The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has announced the appointment of May Hermanus as the Executive Director of its Natural Resources and Environment (NRE) research unit. Hermanus will assume her new role at the CSIR from 4 June 2013.

Hermanus is the Director and Adjunct-Professor at the Centre for Sustainability in Mining and Industry (CSMI) at Wits University where she is responsible for developing a centre of excellence for public education in the fields of occupational safety and health, the environment and sustainable development.

Announcing the appointment, CSIR CEO, Dr Sibusiso Sibisi, said it was an honour for the CSIR to have a person of Hermanus calibre joining the organisation. “She brings with her vast knowledge and expertise from private and public sector which will add value to our business and also contribute to our mandate of using directed and particularly multidisciplinary research and technological innovation to better people’s lives,” he said.

Hermanus holds a degree in geology from the University of Cape Town and an MSc in physical metallurgy.  Over the past two decades of her career, Hermanus has been instrumental in advancing health and safety in mining, and integrating these concerns into the fields of environmental protection and broader sustainability across Africa.

With a degree in geology from the University of Cape Town and an MSc in physical metallurgy from Wits University, she was an NGO volunteer before becoming the coordinator of the health and safety unit in the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) in South Africa. This work also heralded the start of her involvement in various forums of the United Nations’ International Labour Organisation.

Her previous positions include serving as Chairperson of the Mine Health and Safety Council and the Chairperson of the Board of the Mining Qualifications Authority. She is a former deputy director-general of the Department of Minerals and Energy for mine safety and health, and a variety of other roles locally and internationally.

Hermanus is a member of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and serves on the boards of the Aveng group, the Rail Safety Regulator, the Minerals and Mining Development Board of the Department of Mineral Resources, Sacred Heart College and is Chairperson of the Bokamoso Trust, the employee share option scheme of AngloGold.

Commenting on her appointment, Hermanus said she was delighted to be joining the CSIR, a premier organisation for technological and scientific innovation, peopled by many path-breaking thinkers. 
“I have had the privilege of working in interdisciplinary environments for much of my career and look forward to being part of a team producing multi-dimensional solutions and insights to the complex challenges facing our society. In some respects, this move to the CSIR involves, for me, a wonderful sense of continuity in providing further opportunities to interface with colleagues in various industries and tertiary institutions, and also to grapple with the issues of sustainable development. It will be a pleasure to step into this new role shortly,” she said.

For more information, please contact:
Tendani Tsedu
CSIR media Relations Manager
Tel: 012 841 3417
Cell: 082 945 1980
e-mail: mtsedu@csir.co.za

About CSIR:
The CSIR (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research) is one of the leading R&D, technology and innovation institutions in Africa, with a track record spanning over 65 years. See www.csir.co.za or contact tel 012-841-2000. The CSIR - our future through science.