Gideon Botes

Background

About Gideon Botes

My career of ca. 23 years has covered various aspects of applied and fundamental R&D, IP management, innovation management with emphasis on new chemical product and process development, and is supplemented by experience in corporate strategy formulation and business optimisation. My present role as Senior Manager Digital Development at Secunda Operations, a world scale petrochemical complex, concerns the development and implementation of digitalisation strategies. In addition, I have also recently been appointed as Extraordinary Professor at the University of Stellenbosch to assist with academic programmes at the Department of Process Engineering. My defining skills and attributes are: • Holistic approach to problem solving • Analytical ability • Strategy development and implementation • Visionary leadership • Technology and industry trend analysis • Interface management – internal and external (local and international institutions and companies) • Adaptability and agility, having successfully transitioned between various and diverse roles • Broad knowledge base of scientific fundamentals, including process engineering, catalysis and chemicals. • Communication skills I am also an avid wildlife photographer.