Ms Lorato Phalatse (Non-Executive Chairperson: Transcend Corporate Advisors)

Lorato is an Executive Director of Nozala Investments, Transcend’s principal shareholder. She joined Nozala from the Office of President of the Republic of South Africa, where she was Deputy Director-General; Head of the Private Office of the President for 5 years. Immediately before that, she was Chief Director Management Services at the Gauteng Provincial Government.

Lorato has also worked at NedPerm Bank, the Women’s Development Bank, the Mvula Trust, Johnson and Johnson and Unilever. Lorato holds Bachelor of Arts majoring in Political Science from the University of Leeds and a Master of Arts in Developmental Studies from the University of York Development.

Dr Robin Woolley (Managing Director)

Robin is a specialist in corporate strategy development, black economic empowerment implementation and scorecard development. He is a visiting lecturer at the Gordon Institute of Business Science in the fields of strategy development. He was previously the director of executive programmes for one and a half years at GIBS. His PHD is in empowerment and he has consulted in organisational empowerment initiatives to a great number of medium and large-sized South African and multinational businesses. Robin has written a book on empowerment called Everyone’s Guide to BEE.

Robin holds a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Natal, an MBA from University of Witwatersrand and a PhD from DemontFord University.

Mr Bruce Hunt (Non-Executive Director)

Bruce is the Chief Executive of Ownership Solutions, a company that holds those parts of the old Ownership Solutions business not merged into Transcend. This business focuses on developing and implementing of transformational corporate ownership models. In particular, Ownership Solutions delivers democratic employee ownership scheme Bruce was responsible for developing and setting up the CIDA City Campus’s Empowerment initiative and negotiating CIDA’s business interests. He has lectured on Corporate Strategy for Milpark Business School’s MBA Programme and previously worked for Investec Bank for five years, managing and structuring the bank’s foreign asset and liability interest rate and currency positions.

Bruce holds a B.Comm degree from the University of Cape Town, is a Chartered Financial Analyst and has an MBA from Manchester Business School.

Ms Louise Paulsen (Independent Non-executive Director)

Louise is a strategist at the Industrial Development Corporation, where she is responsible for BEE strategy, support, policy development and review, as well as Corporate Wide Sustainability Strategy and IDC Wide Performance Management. Louise has previously worked for the National Department of Water Affairs and Forestry, the National Department of Housing and Wesgro.

Louise is active in Endeavour South Africa and holds a directorship at the WITS Business School Centre for Entrepreneurship. Louise was a nominee for the businesswoman of the year in 2009.

Louise holds a holds B.Soc. Sci (Hons) in African Studies (Urban Geography, Politics and Anthropology) from UCT. She also holds a masters degree in City and Regional Planning (also from UCT). She has also took part in the Nexus certificate programme at GIBS, and the Business and Poverty Programme at Cambridge.

Mr Rampa Rammopo (Non-Executive Director)

Rampa is the General Manager: Investments and Finance at Nozala Investments. Rampa has over 13 years’ of accounting and investment banking experience. He completed his training as an accountant at Ernst & Young in 1994 to join Goldfields of SA Limited as a Cost Accountant. In 1995 he joined FirstCorp Capital (now Ethos Private Equity) as a manager and served on the boards of FirstCorp’s portfolio companies. In 1997 Rampa joined African Merchant Bank as a senior Portfolio Manager in the Private Equity Division. Here he was responsible for many investment banking transactions, including the takeover of Radio Jacaranda from the SABC.

Rampa holds a BComm in Accounting and Business Economics from Wits University and a BComm (Hons) from Unisa.

Lisa Tait (Executive Director)

Lisa has been working as a consultant and legal adviser in empowerment for 11 years. Since completing her articles at Webber Wentzel Attorneys in 1992, Lisa has worked in many organisations, driving empowerment and transformation. She was previously the Transformation Manager at the Multotec Group of companies, a manufacturing concern, supplying strategic products to the Mining and Energy sector. She is an expert at strategic business services in empowerment, legal consultancy, corporate governance, compliance, ethics and public sector policy. Lisa specialises in the support of multinational companies as well as BEE due diligence investigations.

Lisa holds a BA LLB from the University of Cape Town.

Trevor Tshabangu (Executive Director)

Trevor is specialist in implementing sustainable empowerment strategies, as well as undertaking corporate BEE due diligence investigations. Trevor has supported a great number of medium and large companies nationwide.

Trevor has previously worked in the fields of retail, IT project management, change management and skills development. Trevor is a qualified Moderator in the skills development field and has experience at managing diversity issues.

Trevor holds a Dip IT Engineering (DCS), MAP (WBS) and an MBA from Milpark Business School.

Dr Lia Vangelatos (Non-Executive Director)

Lia is the Senior Business Development Manager for Anglo American Zimele Empowerment Initiative. She has filled various financial, management accounting, treasury and business development positions at Anglo American since she joined in 1979. In December 1999, Lia joined Anglo Zimele.

Lia holds a Doctorate in Business Leadership, a BCompt degree and an MBL.