The South African Institute of Electrical Engineers (SAIEE) has appointed Sicelo Xulu CEO on a three-year term, starting in 2019.
He will succeed Stan Bridgens, who held the position for about 12 years.
Xulu served as president of the Association of Municipal Electricity Utilities from 2014 to 2016. He holds a BTech degree in electrical engineering from the Central University of Technology and a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Johannesburg.
He started his career at State-owned energy utility Eskom in 1995 and joined City Power in 2002. He was appointed City Power CEO in 2012 – a position he held until 2017.
“Throughout the recruitment process, we were aware of the media reports around Xulu when he left City Power as CEO. “We were also aware of the potential reputational risks to the SAIEE and also the perceptions that our stakeholders might have because of the recent events in our country,” SAIEE president Dr Hendri Geldenhuys stated.
Critical ImportanceThe institute added that it was of critical importance to conduct a fair and ethical process based on available and proven evidence, with a view to recruit the best possible candidate.
After a thorough investigation, intense interviews, assessments and consideration by the recruitment panel, Xulu was identified as the best candidate for the post.
“No evidence was found that indicated in any way that he acted dishonestly in his previous job,” stated Geldenhuys.