Photo by: Duane Daws
Transport equipment manufacturer GE Transportation has appointed Thomas Konditi as the head of its sub-Saharan Africa division.
Konditi, who would be based in Johannesburg, was most recently COO of GE Africa, in Nairobi. His responsibilities included the oversight of sub-Saharan Africa finance, capital markets, financial services, treasury and tax support for the $3.2-billion operation that spanned 25 countries.
Since joining GE in 1994, with a background in engineering, Kenya-born Konditi held positions across 30 countries in finance, asset management, technology services and executive leadership.
“I am pleased to announce the appointment of Konditi to this significant role in one of GE’s most promising growth regions,” GE Africa president and CEO Jay Ireland said.
He added that Konditi’s “deep market expertise and experience working across various GE divisions positioned him well to build on the significant progress made in recent years”.
Konditi succeeded Tim Schweikert, who would now lead GE’s newly created Marine organisation, which brings together GE’s commercial and technological expertise in the marine sector - from gas turbines, diesel engines and motors and generators, to variable speed drives, drilling systems and automation as well as control systems and all the electrical equipment in between.
GE Transportation global president and CE Russell Stokes paid tribute to Schweikert for his role in expanding GE Transportation operations in the region.
“Under Tim’s leadership, GE Transportation has made tremendous progress in sub-Saharan Africa. Earlier this year, GE South Africa Technologies won a $1-billion locomotive order from Transnet, one of our largest partners in Africa.
“With this locomotive contract, GE’s installed base in South Africa will increase to more than 600 units, establishing our locomotives as the prime mover in the Transnet fleet for decades to come.”