketing Analyst at Intens Engineering. He joined Lesedi as Marketing and Communications Manager in 2005 and later took on additional responsibilities to head up Lesedi’s Business Development Department and strategy portfolios for B-BBEE and localisation in 2012.
Shane plays a key role in structuring commercial business strategies for Lesedi and positioning its nuclear and industrial engineering, as well as project management capabilities, to successfully execute turnkey EPC contracts in the power, mining, and oil and gas sectors globally.
As part of Shane’s broader portfolio, he has taken on responsibilities for localisation, supplier development, and B-BBEE within the company, ensuring that Lesedi contributes meaningfully to socio-economic development and remains at the forefront of localisation expertise. Shane also heads up the Lesedi brand and leads the company’s communications efforts.
Shane served as Chairperson of the Public Relations Subcommittee and Exco Member of the Nuclear Industry Association of South Africa (NIASA) from 2013 to 2018, and he currently sits as an Advisory Board Member for the annual African Utility Week and Power Generation Africa Conference.
Interests
- Travelling and exploring diverse cultures and languages
- Fluent in French
- Enjoys beautiful landscapes, good food, fine wine, and whiskey
- Sports and spending time with like-minded people
Natasha Africa
Human Resources Executive
Qualifications
Qualifications: BCom Human Resources; Honours Industrial Psychology.
Career Summary
Natasha’s career commenced in 2001 in Human Resources within the nuclear engineering sector, a trend that persisted throughout her professional journey. Having consistently headed HR departments in engineering and related sectors, her expertise became synonymous with managing HR functions in these specialized domains. She also spent one year leading Operations at the Lesedi Skills Academy, expanding her knowledge in learning and development. Upon returning to Lesedi’s Head Office, Natasha resumed her leadership role within the HR team, further solidifying her position as a seasoned Human Resources Executive. Her career trajectory highlights her adaptability and proficiency in navigating the complexities of HR management within the dynamic engineering and projects landscape.
Interests
Gardening, music, historical real-life dramas, and offering HR advice to support and empower others in their professional endeavours.
Nicky Van der Poel
Senior Executive: Outage Services
Qualifications
Qualifications: Higher Diploma in Business Management & Financial Management; various short courses in Taxation, Accounting, and Payroll; Executive Development for Females at Graduate Business School.
First of a Kind Moments – Career Highlights
- First Board Seat at age 34
- Joined the Lesedi Exco in 2011 – first female at Executive Level in Lesedi
- Joined the Lesedi Board in 2014 – first female board member (later joined by CFO and HR Executive)
- Joined the International Resource Management Advisory Board (IRMA), representing Lesedi internationally
- 2011 & 2013 – nominated by peers as “Most Inspirational Woman” in Lesedi Nuclear Services
- 2019 – CEO Departmental Award
- 2019 – International Supplier Award for support to the USA
- 2020 – CEO Departmental Award
Career Summary
Nicky has built a solid career through various financial and administrative positions. She joined Lesedi in 2003 as Financial Manager, a role she held for five years, before taking on the challenge of heading local and international nuclear outage services in 2009. To date, she has successfully completed over 75 international outage interventions and more than 20 outages at Koeberg Nuclear Power Station. Her core team consists of 45 nuclear supervisors, technicians, and artisans, scaling up to around 200 people during outages. In 2015, Nicky established the Lesedi Skills Academy, serving as Managing Director, and has overseen accredited training for over 1,100 students and 114 apprentices.
Interests
Nicky values family and friendships deeply. She supports several community initiatives, including the Pencil Bag Project (stationery for Grade 1 learners), St Georges Home for Girls, TLC cancer support at Tygerberg Hospital, and Douglas Murray Home for the Aged. She is also passionate about the development of females in the workplace, gender equality, and continuous growth through education and self-upliftment.
Jeremy Summers
Executive: Risk, Governance and Integration
Qualifications
- B.Eng, Electronic Engineering (University of Pretoria)
- B.Eng Honors, Electrical & Electronics Engineering (University of Pretoria)
- Programme for Management, Business Administration & Management (GIBS Business School)
Career Summary
Jeremy has nearly twelve years of experience managing multi-disciplinary projects, with full responsibility for the control and instrumentation (C&I) portion of the projects he has worked on. He has delivered successful projects across the mining, nuclear, and energy sectors.
Roles & Responsibilities
- Lead C&I design responsibilities and deliverables.
- Manage & mentor a team of C&I engineers and technicians.
- Project engineer on smaller projects (design + schedule + budget).
- Ensure multidisciplinary alignment and project integration.
- Manage E&I team resource loading & allocation.
- Facilitate HAZOP studies when required.
- Helped develop the division’s engineering design process.
Strengths
- C&I & E&I technical leadership
- Project integration & execution
- Team leadership & resource management
- Process safety / HAZOP facilitation
Greg Nichollas
Executive: Corporate Development and Strategy
Qualifications
Mechanical Engineer
University of Cape Town – South Africa
Bachelor of Science in Engineering
Professional Engineer
Registered Professional Engineer (Pr.Eng) with the Engineering Council of South Africa
MBA
University of Cape Town – South Africa (Graduate School of Business) – 2002–2003
Masters in Business Administration
- Awarded Old Mutual Gold Medal for Academic Excellence
- Finished in top group of MBA year
- Majored in Finance and Strategy
Career Summary
Greg is an all-rounder with excellent engineering and technical skills coupled with outstanding finance and commercial abilities. He manages commercial activities within Lesedi Nuclear Services.
Greg has a degree in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA – both from the University of Cape Town (UCT). He is a registered Professional Engineer and has over 30 years of experience.
He has experience in the consulting sector as well as the EPC and project execution sectors, having worked on projects across the globe, including:
- Cape Town
- Mauritius
- Azerbaijan
- United Kingdom
- Cuba
Greg resides in Cape Town but has previously lived and worked in both Mauritius and the UK for extended periods.
Interests
- Golf (ardent golfer)
- History – First and Second World Wars
- MotoGP (real motor racing)
- Rugby (avid Springbok supporter)
- Architecture and Property Design
Kobus Griesel
Managing Executive: Industrial
Qualifications
Qualifications: Bachelors Degree in Mechanical Engineering (University of Pretoria); Honours Degree in Management of Technology (MOT) (University of Pretoria); MBA (GIBS Business School).
Career Summary
Graduating in 2004, Kobus started his career in the Defence Industry. An outcome-driven individual, he developed an interest in the management side of engineering solutions, fuelled by the challenges of delivering complex projects. In 2010, he joined Powertech IST as Proposals and Project Manager for industrial projects in the mining sector and at Eskom. In 2017, Kobus returned to the Defence industry as Executive Manager: Projects, gaining invaluable experience as part of an Executive Team operating in a volatile market, with a strong focus on international business. In February 2021, he joined Lesedi as Senior Project Manager for industrial projects, building strong client relationships and expanding business in the mining and commercial sectors. Kobus is passionate about customer service and aspires to create an environment where employees feel at home and can excel for their personal growth and Lesedi’s clients.
Interests
Family time with a glass of red wine around a big fire, camping, spending time in the bush observing South Africa’s wildlife, Formula 1, rugby, golf, and enjoying a good movie on a rainy day.
Corne Welgemoed
Managing Executive: Oil, Gas and Power
Qualifications
- Master of Business Management & Administration (MBA), Cum Laude — University of Stellenbosch
- Bachelor of Chemical Engineering with Mineral Processing — University of Stellenbosch
Career Summary
Corné Welgemoed brings over 18 years of engineering and strategic leadership experience, with a focus on early-stage industrial project development. His expertise spans process engineering, business strategy, and project finance—especially within the energy, mining, and industrial sectors.
Corné is passionate about turning ideas into impactful solutions. He has led multi-disciplinary teams, developed innovative business models, and designed tailored engineering systems aligned with market needs and emerging technologies across sub-Saharan Africa. He is also the co-inventor of a U.S.-granted patent for energy optimization, reflecting his commitment to sustainable innovation.
With a Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering and an MBA (Cum Laude) from the University of Stellenbosch, Corné combines technical depth with strategic insight. He thrives on solving complex challenges and driving meaningful change through smart, integrated engineering and business development.
Interests
Outside of work, Corné is passionate about living an active, balanced lifestyle centred on family and the outdoors. He enjoys spending quality time with loved ones and pursuing hobbies that keep him connected to nature and movement.
Fly fishing and kayak fishing are personal favourites, offering both challenge and tranquillity on the water. Corné is also an avid runner and cyclist. When indoors, he enjoys fly tying—blending creativity and precision to craft patterns for future adventures.
Jaston Sikaundi
Managing Executive: Grid & Renewables
Qualifications
- MBA with Distinction (UCT Graduate School of Business)
- MSc Engineering, Electrical Engineering (UCT)
- BSc Engineering, Mechatronics with Honours (UCT)
- Advanced Diploma in Organisational Leadership, with Distinction (TowerStone)
- Project Management Professional (PMP®) — Project Management Institute
- Sainsbury Management Fellow
Career Summary
Jaston is an engineer-turned-executive with more than a decade in the power and energy sector, holding full P&L accountability for Lesedi’s Grid & Renewables Business Unit. He serves on the Lesedi Executive Committee and is a director of Lesedi Renewables Africa and Lesedi Utilities.
He began his career as a Teaching Assistant at UCT and, after completing his MSc, worked as a Control Systems & Mechatronics Engineer — at Caudwell Marine, where he was later promoted to Project Manager for emissions control, and at Optimal Energy on the Joule electric-vehicle programme. He went on to found Makgathle Trading and to supervise MBL research projects at UNISA, before joining Lesedi as a Proposals Engineer and progressing through Proposals Manager and Commercial Executive to his current role.
As Commercial Executive, Jaston led the commercial function across proposals, estimating and procurement, drove Lesedi’s signed order book to a company record, and raised proposal compliance from around 70% to over 90% — recognised as CEO’s Employee of the Year in 2021. He then established Lesedi’s Renewables Business Unit from the ground up and grew it into a revenue-generating division, delivering one of South Africa’s first residential solar PV and battery microgrid power services. He has since expanded the unit’s mandate into transmission and distribution, enabling Lesedi to deliver end-to-end energy solutions across generation, grid and renewables.
Interests
- Tennis
- Gym
- Business books & biographies
- Soccer (Manchester United supporter)
- Networking events
- Exploring new places & restaurants
James Swift
Managing Executive: Nuclear
Qualifications
- Post Graduate Diploma – Leadership – Cum Laude
- M. Eng. (Energy, Turbo Machines) – Cum Laude
- B. Eng. (Mechanical)
Career Summary
James has more than 20 years’ experience in the power sector, backed by excellent academic and career achievements. He started his career in 2004 as a Thermal Fluid Simulation Design Engineer and joined Lesedi Nuclear Services in 2007, where he has been part of various divisions and projects within the company. He has strong business acumen and a proven track record in Engineering, Project Management, Business Project Development, and Sector/Divisional Management.
His current role is Managing Executive: Nuclear Division, and his recent experience includes Senior Project Manager for the Steam Generator Project (SGR) and Project Manager for the Refueling Water Storage Tanks (PTR), both at Koeberg Nuclear Power Station.
Other experiences in James’ portfolio include:
- Power Sector Lead for the Cape Region at WorleyParsons
- Project Manager for feasibility studies of gas turbine projects in Nigeria, Mauritania, Namibia, and Mauritius
- Business Development in the Power Sector and contribution to bids/tenders in Gas Turbine, Nuclear, Coal, and Renewables technologies
- Project Engineering on low p