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Arthur Mutambara
Professor at University of JohannesburgProf Arthur Mutambara will be doing a Keynote Address.
Professor Arthur Mutambara is the Director and Full Professor of the Institute for the Future of Knowledge (IFK) at the University of Johannesburg (UJ). He is a world-renowned roboticist, academic, author, Pan-Africanist and technology strategist. Professor Mutambara is also the Director of IFK’s Decentralised Artificial Intelligence and Control Systems (DAICS) Research Group and drives the African Agency in Public Health (AAPH) initiative within the Future of Health (FoH) Research Group.
He is the Former Deputy Prime Minister of Zimbabwe and was one of the three Principals who created and led the Government of National Unity (GNU) from 2009 to 2013. The other two were Prime Minister Tsvangirai and President Mugabe. He is the author of a new trilogy (three books): In Search of the Elusive Zimbabwean Dream: An Autobiography of Thought Leadership. Mutambara has also published two Electrical Engineering books used extensively in the United States, Europe and Asia. He has worked as a Research Scientist at NASA, a Visiting Professor at MIT, and a Managing Consultant with McKinsey & Company, in the United States.
At UJ, Mutambara has taught Control Systems in both the Mechanical Engineering and Electrical & Electronic Engineering Departments, where he has received outstanding reviews from both students and peers. He has conducted Engineering seminars and public lectures across the continent and globally. Prof Mutambara is a Chartered Engineer, a Fellow of the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET), a Professional Engineer, a Fellow of the Zimbabwe Institute of Engineers (ZIE), a Fellow of the Zimbabwe Academy of Sciences (ZAS), a Senior Member of IEEE and a WEF Young Global Leader. Professor Mutambara holds a PhD in Robotics and Mechatronics (1995) and an MSc in Computer Engineering (1992), both from the University of Oxford, where he was a Rhodes Scholar. He graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Electrical Engineering (1990) from the University of Zimbabwe.
John Bicheno
Professor at University of BuckinghamProf John Bicheno will be doing a Keynote Address as well as presenting a Workshop titled: Muda, Muri, Mura
Benefits of attending the Workshop:
An understanding of Kingman’s queue equation, sometimes known as the equation of lean since it establishes the links between Muda, muri (overload or utilization) and mura (variation). The game has been highly rated at three previous European Lean Educator Conferences and at APICS conference.
John Bicheno was born in South Africa and graduated with Engineering degrees from Wits University. He spent 12 years in industry and local government in South Africa in the areas of project and design engineering, management services, operations research, and operations management. One of his jobs was Chief Solid Waste Engineer, where he was line manager for 1200 people and 400 vehicles. He then joined the Division of Industrial Engineering at Wits University and became Associate Professor and Head in 1984. In 1987 he emigrated to England, and took up a position as Senior Lecturer in Operations Management at the University of Buckingham. He became a Reader in 1990 and was Dean in 1992. He has lectured to Masters students at Warwick Business School, Cranfield University, London Business School, Swansea University, Cardiff Business School, Politecnico di Milano Graduate School of Business and at Fachhochschule Wedel and has supervised over 200 Masters dissertations. Between 1999 and 2012 he was Programme Director of the MSc in Lean Operations at the Lean Enterprise Research Centre, Cardiff Business School. This is believed to be the first Masters Degree in Lean in the world. He was then Programme Director of the MSc in Lean Enterprise at University of Buckingham from 2013 – 2015. John’s books have sold over 130,000 copies. These include Implementing JIT, Cause and Effect Lean, Six Sigma and the Quality Toolbox, the Lean Games book and Operations Management (with Brian Elliott.) A new (fifth edition), The Lean Toolbox, 5th edition was published in 2016 co-authored with Matthias Holweg of Oxford University. In 2021 he published Human Lean, the topic of his keynote address.
Relevant professional and academic qualifications:
BSc(Eng)(Witwatersrand); GDE (Ind Eng)(Witwatersrand); MA(Systems)(Lancaster); MBA (Bradford), CFPIM (APICS); FSAPICS
Andrew Kirby
President & CEO of Toyota South AfricaAndrew Kirby will be doing a Keynote Address at the conference.
After graduating as a Mechanical Engineer from the University of Cape Town in 1988, Andrew joined Anglo America to pursue engineering in the Gold Mining Industry. After gaining his Professional Engineer qualification he joined BMW South Africa in the Motor Industry in the Service Division. He gained experience in service, parts and retail operations along with valuable insight into the challenges and value of re-engineering and change management projects.
Andrew was afforded the opportunity to study an executive PMD course at Harvard Business School and then moved to the USA working for BMW North America for three years. He returned with his family to South Africa in 2000 and headed up the areas of Product Planning, Parts Operations and Brand Management.
In 2005 he joined Toyota South Africa Motors as Senior Vice President for Sales and Marketing, managing the Toyota, Lexus and Hino brands. At the beginning of 2011, he moved to Japan to take on global responsibilities for managing and leading the Lexus brand. (Offices in Nagoya, Toyota City and Tokyo). He lived in Nagoya with his family and returned to South Africa in July 2013.
On his return from Japan, he took over responsibilities for the Corporate Administration team with offices in Sandton, Johannesburg and Prospecton in Durban where the Toyota manufacturing facility in based. During this period he was responsible for Finance, IT, HR, Corporate Affairs and Corporate Planning. In January 2016, Andrew was appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, assuming responsibilities for all operations and then in April 2016 appointed as President and CEO.
Andrew is the Chairman of the Toyota South Africa Board (TSA) and Toyota South Africa Motors Board (TSAM). Andrew also serves as a Director on the Toyota Financial Services South Africa Board (TFS) and Kinto South Africa Board.
Andrew served as the President of naamsa* in 2018 - 2019 and in 2020. He is currently serving as an Office Bearer in his capacity as the Immediate Past President. He is also serving as the Vice President of the AAAM#.
* naamsa : National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa, The Automotive Business Council
# AAAM : African Association of Automotive Manufacturers
Vanya Jansen
National Distribution Center Manager at PEPVanya Jansen will be doing the Keynote address at the Conference Dinner.
Vanya is a dedicated Supply Chain Professional with a passion for solving problems and making a difference in the lives of the people she serves. Vanya was born and raised on the Cape Flats and graduated with a BTech degree in Human Resource Management after matriculating. During her tenure at the university she served on various student bodies and was recognised for her contribution to the student community with the University’s Student Leader of the Year Award in 2003.
Her career started with the finance union where she represented workers to ensure their rights were protected and thereafter she found herself being attracted more and more to the supply chain where she fulfilled both HR and Operations roles in the manufacturing and logistics industries. Today, Vanya is the National Distribution Centre Manager at Pep Stores and has extensive experience with multiple system go-lives, deployment of new facilities and retrofitting older ones and more recently led the flood disaster recovery team at one of the facilities that was badly impacted in KZN.
Vanya is a Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) through Sapics and holds qualifications in Project Management, a BTech in Human Resource Management, a BCom Honours in Industrial Psychology, and a PGDip in Business Management. In 2019 she was selected through W&R Seta to participate in an International Leadership Development Programme from which she graduated Cum laude. Currently, Vanya is registered as an Industrial Psychology Student with HPCSA while she aims to complete her Masters in Industrial Psychology in 2023.
Gemma Dawson
Quantum Community Advocate at IBMGemma Dawson will be presenting the Workshop titled: Quantum Computing for Industrial Engineers together with Unathi Skosana
Many believe that quantum supremacy, the time where quantum computing is provably superior to classical computers, is not that far off. What does this mean for Industrial Engineers? Join Gemma to learn the basics of quantum computing before taking on and solving simple real-world challenges using IBM Quantum systems.
Benefits of attending the workshop are that you will:
1. Learn what are quantum computers, how do they differ from classical computers and for what they are used.
2. Better understand the IBM Quantum offering and its roadmap towards Quantum Advantage.
3. Gain hands-on experience in using the IBM Quantum Lab, a cloud-enabled Jupyter notebook environment, to solve various real-world problems.
Gemma Dawson is a Quantum Community Advocate at IBM. With degrees in Statistics, Applied Mathematics, and Operations Research, her most recent challenge is taking on Quantum Computing. Filling the position of Vice President (2019) and President (2020) for the Operations Research Society of South Africa (ORSSA) among other volunteer work - Gemma is passionate about community building and knowledge sharing and is skilled in explaining complicated topics.
Unathi Koketso Skosana
Quantum Research Scientist Intern at IBMUnathi Skosana will be presenting the Workshop titled: Quantum Computing for Industrial Engineers together with Gemma Dawson
Many believe that quantum supremacy, the time where quantum computing is provably superior to classical computers, is not that far off. What does this mean for Industrial Engineers? Join Gemma to learn the basics of quantum computing before taking on and solving simple real-world challenges using IBM Quantum systems.
Benefits of attending the workshop are that you will:
1. Learn what are quantum computers, how do they differ from classical computers and for what they are used.
2. Better understand the IBM Quantum offering and its roadmap towards Quantum Advantage.
3. Gain hands-on experience in using the IBM Quantum Lab, a cloud-enabled Jupyter notebook environment, to solve various real-world problems.
Unathi is a Quantum Research Scientist Intern at IBM. He is also a student of physics at Stellenbosch University, where he completed MSc in 2021, with research interests spanning quantum optics and quantum information science. In his spare time he is a tsundoku virtuoso and enjoys going on long walks.
Gomolemo Mohapi
Cloud Advocate at MicrosoftGomolemo Mohapi will be presenting the workshop titled: Create your own App through the Microsoft Power Platform together with Irene Agnes Saji (DSV Global Transport & Logistics – Product Manager) and Michael Fok (Santam Insurance – Knowledge Analyst) and some iOCO technology support consultants.
The workshop centers around that in today's world you need to react quickly to the changing environment - you want the ability to build a digital solution to meet your requirements quickly. With Microsoft Power Platform, you can build great apps without writing code and enhance those Apps even further with low-code additions. This is what we aim to teach you in a 2-hour hands-on workshop.
Benefits of attending the workshop are that :
1. You will learn how to digitize and optimise processes through easily building and deploying your own custom App through the Microsoft Power Platform.
2. You will learn and realise how easily you can connect to and share data through your custom App via multiple data sources.
3. You will become familiar with the ingenuity of individuals and organizations that have created and adopted a vast array of no- and low-code solutions using the Microsoft Power Platform across various industries.
Gomolemo has an Advanced Diploma in ICT Applications Development from the Durban University of Technology and is a young, passionate individual who has always been involved with initiatives that seek to upskill people from all walks of life with the ability to use technology to better themselves in the way that they live and work. Today, he is a Power Apps Cloud Advocate at Microsoft focusing on making the Power Platform space amazing for citizen and code-first developers of all backgrounds.
Feel free to listen and read more about Gomolemo ahead of the conference through these Microsoft sites:
- https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-learn-blog/empowering-gomolemo-mohapi-s-journey-from-student-to-microsoft/ba-p/1628145
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPPAKf0qp4Y
Irene Saji
Product Manager at DSV - Global Transport and LogisticsIrene Saji will be presenting the Workshop titled: Create your own App through the Microsoft Power Platform together with Gomolemo Mohapi (Microsoft – Cloud advocate) and Michael Fok (Santam Insurances – Product Manager)
The workshop centers around that in today's world you need to react quickly to the changing environment - you want the ability to build a digital solution to meet your requirements quickly. With Microsoft Power Platform, you can build great apps without writing code and enhance those Apps even further with low-code additions. This is what we aim to teach you in a 2-hour hands-on workshop.
Benefits of attending the workshop are that :
1. You will learn how to digitize and optimise processes through easily building and deploying your own custom App through the Microsoft Power Platform.
2. You will learn and realise how easily you can connect to and share data through your custom App via multiple data sources.
3. You will become familiar with the ingenuity of individuals and organizations that have created and adopted a vast array of no- and low-code solutions using the Microsoft Power Platform across various industries.
Irene is an Industrial Engineer who graduated from the University of Pretoria. She is a certified Agile Project Management and Change Management Practitioner. Irene is originally from Queenstown in the Eastern Cape and moved to Gauteng for her studies. She started working at DSV Global Transport and Logistics (Johannesburg) as a Graduate Engineer in 2018 and is now an Innovation Product Manager. Her portfolio includes Robotic Process Automation, and more recently Microsoft Power Platform. She was part of the team that implemented the first robot for DSV in Africa. Irene has a passion for innovation and wants to help people work smarter, not harder.
Michael Fok
Knowledge Specialst at Santam InsuranceMichael Fok will be presenting the Workshop titled: Create your own App through the Microsoft Power Platform together with Gomolemo Mohapi (Microsoft – Cloud advodate) and Irene Saji (DSV Global Transport & Logistics – Product Manager)
The workshop centers around that in today's world you need to react quickly to the changing environment - you want the ability to build a digital solution to meet your requirements quickly. With Microsoft Power Platform, you can build great apps without writing code and enhance those Apps even further with low-code additions. This is what we aim to teach you in a 2-hour hands-on workshop.
Benefits of attending the workshop are that :
1. You will learn how to digitize and optimise processes through easily building and deploying your own custom App through the Microsoft Power Platform.
2. You will learn and realise how easily you can connect to and share data through your custom App via multiple data sources.
3. You will become familiar with the ingenuity of individuals and organizations that have created and adopted a vast array of no- and low-code solutions using the Microsoft Power Platform across various industries.
Michael is an Industrial Engineer with a bachelors degree from the University of Pretoria, he has dedicated his life to make an imprint on the world before he leaves it. He is infatuated with technology and loves to ‘look-under-the-hood’ of ground-breaking technologies. He has over 2 years experience building Microsoft Platform solutions by the dozens, and helping to maintain them ten fold. In his spare time he loves to indulge himself in good food, fitness and games.
Constance Chijara
Business Scientist at Vuuma CollaborationsConnie Chijare will be presenting a Workshop titled: Value Driver Trees: Top Down Thinking in Problem solving together with Stephen Anyera Ojango and Jean-Marc Kruger
Connie Chijara is a Business Scientist at Vuuma Collaborations. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of the Witwatersrand in 2019 in Industrial Engineering. Her professional journey started out with an internship at Vuuma Collaborations during her final year of university. She later joined the Vuuma Collaborations team at the end of her undergraduate studies.
Throughout her time at Vuuma Collaborations, she has been developing skills in implementing the Operating Model, Operations System Capability, and various tools for business improvement. Some of the key roles she has fulfilled include leading our expert thinking and implementation of Value Driver Trees, implementation of the Operating Model and Training delegates in the Vuuma Collaborations Experiential Game (SiMINE). Some of the major deliverables include simulation models for a mine and Value driver tree projects.
Jean-Marc Kruger
Business Scientist at Vuuma CollaborationsJean-Marc Kruger will be presenting a Workshop titled: Value Driver Trees: Top Down Thinking in Problem solving together with Stephen Anyera Ojanga and Constance Chijara.
Jean-Marc Kruger is an Industrial Engineer and business improvement professional at Vuuma Collaborations, where his focus is on advancing Systems Thinking, Lean and Six-Sigma principles and Operational Systems Capability methodologies across multiple industries. Sustainability in mining, manufacturing and agriculture is a key interest for him, and he believes that advancing Circular Economy systems across these industries will help us build a sustainable future. He graduated from the University of Pretoria in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering.
Estie Boshoff
Industrial Engineer at KIRAZ PartnersEstie Boshoff will be presenting a Workshop titled: How to get from scaffolding to scenery
Benefits of attending this Workshop:
1. Background on taxonomies, ontologies and knowledge graphs.
2. Why they are useful and what you can use them for.
3. Hands-on of the tools that you would need to create these taxonomies, ontologies and knowledge graphs
4. Applying some NLP (Natural Language Processing) on the data to ensure you don't have contradictory relationships or don't introduce duplicate entries (in terms of intention and not necessarily word for word)
5. Discussion on other areas that this could be beneficial to
Estie Boshoff (Pr. Eng.) was born in Meyerton, South Africa, in 1989. She received a B.Eng. degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Pretoria, South Africa, in 2013, and registered as a professional engineer in 2021.
In 2014, she joined Altron Group based in Cape Town and worked in various roles in Quality Assurance, Process Analyst and Data Management Consultant (and a bunch more unofficial roles in various projects – Business Analyst, Data Analyst, Data Governance Analyst, Agile Coach) in industries that include, Telecommunication, Higher Education, Insurance and Entertainment.
She joined KIRAZ Partners in January 2022 as Industrial Engineer and is currently working in the ESG (Environmental Social and Governance) space where it intermingles with Data Management.
Her current interests include biomimicry, ontologies, business processes, data, regenerative design and scaling. Estie is a passionate and enthusiastic person and has worked on projects large and small and always finds a way to apply some Industrial Engineering superpower to the task.
Jessica Murray
Management Consultant at 4xcellence solutionsJessica Murray will be presenting a Workshop titled: GO Bowtie - become a risk management super hero
Benefits of attending this Workshop:
1. Learn how to use the bowtie risk management methodology to manage your risk in any industry.
2. 1 month free license to Go Bowtie software.
Jessica Murray is an ECSA registered Industrial Engineer who qualified from the University of Pretoria. She has more than 12 years experience in various industries such as petrochemical, mining and logistics. She currently works as a Management Consultant for 4xcellence Solutions.
Stephen Ojango
Business Scientist at Vuuma CollaborationsStephen Anyera Ojango will be presenting a Workshop titled: Value Driver Trees: Top Down Thinking in Problem solving together with Constance Chijara and Jean-Marc Kruger
Benefits of attending this Workshop:
1. Development of a top down thinking approach to problem solving
2. Understanding the value of having a core objective/goal that drives the organisation
3. Developing an appreciation of collaboration in problem solving
4. Developing an understanding and appreciation of leading and lagging indicators in Organisational Improvement
Stephen Ojango is a business scientist working at Vuuma Collaborations and has recently completed his Masters degree in Industrial Engineering at the University of the Witwatersrand. His heart and drive stem from the desire to help those in need around him and so he strives to have an impact and make a positive difference in their lives. Projects and challenges he has worked on, have centered around process design and strategy with a focus on the more people and work flow aspect of things as he believes people hold the power to make the most impact.
While at Vuuma collaborations, he has been able to grow in understanding Operations Management Systems and work performance measurement and how the two inevitably affect workflows, strategies and the success of organisations.
His goal is to become a world class problem solver capable of coming up with and conveying new innovative ideas while fixing known ideas and concepts. Ultimately, he would like to help develop policies and structures that cater to and sustain those in need in society.
Bontle Tladi
Lecturer at University of the Witwatersrand, JohannesburgBontle Tladi is a panel member at the Panel Discussion.
Bontle Tladi is a Lecturer at the School of Mechanical, Industrial and Aeronautical Engineering, where she primarily teaches Industrial Engineering Design. She is an Industrial Engineer by training (having obtained her BSc and MSc in Industrial Engineering from Wits); an aspiring design theorist; and has a keen heart for coaching and facilitation - which has motivated her completion of programmes in Business Coaching and Social Entrepreneurship (both from the Gordon Institute of Business Science). Her industry experience spans the areas of Supply Chain, ICT, and general business optimisation. Her research interests are broadly in the extension of design to the areas of social impact and social innovation. She is a PhD candidate at the University of Pretoria, where she is researching the following topic: "Co-creation of social value: a narrative inquiry into relational models of social innovation". She is a member of the Southern African Institute for Industrial Engineering (SAIIE) Council.
Irshaad Vawda
CEO of EWB-SAIrshaad Vawda is a panel member at the Panel Discussion.
A creative-thinking, analytically-strong and ECSA registered Industrial Engineer with a strong System Engineering background, and experience in large and small energy projects (particularly renewable energy) in various leadership roles and companies.
Passionate about leveraging “hard” engineering disciplines together with “soft” social approaches to create innovative, efficient, resilient and responsible businesses and infrastructure.
Nosipho Gumede
Senior Lecturer at North West UniversityNosipho Gumede is a panel member at the Panel Discussion.
Nosipho Gumede is an entrepreneur (Founder of WAME Consulting), a registered professional engineer and Senior Lecturer (North West University). She has qualifications in Metallurgical Engineering and Industrial Engineering from the University of the Witwatersrand. Nosipho started her career as a Metallurgist in coal mining and after five years in the mining industry she transitioned to Business Improvement & Consulting. She has done Business Improvement and Consulting work in iron ore mining, primary healthcare, education, occupational health, SHE Management, corporate affairs and mHealth. Her purpose is to apply engineering principles in diverse sectors to make a positive impact in society.
Hannes Du Toit
Snr Project Manager: Community Engagement at North West UniversityHannes du Toit is a panel member at the Panel Discussion.
Hannes du Toit is responsible for facilitating Engineering in Context Module for 3rd year students and is Project manager to coordinate community projects. In short, he is an Initiator, Manager, Lecturer, Program Designer.
He tries to equip students and community members to approach life with a helicopter view, namely ask questions and debate with others to establish the purpose and context of knowledge. Once you have the bigger picture of things, you can identify what route to follow to reach your destiny in the most effective manner. He tends to support his students to develop skills that can be applied in real-life situations. He therefore based his teaching strategies on Project-Based Learning-, Self-Directed Learning and Cooperative Learning principles to get his students actively involved in the learning process.
In his 8 years of working in industry, as well as the 28 years of working at North-West University (NWU) as academic, he has always been involved as the change agent to generate new ideas in strategic projects. After finishing his NHDipl (National Higher Diploma in Mechanical Engineering), he started his career at AEC (Atomic Energy Corporation) as part of a research and development team to use laser technology in a uranium enrichment project. Moving to Denel, Kentron, he specialized in the field of Metrology, developing aeroplane navigation systems for the local and international industry.
At the NWU he continued his role as a change agent in the Faculty of Engineering, from the development of new training systems, refurbishments of several facilities; designing new marketing strategies; designing integrated learning training programmes in several departments in the 28 years at the faculty.
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As a self-directed learner, he constantly strives to improve his competence attending workshops and short courses local and abroad to maintain international perspective and vision. This took him on a journey attending and presenting in the US, Netherlands, Denmark, the UK and local.
He developed skills to design multi-level, multi-discipline, project-based training programmes.
Justin Yarrow
Exec Director of SuperScientistsJustin Yarrow is a panel member at the Panel Discussion.
Dr Justin Yarrow is the founder of SuperScientists, a project of the NPO CodeMakers. Trained as a PhD scientist, Justin started CodeMakers in 2015 to provide hands-on STEM education and coding education to young people in low-income communities. Through this programme they taught hundreds of young people creating coding and translated the free coding education software Scratch into isiZulu. SuperScientists was created to solve the problem that when young people are asked to name a scientist, most say Einstein or no one. Drawing scientists and science champions as superheroes, the project speaks a language that young people understand and shows the importance and power of scientists. SuperScientists has drawn over 60 scientists and created trading cards, activity books, calendars, a comic, and soon a travelling exhibit. Over 20,000 materials have been distributed to young people in South Africa and beyond. They hope that early career scientists will one day point to SuperScientists as the reason they started a career in STEM.