MANAGER & PRINCIPAL ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANT

Charles graduated at Cape Peninsula University of Technology with a National Diploma and BTech Degree in Environmental Management. He started his career in 2009 as a Junior Environmental Consultant at DJ Environmental Consultants (DJEC) and was in 2011 promoted to Senior Environmental Consultant at the same company. In 2013, DJEC opened a provincial office in the Northern Cape Province and Charles was appointed to manage the office as the Provincial Manager. In 2016, Charles joined Savannah Environmental where he served in various capacities as Environmental Assessment Practitioner and Environmental Control Officer Manager until March 2018. He was appointed as EcoDriven’s Manager and Principal Consultant with effect from 1 April 2018. His environmental experience covers ten years dealing with various projects across a spectrum ranging from renewable energy projects (Photovoltaic, Concentrated Solar Power and Wind Farms), residential development projects (Private sector and Government sector) and mining sector (open cast mining). His role in the abovementioned sectors, includes the planning and design phases, construction phases and operational phases, allowing him to have a full understanding of the complete life cycle of any given environmental project.

SENIOR ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANT AND LEGAL ADVISOR

Fef graduated at Stellenbosch University in 1973 with a BA Law and in 1975 a LLB degree and then qualified himself as an attorney, conveyancer and notary of the High Court of South Africa. In 1981, he joined the Cape Bar, where he practised as an advocate until his retirement from his practice in June 2012. He was awarded Senior Counsel status by President Nelson Mandela in 1996. Throughout his career as an advocate, he focused on environmentally related fields of law with a special interest in water law. His interest in the environment led him to establish the Academy for Environmental Leadership (AEL) in 2015 (www.afel.co.za) with EcoDriven as its Environmental Services Division. In addition to his role as chairman of AEL, he is responsible for lecturing the module Environmental Legislative Framework, covering a practical introduction to the full spectrum of environmental legislation. He also serves as Senior Environmental Consultant for EcoDriven.

HEAD OF AEL AND SPECIALIST SOIL CONSULTANT

Professor Leopoldt van Huyssteen (BScAgric, MScAgric and PhDAgric US) has consulted extensively in the agricultural industry over many years. He is a soil scientist and was previously employed as the Dean of the Faculty of AgriScience and later Chief Operating Officer at Stellenbosch University. He also acted as Rector of the University of Stellenbosch from time to time. Before that he held various positions at the Department of Agricultural Development as a scientist, researcher and member of national statutory bodies. He is the author and co-author of several scientific publications and books and attended many international conferences, often as an invited speaker. He has since 2016 been appointed as the Head of the Academy at AEL in which capacity he also acts as specialist consultant for EcoDriven.

ACADEMIC HEAD OF AEL AND SPECIALIST BOTANIST

Dr Matthys Strydom (BScConsEcol, MScConsEcol and PhDConsEcol, US) is a botany scientist. He has participated in numerous research projects, which have included topics such as fynbos ecology and conservation, invasion biology, seed bank dynamics and alien plant management. He is intimately involved in independent research and the training and assistance of his students in Conservation Ecology, field work, laboratory work and data collection.