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37
Directors
Linda Kempster -
Executive Director
Nazlie Dickson -
Executive Director
Bronwen de Fin -
Non-executive Director
Christopher Alabi -
Non-executive Director
Joining Hydraform in 1995 and tasked with
setting up and implementing administration,
finance and HR processes, Linda was
promoted to financial director in 2001 and
to group operations and finance director in
2012. Linda holds a CIS qualification and is
an associate member of the internationally
recognised Chartered Institute of Secretaries.
Over the years she has been instrumental in
establishing a solid corporate governance
framework for Hydraform and has overseen,
monitored and ensured compliance at
every step along the way. She is responsible
for improving Hydraform’s performance
by enhancing business operation systems,
organisational procedures, the flow of
information inside and outside the company,
management strategy/planning and business
processes. She manages and oversees
daily operations in finance and HR, ensuring
streamlined operations, reduced operating
costs and improved profitability.
With nearly a decade and a half of service,
Nazlie is a relative latecomer to Hydraform
who brought a much-needed marketing
viewpoint to what can sometimes be
the rather staid business of engineering
and construction. Holding a BA degree
in communication as well as diplomas in
management, international trade and
exports, her value was appreciated and she
was appointed director of the main trading
company, Hydraform International, in 2009.
She subsequently became a director of the
holding company in 2011, taking on the Sales
and Marketing portfolio. Nazlie has worked
with clients from all over Africa, extending
from Sudan to Zimbabwe, in the process
learning that no two clients have the same
set of problems or needs. The experience has
also underscored the company belief that
future success is contingent upon listening
to the needs of customers because that
leads to development of products customers
actually want.
A practising attorney, notary and managing
director of her own practice, Bronwen brings
more than a decade of post-admission
experience to the board and her speciality
of Commercial Law and Civil Litigation has
proven extremely valuable on occasion.
Importantly, she also has a strong grasp of
business by virtue of her BB (Rhodes) and
MBL (Unisa) degrees, which complement her
LLB (Rhodes) and results in pragmatic and
holistic legal advice. Bronwen has served
as a non-executive director on the board
of Hydraform since 2011. Her association
with this international organisation and
its transcontinental dynamics is one that
generates immense pride and a sense of
shared accomplishment. This is particularly
true of the unique manner in which the
company delivers on its objective to be a
force in building the African continent while
simultaneously empowering its people.
A renowned entrepreneur with more than
50 years’ business experience, Chris is co-
founder and one of the promoters of CAKASA
Nigeria Company Limited, the foremost
provider of engineering, procurement and
construction services to the oil & gas sector
in that West African country. Chris was the
initial MD of the firm and has also fulfilled the
role of vice-chairman. He is a co-founder and
director of Intercontinental Bank PLC and has
engaged in numerous other business activities
across the banking, maritime, agriculture and
education sectors, among others. Chris has
been a member of the Hydraform board
since 2008 and together with his business
experience brings further insight to discussions
by virtue of his degree in Sociology (Ibadan).
He is an alumni of the Lagos Business School
and has completed executive management
courses at the Irish Institute of Management,
Harvard Business School and INSEAD.
Beginning her career in the banking industry,
Elmarie has held a variety of senior positions
at Barclays, FNB, United Building Society,
Amalgamated Banks of SA (Volkskas, Trust
Bank, Allied Building Society and United
Building Society which later became Absa).
Portfolios that fell under her purview included
forex, exchange control, mortgage loans,
commercial finance, credit granting, risk
management, policies and procedures and
training. With a BCom (Natal), aCAIB (Institute
of Bankers), a PMD (GIBS) and as wife of the
founder, Elmarie has been involved with the
company in a variety of ways from its very
inception. She was asked to put her financial
and risk management expertise at the
disposal of Hydraform and shortly thereafter
joined the board of directors.
Elmarie Kofahl -
Non-executive Director