Silicon Cape appoints new leadership and operations team

Silicon Cape has appointed a new leadership and operations team that will be led by Kerry Petrie as interim general manager and Tumi Boitumelo Menyatswe as ecosystem manager.

Silicon Cape chairperson Sumarie Roodt told Ventureburn the appointments were made on Tuesday (13 February).

Roodt said the announcement of the new all female “super-star team” is a very proud moment for the organisation as it seeks to drive a transformation agenda in the startup ecosystem, as well as spearhead initiatives aimed at creating a more diverse and inclusive ecosystem.

“Having Kerry Petrie at our helm, as our interim general manager, is a major positive for us given her extensive history in the non-profit sector as well as her specific areas of expertise,” she said.

Silicon Cape’s new interim general manager Kerry Petrie has over nine years of experience in the NGO sector

“Also, having Tumi Menyatswe onboard as our ecosystem manager is a highlight. Tumi was listed as one of the Top five Innovators to look out for in 2017 as well as being named as one of the 50 Most Inspiring Women working in technology and innovation. What incredible women to have onboard!” she added.

She also said change and growth are an inevitable part of “not only our organisation, but also of the ecosystem that we aim to serve”.

“We will continue to ensure good governance, transparency and trust to ensure that the best interests of the organisation, sponsors and community continue to be met,” she said.

The appointments follow last week’s resignation of Alexandra Fraser as director and board member, and the stepping down of the organisations former managing director Ellen Fischat.

Read more: Silicon Cape: Ellen Fischat and Alexandra Fraser resign

‘All-women team in sector not traditionally known for inclusivity’

“I am very excited to be joining Silicon Cape at this time in the organisation’s maturation. I am working with an inspiring and impressive all-women team in a sector not traditionally known for its inclusivity, which is thrilling. This role will allow me to channel both my experience in organisational development and my passion for championing leaders for change,” said Petrie

The interim manager has over the last nine years managed projects and organisations around South Africa to support health, human rights and education.

During this time, she says, she has honed her skills in strategic visioning and planning, strengthening organisational governance and designing monitoring and evaluation frameworks.

“As one of the leading organisations for supporting technology innovation and entrepreneurship, Silicon Cape has demonstrated their efforts towards growing the number of female technology leaders,” said Menyatswe (pictured above).

“Even the though the glass ceiling is stubbornly hanging on in other parts, I’m excited to be working with the team again to ensure that we drive more conversations and initiatives around supporting more women and wider ecosystems collaboration in SA,” she added.

Roodt urged that queries around the new team be directed to her email address.

Featured image: Tumi_Menyatswe via Twitter