LCA Leadership

THE LCA BOARD

The primary function of the Board is to interpret the LCA Council's vision, founding principles, and to devise operating strategies to achieve the LCA strategic objectives. In addition, the Board oversees the execution of its strategies by the CEO.

Present members of the Board are:

Mr Ian Cockerill (South Africa / UK) 

Ian was born in the United Kingdom.  He completed his BSc Hons in Geology (London), MSc in Mining (Royal School of Mines),     MDP - Unisa, Advanced Management Programme, Templeton College, Oxford.

Ian started his mining career in South Africa as a geologist in 1975.  Commenced working for Anglo American Corporation (AAC) in 1979, moving up through the ranks with stints at various AAC operations, Minorco Technical Director's office, managed Elandsrand and Western Deep Levels West Mines, before being promoted to Technical Director AAC Gold Division in 1996.   1998 Ian moved to the position of Executive Director - Business Development, responsible for global growth via exploration and acquisition for Anglogold Limited.  Added to his portfolio in 1999 was the responsibility of Executive Officer, African International Operations.

In1999 Ian joined Gold Fields Limited as Managing Director and COO responsible for all global operations and a member of the Group Corporate Development Executive.   Ian was appointed President & CEO of Gold Fields Limited in July 2002.   

Ian joined Anglo American plc in June 2008 as CEO, Anglo Coal responsible for all global operations.   At the end of 2009, Ian left Anglo Coal and subsequently became Executive Chairman of Petmin, a JSE and AIM listed junior natural resources company.   In addition, Ian is Chairman of Hummingbird Resources, a privately owned junior gold explorer with interests in Liberia.  Ian is also a non-executive director of Orica in Australia and advisor to several other companies in the mining field.

Ian is married to Iona and they have three children.  He enjoys good food, good wine and good company, but not necessarily in that order!

Mrs Sabine Plattner (Germany)         

International business woman, philanthropist, protector of nature, mother and teacher. 

Sabine grew up in Freiburg, Germany, not long after the Second World War.  From a very early age she was exposed to the principles of right and wrong, as well as to a very basic lifestyle, especially as a result of the war. Growing up in Freiberg, with its beautiful surrounding forests, she developed a deep love for nature.  Experiencing the destruction of the war, she focused her attention from an early age in uplifting others, especially through education, as her attempt to bring about a new generation standing for justice and peaceful coexistence.

As her business interests grew, she became more interested in Africa, which she has traveled extensively, developing a love and understanding for Africa and her people.  Together with her husband, Dr Hasso Plattner, Sabine is the co-owner of Fancourt a prestigious five-star golf resort, near George in South Africa, in combination with a Real Estate development. She owns horse-breeding facilities and stables in both Germany and South-Africa. In Germany she is known for her cause for Icelandic horses and internationally she is known in the race horse industry, as trainer and breeder.

She is involved in different charities including the Fancourt Foundation which primarily supports child welfare. Together with Pieter-Dirk Uys, well-known performing artist and satirist, as well as the Nobel Price Winner, Archbishop (Emeritus) Desmond Tutu, Sabine is a Patron of the Darling Trust, an outreach attempting to proactively prevent HIV/AIDS. Sabine is also one of the International Patrons and a Director of LCA through her foundation called Sabine Plattner Africa Charities (SPAC). Presently she is playing a major role in the development of the Odzala Kokoua National Park in the Republic of Congo, as well as conservation-led development in various African countries. 

Mr Howard Buffett (USA)                

Howard G. Buffett grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, and has been active in business, politics, agriculture, conservation, photography and philanthropy. Buffett has written more than half a dozen books on conservation, wildlife, and the human condition, and has written articles and opinion pieces for The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post.  In 1996, Harvard published his thesis, The Partnership of Biodiversity and High-Yield Agricultural Production. Buffett then wrote On The Edge: Balancing Earth's Resources. Following the publication of On The Edge, Buffett began work on Tapestry of Life, a compilation of portraits taken in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, and other countries with deep poverty and human need.

Buffett serves or has served on the National Geographic Council, World Wildlife Fund National Council, Cougar Fund, Platte River Whooping Crane Trust Advisory Committee, Illinois and Nebraska Chapters of the Nature Conservancy, Ecotrust, De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Trust, and the Africa Foundation. Buffett founded the Nature Conservation Trust, a non-profit Trust in South Africa to support cheetah conservation, the International Cheetah Conservation Foundation, and was a Founding Director of The Cougar Fund.  In 2007, Buffett was named and Ambassador Against Hunger by the United Nations World Food Programme.

Buffett has served in elected office in Nebraska, on several United States Trade Representative Advisory Committees and as Chairman of the Nebraska Ethanol Board. He currently is a member of the Commission on Presidential Debates.  He is on the corporate boards of  Berkshire Hathaway, ConAgra Foods, Lindsay Manufacturing and Sloan Implement Company; previously serving on the boards of  Archer Daniel Midland, Coca Cola Enterprises and The GSI Group.

Buffett has received the Aztec Eagle Award, the highest honor bestowed on a foreign citizen by the Mexican Government, an honorary PhD from Lincoln College and has been recognized by the Inter-American Institute for Co-operation in Agriculture as one of the most distinguished individuals in agriculture. 

Mr Chris Marais (South Africa)      

Chris Marais, was born in South Africa. He completed a BA (Hons) in National Strategy (political science), as well as a BA (Hons) and MA in Organisation Psychology, specialising in organisational development.  Over the years he was extensively involved in cross-boundary activities, often facilitating situations between conflicting groups. He played a major role in bringing about community liaison structures between SANParks and the neighbouring communities bordering National Parks. He was intensely involved in outreach programmes during the civil war in Mozambique, where after he facilitated cross-boundary discussions between South-Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

Chris also has a private practice in collaboration with a number of business associates and he specialises in transformation and change management within companies. As an organisational development specialist, he facilitated numerous organisational growth, right- and downsizing processes, with the aim of enhancing productivity. Chris has been involved as a facilitator/consultant in numerous of the top hundred companies in South Africa and from time to time mediates between unions and companies. He was also instrumental in bringing about the LCA Initiative.

Mr Moses Mapesa (Uganda)            

Moses supervises all wildlife management programs in Uganda where there are 10 national parks and 13 wildlife reserves, whose program activities are based on annual operation plans and general management plans that he helps develop and approve. Moses helps in policy formulation and review at organizational and national level. He also helps in proposal formulation, review, budgeting and eventually implementation. Staff development and management is one of my other key result areas. He was among the key architects of the World Bank support project for the Uganda Wildlife Authority, which they have been implementing since 2002.

Prof Hillary Musundire (Botswana)

Hillary Masundire is a national of Zimbabwe who has lived in Botswana for the last 16 years. He is married to Constance and they have 3 children- a girl and 2 boys. He teaches ecology at the University of Botswana. He has served on the Council of IUCN since 2001: 1^st as the Chair of the IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management and now as the Regional Councilor for Africa. He has written extensively on the application of the ecosystem approach in the management of natural resources and was invited as keynote speaker to the UN Economic and Social Policy body (ECOSOC). He took part in the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment project focusing on biodiversity. He has participated in various SADC conservation for a in particular in the Wetlands Programme, where he continues to advise on various aspects of the implementation of the Protocol on Shared Watercourse Systems.

He serves on the LCA Board as representative of the IUCN- The International Union for Conservation of nature.

Mr Jimmy Dowsley (South Africa)

Jimmy Dowsley is responsible for Corporate Development in the Gold Fields Group. Jimmy has 13 years experience on gold and platinum operations in South Africa.  In addition to operational experience, Jimmy has about 13 years experience in the evaluation of mineral properties and in the sphere of mineral economics.

Mr Leon Jooste (South Africa)    

From 1993 to the present day Leon was Managing Director of Eden Wildlife Trust (PTY) Ltd. Eden Wildlife Trust is a management company for the Eden Nature Reserve in the Grootfontein district. It focuses on both consumptive- and non-consumptive tourism to fund various conservation projects in the area. The Eden Nature Reserve is a private sanctuary for various endemic and endangered wildlife species and the commercial activities are structured to fund the operation in a sustainable manner. Various community projects have been supported from Eden with wildlife donations to the value of N$1,5 million over the last few years with a further donation to the value of more than N$4.0 million planned for the period 2006-2011. The commercial activities include tourism, trophy hunting, the sale of wildlife and venison.

From 1993 to the present day he served as an Executive Director of Wines of Cordoba. This company is involved in the wine industry. His responsibilities included the marketing of the wine as well as both short- and long-term strategic planning for the business. During this period he was also involved in various other family owned businesses in the property, wine, motor vehicle, aviation as well as the hospitality industries. He serves as director on the various boards of all these and a number of privately owned companies.

From 2004-2005 He was appointed as Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Regional and Local Government and Housing and Member of Parliament. From 2005- 2009 he was appointed as Deputy Minister of the Ministry Of Environment and Tourism and Member of Parliament.  

Mr Ami Mpungwe (Tanzania)   

Ambassador Mpungwe graduated from the University of Dar es Salaam in 1975 and directly joined the Tanzanian Foreign Service as a career diplomat. In 1994, Ambassador Mpungwe became Tanzania's first High Commissioner to the Republic South Africa. Prior to that, he had also served as Personal Assistant to the President of the United Republic of Tanzania; Private Secretary to the Chief Secretary, Secretary to the Cabinet and Head of the Civil Service, and; Director of Africa and Middle East in the Tanzanian Foreign Ministry.

However, in December 1999, after 25 years of distinguished service, Ambassador Mpungwe at the age of 48, took an early and voluntary retirement from the Tanzanian Diplomatic Service to join the private sector where he is largely involved in mining and tourism investments, through the London AIM listed Tanzanite One Ltd (www.tanzaniteone.com) Virgin Territories Ltd (www.kilwaruinslodge.com ). He also holds equity in Venture Communications Tanzania Ltd; MultiChoice Tanzania Ltd and NYOTA Tanzania Ltd, a Maersk Shipping Line associated company.

Ambassador Mpungwe seats on a number of Boards, including: Malawi Sugar Ltd; Zambia Sugar PLC; Kilombero Sugar  Co. Ltd; National Bank of Commerce Ltd; Tanzania Breweries Ltd,  NIKO Insurance (T) Ltd; Tanzania Private Sector Foundation and currently serves as Chairman of the Tanzania Chamber of Minerals and Energy (TCME).

In December 1999, President Mbeki decorated him with: THE ORDER OF GOOD HOPE: GRAND OFFICER, South Africa's highest award granted to foreign citizens, in recognition of his significant contribution to liberation, peace and democracy in South Africa; political and economic collaboration in the SADC Region, and building closer ties between South Africa and Tanzania.

In August 2001 he was awarded with Certificate of Recognition by the OAU for "His Important Contribution in Facilitating the Inter-Rwandese Negotiations culminating in the Arusha Peace Agreement of 4^th August 1993".

As Tanzania's first High Commissioner to South Africa, Ambassador Mpungwe is also widely recognized and credited for mobilizing and effecting substantial flow of FDI and tourism from and through South Africa into Tanzania. 

In addition to BA (Hons.) in Political Science and International Relations and Post-Graduate Diploma in International Law and Diplomacy, Ambassador Mpungwe has also done post-graduate courses in Strategic Management, ICT and Corporate Governance. He is also a regular public speaker on issues of Change Process in Africa, Globalisation and Corporate Governance.

 Mr Sunil Geness (South Africa)  

As the Corporate Affairs Executive of SAP Africa and a member of the SAP Global Communications team, Sunil Geness leads all communications activities for SAP Africa stakeholders in Sub-Saharan Africa across 43 countries.  In his role, Geness acts as an advisor to the Managing Director and board of SAP Africa regarding all aspects of communications strategy and execution.   He has a vast experience in corporate and public communications and marketing. He has appeared on several local and international television networks as a political analyst and commentator. Geness has delivered several thought leadership papers and presentations at local, African and International conferences. 

He has a wide range of experience in Government, Quasi-Government and the Private sector, from policy making and implementation at the South African National and Provincial Government, followed by a government modernization role and subsequently a political advisory role at the State Information Technology Agency (SITA) of South Africa.  

Geness is the President of the African Association for Communication Directors (AACD), President of the Information Technology Association (ITA) of South Africa, Chairman of the Board of the Siyafunda Community Technology Centres, Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Sci-Bono Discovery Centre and a member of the Organising Committee of the World Science Centres Congress, Cape Town, September 2011. 

He holds a Bachelor of Commerce (UNISA), Bachelor of Commerce Honours Cum Laude (UNISA), Master of Management (Witwatersrand), HED (Springfield) and has received scholarships for Executive Management Programmes at the Birmingham and Harvard Business Schools.  Geness is also the recipient of the distinguished World Wide Foundation's (WWF) One Planet Leaders, sustainability scholarship 2009.