The Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) appointed Miss Faith Nonceba Kobo to the position of Executive Director: Operations with effect from 1 January 2014.
Her new position entails providing overall support to achieving the vision, mission and mandated objectives of the HSRC and taking executive management responsibility for the operations of the HSRC in order to establish new efficient operating methods to improve Human Resources, Legal Services, Information Services, Information Technology, Facilities, and Cafeteria functional support areas.
Miss Kobo was appointed as Chief Risk Officer at the HSRC from 01 April 2010, during this period she had full accountability for risks, losses, risk-financing, compliance and business continuity management. Her responsibilities included building risk management capacity and developing risk management policies and procedures; providing risk advisory services to the Bid Adjudication Committee (BAC); development of the HSRC strategic plan and annual performance plan ensuring alignment of the mandated objectives with organisational goals and strategic objectives; and reporting of organisational performance on a quarterly and annual basis. She also served as employer appointed Trustee in the HSRC Pension Fund Board of Trustees. One of her accomplishments as Chief Risk Officer is obtaining clean external audit report for two years in the audit of performance information.
Before joining the HSRC, she worked as Risk Analyst for the National Treasury, was a Company Secretary at the Eastern Cape Appropriate Technology Unit (ECATU) before which she spent nearly a decade at Mutual South Africa as a client services consultant and later as a risk management consultant.
Her academic qualifications, through which her skills in governance, risk and compliance were developed, include a national diploma in Human Resources Management from PE Technikon, a B-Tech in Labour Relations Management from Technikon RSA, a Practical Labour Law certificate from the University of South Africa & a post-graduate certificate in Compliance Management from the University of Johannesburg. She is currently finalizing her studies towards an MBA degree with the Regenesys Business School, in Sandton, Johannesburg.
Ms Kobo joins a team of senior executives who manage the HSRC and conduct high impact research that benefits South Africa, the African continent and the world in the areas of HIV/AIDS, Economic performance, education and skills development, population health and research and development.
“I look forward to having Ms Kobo at the helm of Operations to further improve the functioning of the HSRC. Ms Kobo is an innovative, committed and solution oriented person who will add value to the HSRC Operations,” said CEO Professor Olive Shisana.
Dr Udesh Pillay, Deputy CEO for Management Support at the HSRC, said he is delighted at the appointment. “Faith brings with her years of experience and is a professional of the highest calibre. She will excel in her new position and continue to add appreciable value to the HSRC’s core business.”
Issued by the HSRC’s Corporate Communications Department
For more information contact: Julian Jacobs on 082 454 4902