Directors

Rob Gerhard – Umbono Group CEO

Rob, a founder of Umbono, is a chartered accountant (SA) and CFA Charterholder with over 15 years experience in finance, strategy and Corporate Finance. Over the past three years Rob and the Umbono team have built Umbono’s natural resources investment portfolio from a negligible starting capital base to a portfolio of almost $200m. Rob has taken a leading role in identifying and managing many of the group’s mining investments and in providing Corporate Finance services to corporate clients including Rio Tinto, AngloGold Ashanti, De Beers and other mining companies

Dorian Wrigley – Managing Director Southern Africa

Dorian, a founder of Umbono, is a Civil Engineer, Pr.Eng, and serves as the Managing Director leading Umbono’s Southern African business, both regarding the management of Umbono’s principal investments and client advisory business in the region. Dorian has 14 years experience in the mining industry ranging from investment management, turn around strategies and Corporate Finance activities such as capital raising, corporate restructurings, BEE transactions, mergers and acquisitions and disposals for major and junior mining companies

Phiwayinkosi Mbuyazi – Director: Platinum

Phiwayinkosi, a founder of Umbono, holds a BSc (Eng) and a BA (PPE) from Oxford. He worked for De Beers for a number of years, initially in commissioning the Venetia Mine, later in diamonds marketing in London and in general management. Phiway has participated in various Corporate Finance and advisory activities for the Umbono Group and its clients, and has been instrumental in Umbono’s investment acquisitions in South Africa. He currently leads Umbono’s main platinum investment company as the CEO of Lesego Platinum Mining

Kerwin Rana – Director: Mining

Kerwin holds a BSc (Chemical Engineering) and is a Pr.Eng with the Engineering Council of South Africa. He has 13 years of diamond industry experience gained through various executive and managerial roles within the De Beers Group. This experience includes being the Head of New Business for De Beers in South Africa and the General Manager of De Beers’ Kimberley Mines where he developed and implemented a turnaround strategy that returned the loss-making mine to profitability. Kerwin is a principal of Umbono and head of its mining sector business

Pieter Venter – Director: Energy

Pieter is a chartered accountant (SA) and CFA charterholder with more than ten years experience in the financial services industry. Pieter worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Sanlam, and the AST Group and subsequently with Umbono, Pieter has served Umbono’s power generation clients and assisted in various Group investment management activities. Pieter is a principal of Umbono and heads its energy, power and alternative energy investment and client advisory business areas