At Consulting Engineers South Africa’s (CESA) 64th Annual General Meeting held at the CESA Seminar in Johannesburg on Tuesday 7th November, Neresh Pather from Mott MacDonald Africa was inaugurated as President of the organisation for the next two years, succeeding Lynne Pretorius. Sugen Pillay, Managing Director of Zitholele Consulting was elected to serve as Deputy President of CESA for the same period.
Pather, a Statutory Director of Mott MacDonald Africa, currently heads up the Transportation Sector in their Africa Business Unit. He holds a BSc. Engineering (Civil) degree and a MSc. Engineering degree in Transportation and as such has led many transport and strategic infrastructure projects within the company.
He has more than 24 years’ experience in the industry. Prior to joining Mott MacDonald, Pather was the “CEO of PD Naidoo & Associates Consulting Engineers (Pty) Ltd” for a period of 12 years. He joined the company in 1997 and held a number of positions in the capacity of Director before becoming the CEO.
Pather paid tribute to outgoing CESA President, Lynne Pretorius saying, “Thank you for your contribution to CESA, for your commitment, sacrifice and hard work in dealing with some hard-hitting issues. CESA has been on a trajectory to answer some of the challenges our industry currently faces and you have led us ably from the front. Thank you to your company, ITS Engineers and to your family for allowing you to serve the industry for the past two years”.
“I am truly humbled by the privilege bestowed on me to lead our industry and I hope that CESA will be able to renew and reinvent itself to increase our relevance to our clients and especially to our young professionals who will ultimately take over the leadership of the industry. Our work on the Transformation of the Industry will definitely continue as we seek to broaden this in the years ahead, to ensure that CESA becomes more inclusive, relevant and able to put the industry at the forefront through ‘Effective Ethical Leadership”, he proclaimed.
Incoming Deputy President, Sugen Pillay graduated from the University of Natal with a BSc. Hons in Civil Engineering, sponsored through a bursary scheme offered by one of our member firms. He has since completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Civil Engineering and an MBA (cum laude).
Pillay is registered as a professional engineer, with twenty years’ experience in most facets of civil engineering including the project and programme management of multi-disciplinary projects, as well as design and implementation of roads and civil services, municipal infrastructure waste water treatment work power stations.