PAST’S PEOPLE

Andrea Leenen has been employed by PAST for over a decade in various management positions. She holds an Honours degree (with distinction) in Archaeology and Anthropology and a M.Sc. degree (with distinction) in Palaeontology from the University of the Witwatersrand.

Robert Blumenschine holds a Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of California, Berkeley. Dr Blumenschine is also a Professor of Anthropology at Rutgers University and has co-led palaeo-anthropological research at Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania for over two decades.

Ann joined PAST in 2008 and is an integral part of the daily operations of the organisation. She not only assists the office of the CEO, but is also responsible for the management of the Walking Tall Educational Project bookings.

PAST's accountant, is a retired accounts executive of Anglo American, and the former financial director of Computer Share Services.

Mike has held various management positions at Anglo American plc for over four decades. He is presently Chairman of Link Market Services SA (Pty) Ltd and Trustee, Treasurer and Office Manager of PAST.

Professor Bamford is the Deputy Director and a Reader for the Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research at the University of the Witwatersrand. She holds memberships to a variety of professional bodies and associations, including PAST, the Palaeontological Society of Southern Africa; the Royal Society of Southern Africa; International Association of Wood Anatomists; International Organization of Palaeobotany; Botanical Society of South Africa; South African Committee on Stratigraphy - Biostratigraphy; SASQUA (South African Society for Quaternary Research) and PAGES (Past Global Changes).

Dr. Johann Neveling, geologist and palaeontologist at the Council for Geosciences in Pretoria, has a wide knowledge of the stratigraphy and vertebrate fossils of the South African Karoo basin. He works on a variety of projects with other palaeontologists in this area and also on younger sediments and faunas. As the immediate past president of the Palaeontological Society of southern Africa he has also been active in developing government policy on palaeontology.

Margaret is a palaeoecologist with a D.Phil. from Stellenbosch, and is an Honorary Associate of the Iziko South African Museum in Cape Town. Dr Avery applies fossil micro-mammalian evidence to understanding the environmental background of human biological and technical evolution in South Africa.

Jackson Njau is a palaeoanthropologist and the principal curator at the National Natural History Museum in Arusha, Tanzania. He holds a Ph.D. in Anthropology from Rutgers University, and is currently a Postdoctoral Research Scholar at the University of California, Berkeley. His research interest is understanding the impact of predation from large carnivores on the evolution of early hominids.

Dr Bob Brain is a palaeontologist with wide interests in natural history. He is the author of almost 200 publications in this field, including several books, and is currently an Emeritus Curator at the Transvaal Museum in Pretoria, South Africa, an institution at which he has spent much of his working life and where he served as Director for 23 years.

Phillip Vallentine Tobias is Professor Emeritus of Anatomy and Human Biology at the University of the Witwatersrand, and one of the world's leading authorities on the evolution of humankind. Professor Tobias has been nominated for a Nobel Prize on three occasions, has received 17 honorary doctorates, and was awarded the Order of Meritorious Service of South Africa by former president Nelson Mandela.

Johnny Clegg - also known as 'Le Zulu Blanc' (or the White Zulu) - is an award-winning singer, songwriter, anthropologist (he studied and taught anthropology at the University of the Witwatersrand), activist and French knight. A Grammy-nominated musician, Clegg is passionate about African history, stories and performance.

Valli Moosa was born in Johannesburg in 1957. He completed a B.Sc. degree in 1979 with majors in mathematics and Physics.

Valli was an active participant in the South African freedom struggle. He was detained without trial on numerous occasions for his opposition to Apartheid. He served a member of the National Executive Committee of the African National Congress. He served on President Mandela's team which negotiated the peaceful transition from Apartheid to democracy in 1994. Valli played a central role in drafting the new South African Constitution. He served the first democratically elected government as Minister for Constitutional Development in President Mandela's cabinet from 1994 to 1999, and, as Minister for the Environment from 1999 to 2004. He hosted the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002 and served as Chairman of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development in 2003.

In 2004 Valli retired from government to join the private sector. He is currently Chairman of Lereko Investments and Sun International. He also serves on the boards of Anglo Platinum, Sanlam and Imperial Holdings. He is also a principal of the Lereko Metier Capital Growth Fund. He previously served as Chairman of Eskom. Valli served as the President of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) from 2004 to 2008. He served as a member of the Global Leadership for Climate Action under the Chairmanship of President Ricardo Lagos of Chile until 2009. He is currently a member of the CCICED (China Council for International Co-operation on Environment and Development) and is deputy chairman of WWF (South Africa).

Jay Naidoo is Chair of the Board of Directors of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) a global foundation fighting malnutrition and hunger in the world. He is the founder of the social development arm of an investment and management company, J&J Group, which he co-founded. He serves in an advisory capacity for a number of organisations including the Global Health Advisory Panel of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Broadband Commission of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). From 1994 to 1999, Jay was the Minister responsible for South Africa’s Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) and Communications Minister in Nelson Mandela’s Cabinet. He was the founding General Secretary of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) where he served three terms (1985 to 1993). From 2001-2010, Jay was Chairperson of the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA). Jay was the recipient of, among other awards, the Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur (Legion of Honour), one of France’s highest decorations, and received the 'Drivers for Change Award' from the Southern African Trust and Mail & Guardian newspaper in Oct 2010. He has recently returned to full time voluntary work, and publishes a blog at www.thejustcause.org. Jay’s recently published autobiography, 'Fighting for Justice', is available in leading bookstores.

Rick joined the PAST board in 2002, and succeeded Tony Trahar as Chairman in 2006. He holds an MA from Cambridge University and an MSc from Stanford University, both in the earth sciences field. Rick has had a 35-year career in the international mining industry and has been a geologist and mining executive in North America, Australia and South Africa.

Mike has held various management positions at Anglo American plc for over four decades. He is presently Chairman of Link Market Services SA (Pty) Ltd and Trustee, Treasurer and Office Manager of PAST.

Jennifer Oppenheimer participates in a broad range of civil society organisations in South Africa primarily in education-related fields. In addition to PAST, some of her commitments include the Institute of Human Evolution, the Field Band Foundation, the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust, and Endeavor. Together with her husband, Jonathan, she is also involved with the Brenthurst Foundation, which works to strengthen Africa's economic advancement through private sector-led growth.

Berhane Asfaw received a Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of California, Berkeley. He is co-leader of the scientific team that discovered Ardipithecus ramidus. Dr. Asfaw is the Director of the Rift Valley Research Service, a Research Associate in Physical Anthropology at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, as well as foreign Associate of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States. Dr. Asfaw is a founding member of the new Ethiopian National Academy of Sciences.

Adrian Arnott graduated from Rhodes University with a B.Comm and continued his studies at Wits University while working as an articled clerk. Upon qualifying as a Chartered Accountant, he spent two years in Tehran working in the auditing profession. On his return to South Africa he joined the financial services arm of Anglo American where he worked in various capacities until 1998 when he joined Southern Life (became part of FirstRand) as Executive Director. During this time he served on various boards both locally and abroad. In 1983 he attended the Programme for Management Development at the Harvard Business School in Boston. He filled various positions at the FirstRand Group during his tenure and was Company Secretary at the time of his retirement in 2010. Adrian is a director of Tshikululu Social Investments and is also Trustee of the FirstRand Foundation and is now actively involved in matters concerning the FirstRand Foundation and its beneficiaries.

Dr. Matutu currently works for the Department of Science and Technology as General Manager: Human Capital and Science Platforms. Part of her portfolio includes the development of human capital in Science, Engineering and Technology for the National System of Innovation. She has a keen interest in promoting science-related careers among the youth and is committed to promoting women in research.

With a B. Com from the University of Natal (Durban), Terry has over 20 years in the FMCG Marketing environment, which include companies such as Nestle and Johnson & Johnson. He was a Director of Corporate Marketing at Standard Corporate & Merchant Bank in 2000 and later moved to Standard Bank Group where he held the position of Director Corporate Marketing from 2001 until 2002. From 2003 until 2005 he joined Diners Club SA (Pty) Ltd as Managing Director. Terry is presently CEO of MTN Mobile Money Holdings and MTN Mobile Money SA (Pty) Ltd.

Prof. John Cruise Pr Eng is a Consulting Mining Engineer and a Chairman and Director of Companies. He is an Honorary Life Fellow and past president of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, and a Fellow of the South African Academy of Engineering. He is an Honourary Professor in the School of Mining, University of the Witwatersrand, and a Founding Trustee of PAST.

Philip Baum, B.Com, LL.B, Higher Diploma in Tax Law (University of the Witwatersrand).

Philip is chairman of Nord Gold and a director of Ruukki as well as being a trustee of PAST ( Palaeontological Scientific Trust) and the Tiger Kloof School. He has had a 31 year career with Anglo American plc, with experiences in Africa, Europe, North and South America and Australasia in mining, minerals, heavy industry and financial services. He retired from Anglo American in 2009 as chief executive officer of it's Ferrous Metals division and a member of it's Executive Committee.

Tina Eboka holds degrees in Applied Mathematics (New York) and Textile Engineering (Philadelphia), an MBA in business operations and project management (Philadelphia), and has attended Harvard's Senior Executive Programme. Tina is the former Director of Group Corporate Affairs at Standard Bank Group.

James is the Managing Director (Africa) of Veracity Worldwide LLC and a Director of AVI Limited. He is also a Director of and pilot for the "Bateleurs - Flying for the Environment in Africa". He holds an MA degree from the University of Cambridge. James serves as a Managing Trustee.

Jacko Maree is Chief Executive of the Standard Bank Group. He is a director of Liberty Life Group Limited, a former Chairman of The Banking Association (S.A.) and a former Director of the International Monetary Conference. Jacko is a founding member of PAST.

Eric von Glehn is Managing Director at JP Morgan, responsible for Equity Capital Markets in Sub-Saharan Africa. Eric joined the Board of PAST in 2006.

Homer studied medicine at the University of Natal, Durban, and is a fellow of the College of Surgeons (FCS) of South Africa (SA). He has taught medical and dental students at the University of Witwatersrand since 1984, as well as having won the Michael and Janie Miller Post graduate prize in Surgery for Outstanding achievement at the University of Witwatersrand in 1986. Homer serves as a Managing Trustee.

Zwelibanzi is executive director of Xalam Performance (Pty). He trained as a lawyer and holds the degrees B.Juris, LL.B, LL.M (Yale). He was Senior Lecturer at the Universities of the Northwest and Natal (Durban) and served as the first Director General of the Gauteng Provincial Government. Zwelibanzi has over the last 12 years directed a management consultant practice focusing on strategy development and performance improvement solutions. He is an experienced conflict management practitioner who was Executive Director of the Independent Mediation Service of SA (IMSSA). He served as chairman of the governing body of the CCMA for eight years, and as chairman of Eyesizwe Mining (Pty) and Eyesizwe Coal (Pty) for five years. Zwelibanzi currently serves on the boards of Eyesizwe Mining (Pty), Mainstreet 333 (Pty), Metrobus (Pty), SA Tourism (Pty), Exxaro Ltd and Aveng Ltd.

Bruce Rubidge is the Director of the Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, and Head of the Palaeontology Department of the University of the Witwatersrand. He has published 85 articles in national and international scientific journals on various aspects of vertebrate palaeontology as well as bio- and litho- stratigraphy and sedimentology of Permian-Triasssic rocks of southern Africa. He serves on several national and international heritage and geoscience-related committees.

John Parkington is Professor in the Department of Archaeology at the University of Cape Town. He undertook both undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Palaeolithic Archaeology at Cambridge University in England. His Ph.D. was awarded in 1977, since which time he has been Ad Hominem promoted to Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor and full Professor.

Janette Deacon previously lectured Archaeology at University of Cape Town and Stellenbosch. She is an Archaeologist at the National Monuments Council, and is currently involved with the conservation and management of archaeological sites.