Vodacom executive rumoured to become new SAA CEO
Vodacom executive director of regional operations, Vuyani Jarana, is said to be the leading candidate to become the first permanent CEO of SAA since 2015, according to a Bloomberg report, citing three people familiar with the matter.
A source told Bloomberg that SAA was looking for an experienced executive from the private sector to help turn the loss-making carrier around, and Jarana’s name reportedly came up as the executive of choice among a number of board members.
A new chief faces a mammoth task of turning around the state owned carrier after it was revealed in a meeting of the Finance Committee in Parliament on Tuesday that SAA losses for the past two months amounted to R734 million.
This follows losses of R1.5 billion recorded last year and R4.5 billion in the previous financial year.
Controversial SAA chair, Dudu Myeni, is said to prefer a different candidate, another source said.
Jarana declined to comment on the speculation.
Jarana has been at Vodacom since 2005, where he first served as a managing executive. He has served as chief operating officer and as a director of Vodacom Lesotho. He is currently the ED of regional operations.
In the latest financial year, Jarana was paid a total salary of R10.7 million.
Responding to the Bloomberg report, Vodacom said that Jarana has not been offered a job by SAA, and is focused on his work at Vodacom.
Before Jarana, or anyone else, can be formally offered a job, candidates need to get approval from the finance minister, and be presented to Cabinet for approval.
SAA has been without a permanent chief executive since Monwabisi Kalawe resigned in September 2015 following disciplinary issues with the then board and a Labour Court dispute.
Read: Vodacom CFO talks SA downgrade and the next evolution in mobile
Loading ...