The UCT Leadership Lekgotla

UCT’s senior management team is tasked with implementing the institution’s strategic goals, building its financial health and maintaining its academic excellence.

Vice-Chancellor

Prof Mamokgethi Phakeng

Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Internationalisation

Professor Sue Harrison

Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching and Learning

Associate Professor Lis Lange

Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Transformation

Professor Loretta Feris

Chief Operating Officer

Dr Reno Morar

Registrar

Royston Pillay

Dean: Faculty of Commerce

Associate Professor Linda Ronnie

Dean: Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environment

Professor Alison Lewis

Interim Dean: Faculty of Health Sciences

Professor Carolyn Williamson

Dean: Faculty of Humanities

Professor Shose Kessi

Dean: Faculty of Law

Professor Danwood Chirwa

Dean: Faculty of Science

Professor Maano Ramutsindela

Interim Dean: Centre for Higher Education Development

Associate Professor Alan Cliff

Executive Director: Communication and Marketing

Gerda Kruger

Executive Director: Development and Alumni

Dr Russell Ally

Executive Director: Finance

Ashley Francis

Executive Director: Human Resources

Miriam Hoosain

Executive Director: Information and Communication Technology Services

Richard van Huyssteen

Executive Director: Properties and Services

Mughtar Parker

Executive Director: Research Office

Dr Marilet Sienaert

Executive Director: Student Affairs

Dr Moonira Khan

Executive Director: UCT Libraries

Ujala Satgoor

Director: Graduate School of Business

Kosheek Sewchurran

Key appointments

Dean: Faculty of Law

Professor Danwood Chirwa was appointed Dean of the Faculty of Law, effective 1 January 2019, having formerly served as the deputy dean for postgraduate studies. He has held various leadership positions within the faculty, including acting dean in 2014 and head of the Department of Public Law from 2009 to 2014, and in 2018. 

Chief Operating Officer

Dr Reno Morar, previously the Deputy Dean for Health Services in the Faculty of Health Sciences, was appointed as UCT’s new Chief Operating Officer, effective 1 January 2019. His career includes 20 years of experience in policy development and implementation, operational management, monitoring and evaluation, and people and human resource management.

Executive Director: UCT Libraries

Ujala Satgoor has been serving as the Executive Director of UCT Libraries since 1 January 2019. She has years of experience in the higher education environment and was previously the director of library services at Rhodes University, a position she held from 2012.

Dean: Faculty of Science

Professor Maano Ramutsindela has been the Dean of the Faculty of Science since 1 March 2019. He previously served on the UCT Council and the Senate Executive Committee. He also represented UCT in the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN) and is the founding co-chair of the WUN Global Africa Group.

Director of Environmental Sustainability

Manfred Braune started his role as Director of Environmental Sustainability on 1 April 2019. Previous to taking up his position at UCT, Braune spent 10 years working for the Green Building Council of South Africa, a small but impactful non-profit organisation that has been big on driving green change in the built environment.

Director: The Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance

Faizel Ismail started as Director of the Mandela School in July 2019 on the back of a career negotiating major agreements for South Africa. He spent 10 years as ambassador to the World Trade Organisation and as a senior adviser to the Minister of Trade and Industry.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Internationalisation

Professor Sue Harrison took over as Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Internationalisation on 1 August 2019. She holds the South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI) Chair in Bioprocess Engineering and is the director of both the Centre for Bioprocess Engineering Research (CeBER) and the Future Water research institute at UCT.

Dean: Faculty of Humanities

Professor Shose Kessi took up her role as Dean of the Faculty of Humanities on 15 November 2019, having acted in the role since 1 March 2019. She was previously appointed to the Special Executive Task Team (2016) and the University Strategy Forum (2017). She is the founder of the UCT Black Academic Caucus. 

Retirement

Executive Director:
Research and Internationalisation

Since taking up the directorship in September 2000, Dr Marilet Sienart has, among her lengthy list of achievements and contributions, led the Research Office, the Office of Research Integrity, the Directorate of Postgraduate Studies and
Researcher Development, and the Postgraduate Centre and Funding Office. Her contribution to the research enterprise at UCT is undeniable.