Eskom master specialist in the technology group Dr Rob Stephen has been elected president of the International Council on Large Electric Systems (Cigre).
He is the first African to hold the position of Cigre president, placing him in a favourable position to expand the benefit of the organisation into less developed countries in Africa, South America and Asia.
“My experience in the electrification field can assist to expose engineers in these countries to share problems and develop solutions in line with Cigre goals. Important initiatives such as support of young engineers in the next-generation network, as well as support for women in Cigre, need to be continued,” he commented in a release published by Eskom on Friday.
Founded in 1921, Cigre is focused on issues related to the planning and operation of power systems, as well as the design, construction, maintenance and disposal of high-voltage equipment and plants.
Stephen joined Eskom in 1980 and holds an MSc and MBA degrees, as well as a PhD titled ‘Objective determination of optimal transmission line designs’.