The Durban ICC Board is pleased to announce that Ms Lindiwe Rakharebe has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer of the Durban ICC effective from 1st April 2015.

Rakharebe has a strong background in corporate management and has worked in a managerial capacity for all four of South Africa's major banking institutions. Her areas of expertise include strategic planning, research, marketing, community liaison, policy development and basic principles of good corporate governance.

Ms Rakherebe holds a Bachelor's degree in Management Leadership from the University of the Free State as well as other qualifications in Marketing Management and Management Development. She is highly qualified and brings over 30 years' experience in the corporate environment.

Chairperson of the Durban ICC Board, Ms Mato Madlala announced "The Board is extremely pleased to have secured Ms Rakharebe as Chief Executive Officer of the Durban ICC.  Whilst her professional experience prior to this has mainly been in the corporate financial sector, she is an exceptional executive who has repeatedly demonstrated her ability in strategic management and leading high performance teams."

"She is well known for her passion and dedication in growing the KwaZulu-Natal economy, so it is fitting that she takes the reins at the Durban ICC, considering the immense economic impact which the company has on the provincial and national economies. We are confident that under her leadership the company will continue to grow from strength to strength as Africa's leading convention centre", added Madlala.

Rakharebe joins the Durban ICC from her position as ABSA's Regional Executive for KwaZulu-Natal. Commenting on her appointment Rakharebe noted, "It is a great honour and privilege to take on this new role. I am thrilled to serve my city and my province and showcase ourselves to the world with great pride, that we have in our possession a 'world class' destination."

"My experience in the finance sector has groomed me to work well in a structured environment which will ultimately result in clean audits and a strong sense of order. This shift also gives me the opportunity to hone in on my creativity. Service excellence is crucial in this business and I believe that if you have love for people, then so much more can be achieved."

Rakharebe joins the Durban ICC at a time of strong forward momentum, with the company posting profitable financial results for the fourth consecutive year and having received a clean, unqualified audit from the Auditor General in the last fiscal year. The Centre is also set to host a number of high-profile international events in the coming months, including the World Routes Development Forum, World Sociology Science Forum and World Forestry in September 2015 and the International AIDS Conference in 2016. Lindiwe Rakherebe succeeds Julie-May Ellingson who stepped down from the position in July 2014. Operations Director Nicolette Elia-Beissel has served in an Acting-CEO capacity in the interim.

"I am passionate about teamwork and plan to work very closely with our stakeholders to ensure that the world recognises our potential. It is important to have synergy and work collectively to achieve the best results", concluded Rakharebe.