EXECUTIVE OFFICE
VISHAAL LUTCHMAN
Chief Executive Officer
Vishaal has garnered experience from across the globe. He graduated in 1999 from the University of Natal with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering and proceeded to achieve his Pr Eng from the Engineering Council of South Africa in 2005. His interests also lie outside of Engineering as he pursued an MBA through the University of KwaZulu-Natal in 2008 and recently obtained his masters in Philosophy Leadership from the University of Johannesburg. Vishaal has been a devoted member of SAICE since 2004. His extensive industry experience encompasses various critical areas such as project management, short and long term strategy development, project implementation, capacity planning, viability and business case development, best practice project governance and risk management.
Steven Kaplan
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
Steven Kaplan, started on 2 April 2013 as SAICE’s first COO. Steven, who is an exceptional communicator and leader, brought with him many years of project management and consulting experience within the civil engineering industry. SAICE has benefitted from his skills regarding internal organisation processes, and his unwavering commitment to our goals and objectives.
Steven Kaplan has been Corporate Member of SAICE since 1984, a registered professional civil engineer with ECSA since 1984, a Member of ICE in the UK and a Chartered Engineer since 1989 and a registered professional construction project manager with SACPCMP since 2011.
Sharon Mugeri
Sharon Mugeri joined SAICE in January 2006 as an Education and Training Officer where she was involved in organising and coordinating SAICE’s training courses and administering the Continuous Professional Development programme.
Following the appointment of the CEO, Sharon was promoted to the Role of Executive Assistant to the CEO In November 2010 where she has effectively served since. Here she manages the CEO’s and COO’s Diary and is also the Secretary for SAICE Executive Board, the F&A Committee and the International Panel.
Sarlette Vermaak
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Sarlette joined SAICE in July 2016 as its Financial Manager. She has over 30 years of experience in the financial industry, and will be supporting SAICE by providing real-time financial management information in order to support and enhance senior-level decision-making for a strong, dynamic and stable Institution.
Paula van Niekerk
PA to CFO & Travel Coordinator
Paula joined SAICE in February 2012 as Executive Assistant to the Chief Financial Officer.
Added to her duties as PA, Paula also assist the Finance department in a procurement capacity and raises al purchase orders for SAICE NPO and SAICE (Pty) Ltd.
She also acts as travel coordinator for all domestic travel arrangements required by SAICE and its Branches and Divisions.
FINANCE DEPARTMENT
Helen Johnstone
Senior Debtors Controller – General & Courses
Helen joined SAICE in March 2007 as a debtors clerk and later took on the responsibility of handling the financial side of the Education & Training Department. On a day-to-day basis, Helen is responsible for the invoicing and reconciliation of all courses presented by SAICE.
She also assists by handling escalated queries from members and other customers, reviewing accounts receivable batches for posting and coordinating distribution of bulk invoice and statement batches.
Erika Maraj
Debtors Controller – Membership A to M
Erika joined SAICE in February 2012 as an intern and was promoted to her current position in 2014.
She handles membership accounts of members with surnames starting with A to M and is responsible for invoicing of membership fees, implementing approved monthly schedules, updating of member details and dealing with member queries.
Rose Magagula
Debtors Controller – Membership N to Z and Branches & Divisions
Rose joined SAICE in January 2009 as an intern and was promoted to her current position in 2012.
She handles membership accounts of members with surnames starting with N to Z and is responsible for invoicing of membership fees, implementing approved monthly schedules, updating of member details and dealing with member queries.
Rose is also responsible for raising revenue invoices for SAICE’s Branches & Divisions
Magda Bruyns
Bookkeeper – Branches & Divisions
Magda joined SAICE in 1998 as Bookkeeper: Creditors and was re-assigned to her current position in April 2018.
She is responsible for all financial transactions in SAICE’s Branches and Divisions, including Cashbooks, Accounts payable, Payments, Cashbook Reconciliations and ensuring that good governance and internal control procedures are adhered to at all times.
Magda Smith
Cashbook Controller – Receipts
Magda joined SAICE in 2013 as a Bookkeeper for debtors and cashbook receipts. Her focus was concentrated on Cashbooks receipts from January 2018.
She is responsible for the correct processing and allocation of all cashbook receipts in SAICE NPO and SAICE (Pty) Ltd, including payments received for membership fees and all other non-member invoices.
Hermien Toerien
Debtors Controller – General
Hermien joined SAICE in October 2013 as Credit Control Officer and was re-assigned to her current position in January 2018.
She handles all non-membership debtors invoicing in SAICE NPO and SAICE (Pty) Ltd, and controls the debtor’s book for Bookshop, Magazine, Website, Events and Inter-entity transactions to SAICE’s Branches & Divisions.
Khanyisile Nkuna
Junior Accountant
Khanyisile joined SAICE on 11 April 2018 as Junior Accountant. She was awarded a B Com degree in 2013 and is studying towards an Advance Diploma in Accounting Science at Unisa.
She is responsible for the following duties in SAICE NPO and SAICE (Pty) Ltd: Accounts Payable, Cashbook Payments, Cashbook Reconciliations, various month-end Journals, Balance Sheet Recons and maintaining the Asset Register.
COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT
Nadeena le’ Tang
Corporate Communications and Marketing Manager
Nadeena joined SAICE in 2013 and is responsible for the overall management of the Communications department which comprises of Marketing, PR, Multimedia, Graphics, Advertising and Events.
Tebogo Mapine
Multimedia
Tebogo, who has a BA in Graphic Design majoring in Multimedia and Motion Graphics, joined SAICE in August 2014. As SAICE’s graphic designer, he is responsible for the Institution’s print-related graphics, videography and photography.
Mishka Khan
Communications and international relations consultant
Mishka joined SAICE after graduating with a BA HONS in International Relations from the University of the Witwatersrand. She assists with Public Relations development, coordination and the implementation of internal and external Communications, Marketing, Events and International related projects.
EDITORIAL
Verelene de Koker
Editor
Verelene joined SAICE in 1998 at the reception desk. Her dedication to SAICE was soon rewarded by a promotion to the Communications Department and the rest was history. She’s now the Editor of Civil Engineering (SAICE’s monthly magazine) and the Journal of the South African Institution of Civil Engineering (ISI-accredited quarterly technical journal).
CAREER GUIDANCE
Memory Scheepers
Special Project & Career Guidance
Before joining SAICE in 1997, Memory worked as a teacher and then a credit officer in the retail environment. At SAICE she started as the membership officer and has worked in Human Resources, building operations and general SAICE administration. She now heads up the Special Projects Department in the Institution.
Fridah Mahlangu
Career Guidance Officer
Fridah started working for SAICE in 1999 as a cleaner. After showing potential, she was promoted to switchboard operator and receptionist in 2003. She is now involved in office administration, career exhibiting and events. Fridah also runs SAICE’s career guidance projects aimed at aspiring civil engineering practitioners in high schools.
EDUCATION & TRAINING
Dawn Hermanus
Education and Training co-ordinator
Dawn started at SAICE as receptionist for the seven staff members in 1990. She was later promoted to secretary to the Executive Director and then to the Education and Training Department of SAICE. She’s heavily involved with the administration and facilitation of the various informative courses.
Cheryl-Lee Williams
Education and Training co-ordinator
Cheryl-lee joined SAICE in February 2011 as an education and training officer. She decided to take on the new venture at SAICE where she is currently involved in organising and coordinating SAICE’s training courses and administering the Continuous Professional Development programme.
BOOK SHOP
Angelene Aylward
Sales Administrator
Angelene joined SAICE in January 1999 as Sales Administrator for the bookshop. She has seen the bookshop transformed from small beginnings, with only a few titles, to the beautiful facility at SAICE House where she manages an annual turnover of about R2.6 million. Part of her daily duties include customer service, stock control and the website’s store.
DANIEL MOTSIRI
GENERAL ASSISTANT
Daniel Motsiri joined SAICE in 2005 as a part-time worker who assisted in renovating SAICE House. He was promoted to driver responsibile for SAICE deliveries and collections, posting, banking and maintenance work. Currently he is involved in the dispatch department assisting the Inventory Clerk.
MEMBERSHIP
Merriam Molefe
Membership Officer
Merriam started working for SAICE in 2004 and worked herself up to her current position as Membership Officer. She handles membership applications, fee suspensions, senior status admission, retired members, resignations and members’ queries.
Vicky Johnstone
Membership Officer
Vicky started working for SAICE on a temporary basis in August 2013, she joined the permanent staff in December 2013 as a Membership Officer. Her duties include, management of the membership department statistics and reporting, membership applications, fee suspensions, senior status admission, retired members, resignations and members’ queries.
Merriam Sethole
Membership Officer
Merriam joined SAICE in 2009 and was promoted from Receptionist to Membership Officer in July 2016. Her duties include updating and maintaining the membership database, magazines and certificates requests and returns, processing of student membership applications and assisting with ad hoc membership enquiries.
BUILDING OPERATIONS
Mary Molefe
Receptionist
She joined SAICE in February 2012 as a janitor and is currently being groomed to assist with the SAICE switchboard. Prior to joining SAICE she worked in a publishing company focusing on customer assistance.
Shakina Mukandawire
Cleaning Lady
Born and bred in Zimbabwe, Shakina moved to Johannesburg to start working at SAICE to improve herself and the life of her 4 kids. Currently employed as a cleaning lady she aims to further herself through courses which will enable her to one day be the receptionist at SAICE.
Pearl Moanakwenu
Cleaning Lady
A mother of 1 and a keen athlete from Rustenburg – Pearl works along-side Shakina to maintain cleanliness around SAICE. She is an extremely motivated individual who is currently working on building herself a career at SAICE.