Speaker Profiles IRC Annual Conference 2024
(in order of appearance)
Leigh Roberts
B.Com, CA(SA)
Leigh is the CEO of the Integrated Reporting Committee (IRC) of South Africa and is the Chair of its technical Working Group. She has been deeply involved in integrated reporting in South Africa
and internationally. As a member of the Technical Task Force of the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC), she worked on the development of the Integrated Reporting Framework (International <IR> Framework) released in 2013, and as a member of the Framework Board she looked at its update and revision, released in 2021. She is a member of the Integrated Reporting and Connectivity Council. Leigh has co-authored two books with Professor Mervyn King: Integrate: Doing Business in the 21st Century (Juta) and The Healthy Company (Juta 2021). She regularly runs board and executive training workshops in South Africa and internationally. She has previously adjudicated for the CGISA IR Awards in the Top 40 Listed Companies category and has contributed to numerous publications internationally. Leigh is one of the founders of the IRC of South Africa.
Professor Mervyn King (FCG)
Professor Mervyn King (FCG), a highly esteemed figure in the field of integrated reporting, has been instrumental in shaping the global landscape of corporate governance. His contributions have not only elevated integrated reporting but also established it as a vital component of governance worldwide.
Prof. King is Chair Emeritus of the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) in London, Chair of the African Integrated Reporting Council, and Chair of the Integrated Reporting Committee of South Africa.
Professor Suresh Kana
Suresh serves as a Trustee of the International Financial Reporting Standards Foundation and is Vice-chair of its Integrated Reporting and Connectivity Council. He is the Deputy-chair of the IRC of South Africa and past Chair of the King Committee on Corporate Governance. He serves as chair and non-executive director on several listed company boards. He is a Trustee of The Constitutional Court Trust. Suresh was the CEO of PwC Africa, Chair of SAICA, Deputy-chair of IRBA, board member of the IAASB of IFAC, Chair of the South African standard-setter, the Financial Reporting Standards Council, and Chair of the Independent Oversight Advisory Committee of the United Nations World Food Programme.
Dr. Ndidi Nnoli-Edozien
Ndidi was appointed as a full-time member of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) in June 2022, effective 15 July 2022. Her career has been focused on building connections between business and sustainable development, working across multinational and indigenous companies, public institutions and civil society organisations—in Africa and Europe—to initiate sustainable development initiatives. She served as the inaugural Group Chief Sustainability and Governance Officer of Dangote Industries Limited—one of Africa’s largest manufacturing businesses—from 2017 to 2020. In this role, she was responsible for developing the company’s sustainability culture, strategy and reporting across 14 countries. Dr Nnoli-Edozien has also served on several boards, committees and initiatives focused on corporate culture, impact investing, sustainability reporting and governance. She has a PhD in social ethics, cultural adaptation, sustainability and governance from the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Germany and a Bachelor’s degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science, UK.
Mohamed Adam
BA LLB (Wits) LLM(Essex)
Mohamed is an admitted attorney and also holds an LLM in International Trade Law from the University of Essex in the UK. He held several positions in a professional and management role, and in February 2015 he joined ArcelorMittal South Africa Ltd as General Counsel and GM Regulation. His experience includes involvement in executive management, legal and compliance, ethics, corporate governance, sustainability and integrated reporting. He has been a member of the King Committee on Corporate Governance for many years and served on the King IV task team, and is currently the Deputy Chairperson of the King Committee. He is also the lead independent director of the board of directors of The Ethics Institute. He is the co-author, together with Dr Reuel Khoza, of The Power of Governance: Enhancing the Performance of State-Owned Enterprises (2005).
Corli Le Roux
Corli is an independent consultant focusing on sustainability and reporting in business and investment. Her earlier career includes more than 20 years in capital markets, during which she led the Johannesburg Stock Exchange’s (JSE) work and positioning in relation to sustainability.
Currently, Corli consults as a Senior Specialist to the United Nations Sustainable Stock Exchanges initiative, producing research and guidance for global stock exchanges on a range of sustainability topics; and as an associate of Six Capitals ESG Advisory, providing clients with ESG-related strategic research, analysis and advisory services. She has served on the GRI Global Sustainability Standards Board (GSSB) since 2019, and the judging panel for the Chartered Governance Institute of Southern Africa (CGISA) Integrated Reporting Awards since 2018. She is a Certified Director of the Institute of Directors South Africa and an honorary member of the IRC of South Africa.
Desiree Jones
Desiree is the founder and Managing Director of Alchemy Creative Studios, a corporate communications consultancy rooted in the belief that companies that communicate well, do well. Alchemy crafts impactful, meaningful and engaging content, specialising in integrated and sustainability reports for blue-chip companies. Her financial background and over 15 years in corporate reporting manifest in a passion for helping companies connect with their stakeholders through reporting that hits the mark. She has worked in the integrated reporting field since its inception in South Africa and continues to contribute to its evolution as a member of the Integrated Reporting Committee of South Africa’s Working Group.
Ronel Fourie
Ronel has extensive experience in corporate reporting. As a Partner in PwC’s Corporate Reporting Service Division, she trains clients and staff on IFRS and Sustainability Disclosure Standards, governance, and integrated reporting. She oversees the internal and client IFRS curriculum and stays updated on IFRS developments, translating her knowledge into practical solutions. Ronel is passionate about solving complex reporting challenges and enhancing global capital markets through corporate reporting. As a member of the PwC Global-CRS team and the IRC working group, she contributes to thought leadership on accounting and sustainability reporting matters.
Shaheed Osman
Shaheed is a partner at KPMG South Africa, a qualified CA(SA) and a registered auditor with IRBA. As the KPMG Africa ESG assurance lead, he focuses on the reporting implications of ESG-related matters and the assurance thereof. He is the engagement partner or quality reviewer on a number of listed ESG assurance engagements. Shaheed also serves on the KPMG global sustainability reporting technical topic team. Shaheed is a member of the IRC SA working group and the IRBA Sustainability Standing Committee.
Zanele Salman
MBA, Dipl Marketing Management, BSc (Hons) Chemistry
Zanele currently holds the position of VP Investor Relations at AECI. She is a seasoned executive with over 20 years’ experience in investor relations, marketing and business development working for corporations listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) and over two years as founder and director of Isibani-ci, an investor relations, strategic communications and business development firm. Zanele has worked for corporations like Sasol Ltd, Nampak Ltd and Barloworld Ltd, where she led projects and business initiatives extending the various elements of the value chain, giving her a comprehensive understanding of operations optimisation, strategy, project management, marketing and sales as well as the key factors that lead to improved performance. Zanele combines business management success with expertise of delivering proven value in executing complex strategic reporting and engagements.
Feroz Koor
Feroz Koor is the Group Sustainability Officer for Woolworths Holdings. Trained as a lawyer and with a BA LLB from the University of Witwatersrand, Feroz has been leading sustainability management since 2007, heading the function at Vodacom, then British American Tobacco and since 2017 with Woolworths Holdings Limited (WHL). He is currently responsible for driving the overall sustainability strategy and performance of WHL across its operations in Africa and Australasia, covering the Woolworths and Country Road Group businesses.
Johan Thyse
Johan is the Vice President of Sustainability and Reporting at Sasol. He holds a BA in Law degree and an LLB degree from the University of the Western Cape, as well as a MAP from Wits Business School. He earned a Master in Laws specialising in Climate Change Law and Policy, awarded with distinction from the University of Strathclyde in Scotland. Johan is a qualified attorney who joined Sasol in 1996 and has since held various leadership roles, including heading the Strategic Planning team at Sasol Oil. Notably, from 2008 to 2011, he was expatriated to Beijing, China, as part of Sasol Synfuels International, followed by an 18-month assignment in Calgary, Canada. Upon returning to South Africa in late 2012, he took on a role leading an interdisciplinary team focused on climate change policy, overseeing Sasol’s regulatory response. He transitioned to his current position in 2020.
Joshila Ranchhod
Joshila is an admitted attorney of the High Court after completing her degree she joined one of South Africa’s leading this is where she completed her articles and went on to serve as Legal Advisor at senior management level across a range of industries. Prior to joining Life Healthcare in 2019, Joshila served as Group Manager: Governance and Ethics at Sun International. During her tenure at Life Healthcare. Joshila has served as Corporate Services Manager, and most recently, as Head Governance and Ethics. She was appointed to the role of Company Secretary in February 2021.
Lee Swan
Lee has 19 years of sustainability and commercial experience. She is an experienced sustainability advisor with a Master’s Degree in Development Planning, a CFA Certificate in ESG Investing, a CFA Certificate in Climate and Investing, a CFA Investment Management Certificate (IMC) (Level I), and a number of other business and sustainability credentials. She has experience in the application of sustainability-based thinking in a variety of commercial sectors including management consulting, investment management, retirement planning, manufacturing, energy, mining, construction, aviation, real estate investment and infrastructure development. In addition to her passion for sustainable business, Lee is passionate about education. For the past ten years she has served as a Member of the Board of the LEAP Science & Maths Schools – a non-profit organisation with eight secondary schools, serving youth in impoverished communities, with a focus on building maths and science competence as well practical life skills for its learners. Lee is also the Chair of LEAP’s Remuneration Board Committee.
Jonathan Labrey
Jonathan is Chief Connectivity and Integrated Reporting Officer at the IFRS Foundation, leading the team responsible for the technical development and market adoption of the Integrated Reporting Framework and Integrated Thinking Principles. He has over 17 years of experience working in public policy, corporate governance and regulation in the accountancy and corporate reporting fields. Jonathan was responsible for global policy and strategy at the IIRC from 2012-2021 and the Value Reporting Foundation from 2021-2022. During this time, he developed a particular expertise in Asian markets, having worked across the region while living in Singapore. He has developed a deep understanding of capital market and corporate governance issues, working closely with businesses, investors, regulators and accountancy professional bodies. Jonathan led the public affairs and policy team at the ICAEW from 2004-2010. From 2010-2012 he was head of communications at the UK’s Financial Reporting Council. He graduated in Law from King’s College London and started his career in the UK Parliament as an advisor to several Members of Parliament.
Prof. Dr Stefano Zambon
Stefano (PhD, LSE) is Secretary General of the Italian Foundation for Business Reporting (O.I.B.R./WICI Italy), and Full Professor of Accounting and Business Economics at the University of Ferrara, Italy. He holds visiting and teaching appointments in universities of four continents. Stefano has more than 120 publications in four languages in books and international academic journals.
Professor Michael Bray
Within the Deakin University Integrated Reporting Centre, Michael is Director – Engagement and Advocacy and Director – Australian Business Reporting Leaders Forum (BRLF), Australia’s Integrated Reporting Community and a Reporting Stakeholder to the Australian Financial Reporting Council. Michael was previously a member of the Board of the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC), and an Executive of the IIRC, Value Reporting Foundation and IFRS Foundation. Before that he was a Partner of KPMG for 27 years. Michael is a member of the Expert Reference Groups for the International Auditing & Assurance Standards Board’s and International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants’ Sustainability Reporting Assurance Projects.
Professor Guler Aras
Guler is an academic and a civil society leader who leads key studies on finance, corporate governance, corporate sustainability, and integrated reporting. She founded the Center for Finance Governance and Sustainability and also started the ground-breaking initiative on Integrated Reporting Association Turkey, where she is still founding chair.
Guler is the founder and board member of numerous national and international professional and academic organisations and a member of the Accountancy Europe Corporate Governance Task Force. She has served as a consultant to several governmental and commercial institutions and serves as a board member of Turkish Capital Markets Association. She is the IIRC Ambassador and known as the ambassador of governance, sustainability and focuses on the education of the next generation of academics and business leaders who could promote sustainable solutions for societal and corporate challenges. In 2020, she was crowned one of the most inspirational women in Turkey.
Mark Hoffman
BCom (Acc) (Hons), CA(SA)
Mark joined Deloitte in 2019 as Partner Assurance Services, having previously worked with KPMG for 29 years. Mark has worked with over 150 organisations in implementing and improving their IFRS financial reporting and integrated reporting processes and systems. Mark has worked with more than 50 companies in IFRS accounting change, disclosure refresh, finance process solutions, complex transaction support (including BBBEE structures, capital projects, restructuring, mergers and acquisitions) and related financial reporting solutions. He has extensive experience on the development of IR processes, methodologies, report production, integrated assurance, King IV governance disclosures, as well as strategy, performance reporting, risk management, stakeholder engagement, governance and remuneration application.
Benjamin Joannou
Benjamin is a pioneer of digital investor relations reporting and communication in South Africa. He has consistently set benchmarks for digital reporting through software development and service deliver. Over the years, this has included innovative solutions ranging from leading corporate websites, cutting edge technical online reporting, communicating mergers, major corporate transactions, company unbundling to crisis communications. He has introduced feeds, utilities, tools and software to the South African market to enhance corporate reporting and ensures bridging the gap in communications between listed companies, their investors, stakeholders and analysts alike. His lead by example leadership style, coupled with being a strong integrator, have led to his appointment as Chief Executive Officer of Bastian Group.
Carolynn Chalmers
Carolynn is CEO of The ESG Exchange, founded by Professor Mervyn King. With 20 years expertise, she guides leaders in applying governance principles for organisational value. Formerly trained in Applied Mathematics, Ecology, Computer and Business Science, Carolyn has held various C-level Board and Executive roles across diverse international industries.
As the Co-editor of ISO 37000 – Governance of organisations, editor of ISO 37004 Governance maturity model and ISO 37014 – Group governance maturity, she shapes governance standards globally. Renowned for leading large scale organisational transformations and attributes her success to effective governance practices.
Erwin Groenendal
Erwin is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of dedicated experience in improving corporate reporting processes and enhancing online communication for large, predominantly listed companies. With a diverse background spanning roles from solutions architect to product director, and extensive consultancy experience in the field, Erwin has developed a deep understanding of the challenges and intricacies involved in modern investor relations. As a recognised thought leader in the industry, Erwin is a respected speaker at international investor relations conferences, where he shares valuable insights, research findings, and the latest trends in annual and sustainability reporting. His passion for innovation and commitment to driving positive change has cemented his reputation as an influential authority in the field. In addition to his role as a thought leader and speaker, Erwin is also the co-founder and product evangelist at Tangelo Software, a pioneering firm dedicated to empowering organisations with cutting-edge solutions for streamlined corporate reporting and enhanced stakeholder communication.
Logan Tait
Logan is a Sustainability Strategist with a background in entrepreneurship and innovation. At Ince, he collaborates with issuers to enhance transparency, accountability, and impact through integrated reporting and sustainability strategy. He holds a postgraduate degree in Sustainable Development from Stellenbosch University (Cum Laude). Logan focuses on aligning sustainability with business objectives through systems thinking to improve corporate reporting. He is passionate about using technology to optimise work processes, allowing people to focus on what makes them truly ‘human’, such as storytelling, creativity, and collaboration.
Adj Prof. Yvette Lange
MPhil Business Management (Responsible Leadership), CA(SA), CIA, CCSA
Yvette is an Adjunct Professor within the School of Accountancy (Wits University, Johannesburg) with a focus on development of the School’s executive level education. She is a member of the research team on integrated reporting and integrated thinking within the Wits School of Accountancy and is the co-ordinator and director of the School’s Chief Value Officer (CVO) programme which comprises courses on integrated thinking, value creation, outcomes-based governance and EER assurance.
Yvette is also currently a technical consultant for A4S in the areas of Knowledge and Technical as well as Education and Learning. Prior to her role at A4S and Wits, Yvette was in professional practice for several years as a Director within the Governance, Risk and Internal Audit team at PwC joining from PwC’s Sustainability and Integrated Reporting team. In 2018, she was seconded to the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) in the technical area.
Yvette serves on several local and global committees in the areas of integrated and sustainability reporting and related matters. She is a technical advisor to the IAASB (International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board), chair of SAICA’s Sustainability Technical Committee (South Africa Institute of Chartered Accountants), a member and past chair of the IRBA’s Sustainability Standing Committee (Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors), and a member of the working group of the Integrated Reporting Committee of South Africa. Yvette also serves as a judge on the Chartered Governance Institute of Southern Africa’s (CGISA) integrated reporting awards.
Fikile Zwane
Fikile is a Director in the Assurance Division at SNG Grant Thornton, bringing over 25 years of experience in providing assurance for non-financial information included in integrated and annual reports. She specialises in ensuring the accuracy and reliability of non-financial data prepared according to various standards, including the GRI Standards and TCFD disclosure requirements. Fikile has delivered assurance services across multiple sectors, including mining, retail property, and developmental institutions. To help her clients compile integrated reports aligned with the Integrated Reporting Framework, she evaluates their reports and provides insightful commentary that enhances the quality of the final product. Additionally, from an advisory perspective, she has guided clients in creating meaningful integrated reports that adhere to the principles of the Integrated Reporting Framework.
Jameel Essop
Jameel is a Partner within PwC’s Sustainability and Climate Change business. He has spent the last three years specialising in the Sustainability Assurance landscape across various sectors. Prior to this, he spent 12 years in the assurance practice where he worked on many listed clients which included dealing with multinational listed clients across different sectors. His experience in the assurance field has provided him with a detailed knowledge of assurance methodology and the subject matter applied in sustainability assurance engagements.
Jyoti Vallabh
Jyoti is a partner at Deloitte within the Assurance Services business unit, specialising in ESG assurance and reporting. She is a qualified chartered accountant with 22 years of experience in the accounting and auditing profession. Her past 13 years has been focussed providing sustainability assurance and advisory services to a cross sector of clients and industries. She has dedicated experience in providing external assurance in terms of ISAE 3000/3410 engagements on non-financial information, including green bonds assurance. From an advisory point, she has assisted clients in measuring the quality of their stakeholder relationships as well as helped them navigate the various reporting frameworks through gap analysis, benchmarking and sustainability reporting as well as impact measurement. Jyoti is also a member of the IRBA Sustainability Standing Committee and currently acting chair. The responsibilities of the committee include developing guidance for auditors performing sustainability assurance engagements.
Moshin Nana
Moshin Nana is a registered auditor and chartered accountant, currently serving as an Associate Partner at EY. With a robust expertise in providing external assurance over financial statements, Mohsin plays a pivotal role in ensuring the accuracy and reliability of financial reporting for his clients. His specialisation extends to sustainability assurance, where he helps organisations meet their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals.
Throughout his career, Mohsin has worked with a diverse range of clients across various sectors, including Telecommunications, Media and Entertainment, Financial Services, and Retail. His comprehensive understanding of these industries allows him to deliver tailored assurance services that address the unique challenges and requirements of each sector. Mohsin’s commitment to excellence and his strategic insights have made him a trusted advisor to many leading organisations, helping them navigate the complexities of financial and sustainability reporting with confidence.
Shaheed Osman
Shaheed is a partner at KPMG South Africa and a qualified Chartered Accountant (CA(SA)) as well as a registered auditor with the Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors (IRBA). He leads the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) assurance practice for KPMG Africa, focusing on the reporting implications of ESG-related matters and their assurance. As the engagement partner or quality reviewer, he oversees several listed ESG assurance engagements. Additionally, Shaheed is a member of KPMG’s global sustainability reporting technical topic team. He actively contributes to the industry with his involvement in the IRC South Africa working group and the IRBA Sustainability Standing Committee.