Henk is the Chairman of Breadline Africa and took over from Louise Seligman in August 2016. He is an Executive Mentor Coach and runs a leadership development business based in Cape Town. Henk qualified from the University of the Witwatersrand with an Honours Degree in Microbiology and Genetics and used his MBA degree (University of Witwatersrand) to bridge into the commercial world. For over 30 years Henk has built solid all-round business experience, culminating in holding CEO positions for 10 years at Colman Foods and Pillsbury South Africa.
Khulekani Dlamini is an aeronautical engineer with close to 20 years of experience in investment markets. He obtained a master’s degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York. He joined CSIR’s Aerotek Division as a researcher and subsequently joined a telecommunications company, Comverse Network Systems in Israel for three years. He worked at Investec Asset Management in Cape Town after which he co-founded Afena Capital, which he sold in 2016. Khulekani currently runs KD Capital and Lwembu Group, both of which are financial services companies.
Khulekani is an advisory board member of the University of Stellenbosch’s Business School and was appointed as the Deputy Chair of Breadline Africa in 2023.
Peter became a Trustee of Breadline Africa in 2014, bringing a wealth of experience of South Africa from his day job as an Emerging Market’s Economist and consultant. Peter has a broad experience working with emerging markets across Africa, Europe and Middle East over his career but a particularly in-depth and long standing concentration on South Africa – researching the country’s economy, markets and politics. He advises a wide range of foreign and local investors, from pension funds to hedge funds and companies currently active or considering gaining a presence in South Africa, as well as foreign and local banks – about risks and opportunities within the country.
Peter is a Managing Director at South African consultancy and research company Intellidex. He continues to be based in London but travels to South Africa regularly. Peter has an extensive profile as a commentator and thought leader on economic and political issues and a particular interest in the drivers of long term development of South Africa with a focus on education and township economies. He studied Mathematics and Economics at Cambridge University and was previously at Lehman Brothers and Japanese bank Nomura. Peter enjoys collecting South African wine and South African art amongst his hobbies.
Godfrey Mokaeane is a social impact entrepreneur, with a key focus on investing in businesses that can benefit from this. He also runs his own businesses that have strong social missions. He is Group CEO of Motion Holding Group. He assists and guides non-profit organisations globally to make the shift to for-profit with a social mission.
Godfrey also mentors more than 40 entrepreneurs and invests early in their start-ups, with the intention of injecting his ethos of social impact.
He is also Alumnus of the United States of America IVLP (International Visitors Leadership Program), where he drives partnerships between South African and US entrepreneurs, through the Consulate based in Cape Town, South Africa.
Ruth Kamau has extensive experience in business and as an entrepreneur. Throughout her career, she has worked in the hospitality, food-related and healthcare industries. She has worked in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, Nigeria and New Zealand.
She is currently managing director and co-owner of iKhaya Lodge and Conference Centre, a boutique guesthouse and conference venue in the heart of the Cape Town City Bowl. Born in Kenya, Ruth holds a master’s degree in Business Administration from Oxford Brookes University (UK) and a bachelor’s degree in Business Education from Kenyatta University (Kenya). She is fluent in English, Kikuyu, Kiswahili and speaks conversational French.
Satish joined the board in September 2021 and brings a wealth of financial and strategy experience. He is a senior manager at Sanlam heading up group strategy development within the company’s Strategy & Impact Office in Cape Town. He has been with the Sanlam Group since 2009 in a variety of roles and studied Actuarial Science with a Post Graduate Honours at Stellenbosch University. He is a Fellow of the Institute & Faculty of Actuaries (UK) – FIA General Insurance.
Satish is currently completing his Executive MBA at the Graduate School of Business, University of Cape Town. Satish is married, they have one son and are expecting their second child at the end of 2021.
Sir Robert has been a trustee of Breadline Africa and member of the UK Advisory Committee since 2007 and is the chairman of Breadline’s International Finance Committee. He has an MA in jurisprudence from Oxford University and, following Law School in Chester, qualified as a solicitor with Allen & Overy in 1982. After several years working in their private client department, he joined Mercury Warburg Investment Management to handle the investment affairs of private individuals and charities.
Louise is a founding trustee of Breadline Africa and was the Chairman of the international board for 17 years until July 2016. Louise has worked in the voluntary sector for the past 20 years. Before moving into the voluntary sector, Louise worked as a Financial Services head hunter and prior to this, she spent several years working in the research and marketing side of the Financial Times conferences division. Louise has an M.A. in modern history from Oxford University.
Alex is Chief Operating Officer for the Civil Service and Permanent Secretary for the Cabinet Office. Prior to that, he was the Permanent Secretary to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) following his appointment as the Chief Executive of the Competition and Markets Authority. Alex previously headed up high-performance public agencies responsible for economic regulation and market development. Alex read History at Merton College, Oxford and obtained an MBA at INSEAD.
Mariella was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, finished her schooling in the UK but returned to South Africa to complete a B. Com (Economics) degree at the University of Natal in 1980. Having always been interested in Psychology, she completed a Post-graduate Diploma in Coaching at the South African College of Applied Psychology and worked with managers and team leaders in the NGO sector in Cape Town. In 2012, her husband’s career required a move to the Netherlands, where she was appointed an International Trustee for Breadline Africa, Nederland. Mariella and her husband currently reside in Cape Town.
Jim joined the UK board of Trustees in March 2021. He is a Research Analyst at Longview Partners and has many years of experience in the financial sector, having started as an accountant at KPMG before moving into investment management.
He is also the Chairman of Able Child Africa – a UK charity working to improve the lives of children with disabilities in Africa.
Jim studied History and French at Durham University and holds an MBA from INSEAD. He is also a member of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute.
Kelsey Credé serves as the Executive Director and Education Programme Director for the Robertson Foundation, a family foundation based in NYC with education grantees in the US and South Africa. Kelsey previously oversaw research and strategy for the New York City Foundation for Computer Science Education, the private partner working with the NYC Department of Education to bring computer science education to the city’s 1.1 million students. She holds a B.A. from Columbia University, an M.A. in Philosophy and Education from Teachers College, and an MSc in Education and Technology and a DPhil, both from the University of Oxford.
Ben embarked on a career in fund management in early 1987 soon after graduating from Bristol University with an Honours degree in Economics and Politics. Since then he has been involved in several aspects of the financial world and is a qualified member of the Society of Investment Professionals and of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute. In the recent past, Ben has also been a trustee of the Order of Malta Volunteers charity and became a trustee of Breadline Africa in 2010.
Stephen has spent his career in the Irish civil service, joining the Irish Department of Defence in 1973 and working in various branches, including personnel, contracts and property management. He spent ten years in the Department of the Taoiseach (Prime Minister). From 2004 to his retirement in 2007, he worked as assistant secretary to the President of Ireland. He has a B.A.(Mod) and an M. Litt. In philosophy, and a Ph.D. in public administration, from Trinity College, Dublin. He joined the Irish Advisory Committee of Breadline Africa in 2015 and has been on the International Board since 2016.
Hendrik has been a trustee of Breadline Africa The Netherlands since 2015 and was appointed to the role of chairman in 2017. He has a law degree from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and a post-graduate degree from the College of Europe in Bruges. He is currently a judge in the Amsterdam Court of Appeal and practiced law as a partner at the CMS Netherlands law firm from 1984 to 2018.
Rebekah is a qualified solicitor and has worked at Bird & Bird since 2012. Rebekah specialises in Intellectual Property Law and completed her Diploma in Intellectual Property Law at Oxford University in 2017. Before embarking on a career in law Rebekah studied modern foreign languages at Durham University during which she spent time working in Africa. Born to South African parents, Rebekah grew up in the UK but has spent much time working and traveling throughout Africa. Rebekah also has experience in the charity sector as both a Trustee and a fundraiser.
Eric is a master’s graduate in social planning and administration. He is Adjunct Associate Professor of Social Development at the University of Cape Town and also founder and director of the Centre for Early Childhood Development. Eric has worked in the non-profit sector for 36 years, and has lectured at various universities and consulted to a range of non-profit organisations around South Africa. He has been published extensively, including refereed and peer-reviewed articles, chapters in books and conference proceedings and numerous articles in the media.
Pippa was born and brought up in Zimbabwe. She qualified as a psychiatric social worker at the University of Cape Town in 1972 and worked for the National Institute for Crime Prevention and Rehabilitation of Offenders. Following her emigration to the United Kingdom and marriage to Tony Smyth, she was employed by the Social Services Department and then the Panel of Guardians ad Litem in Suffolk. Aged 40 years she went back to university to study law and was called to the Bar at Lincolns Inn in 1994. She worked until her retirement as an advocate in the Family Courts in East Anglia.
Noo was born in South Africa and has lived in Ireland for over forty years. She has always kept in close contact with South Africa and is a frequent visitor. Noo has always had a great interest and involvement in the NGO sector and in 2003, she joined the Irish Advisory Committee and became Chairperson in 2008.
Tony is a lawyer and although retired from full-time practice in 2008, remains an active consultant at Bates Wells Braithwaite. It was in these offices that Breadline Africa UK operations started in 1993 and continue to do so today. Tony is a former President of the Ipswich Medico-Legal Society and was also a member of the Suffolk & North Essex Law Society Council. To support Breadline Africa efforts Tony took to the skies in 1999 in a home-built aircraft, flying from England to Cape Town, and the funds raised paid for a converted container clinic for mothers and children which was opened the following year.
One of Breadline Africa’s founder members, Frances Greathead was the first Chairman of Breadline Africa. It all started in August 1992 when Frances and a group of trustees met in the UK to review setting up a charity to fundraise in Europe to support local township projects to address poverty elimination. Several of the same trustees are still active in Breadline Africa today. At that meeting, Frances was elected chairman and held this position until she turned 80. Frances kept in touch with Breadline Africa on a regular basis always wanting to know what difference we were making to help the poor. Sadly, Frances passed away on 22 February 2020 but will be remembered by all as an amazing, passionate and inspirational lady, who in her hundred years made such a remarkable difference in the lives of so many.
Henk Kleizen (Chair), Satish Antony, Prof. Eric Atmore, Peter Attard Montalto, Khulekani Dlamini, Sir Robert Dunbar, Ben Elwes, Kelsey Finkel, Ruth Kamau, Stephen Lalor, Godfrey Mokaeane, Mariella Norman, Louise Seligman, Marion Wagner
Ben Elwes (Chair), Peter Attard Montalto, Alex Chisholm, Sir Robert Dunbar, Louise Seligman, Jim Sellars, Rebekah Sellars, Pippa Smyth, Tony Smyth, Lord Clifford of Chudleigh (Patron)
Stephen Lalor (Chair), Deirdre Behan, Liz Higgins, Tanya Lalor, Noo Wallis
Hendrik Struik (Chair), Laura Aymerich Corominas, Marleen Huisman, Pelle de Laaf, Mariella Norman, George Oomen
© Breadline Africa. NPO No. 053-406-NPO | UK Charity No. 1075525 | IRL Charity No. 20107666