CA (Z), CA (SA), Executive MBA (UCT), Business, International Relations and the Political Economy (LSE)
Executive director and chief financial officer
Chairman of social, ethics and transformation committee, and member of audit and risk committee
Appointed to the board in December 2020

CJ was a partner at Ernst & Young from 2008 to 2017 during which time she served as an audit partner and the strategic growth markets leader for Africa. In 2017 she joined Adcorp Holdings as the group CFO, leading the company’s balance sheet restructuring process and later served as interim CEO from October 2019 to May 2020. CJ joined Ascendis in December 2020.

DIP Theology
Non-executive director

Harry is the founder of the Ascendis Activist Investor group.
Harry is forward thinking and has a strong affinity for facilitating and building consensus amongst diverse individuals. He has historically acted as a company representative for firms of
attorneys, has experience with loan funding having worked at ABSA in several roles including lending, and has extensive experience in the construction sector.

National Diploma Information Technology
Post-graduate Diploma in Computer Auditing
Non-executive director

Lawrence (Shumani) has extensive experience at a senior and directorship level and is currently serving as a director on the boards of Total Energies Marketing Services (formerly Total South Africa), Tosaco Energy, Kilimanjaro Capital, Kefolile Health Investments, Kefolile Consumer Brands and Blackgold renewable energy. Lawrence is the Co-founder of Kilimanjaro Capital and has invested in excess of R2.5 billion in multiple businesses ranging from health, consumer products and energy.

Bachelor of Accountancy
Non-executive director

Richard is a forward-thinking business leader who applies systems thinking for results. He has held the role of Acting Chairman and Lead Independent Non-Executive Director of a bank, an insurance company, property group and asset manager. He has been a member of he Strategy and Innovation Committee, the Human Resource Committee and the Corporate Governance Committee. Richard has financial and operational experience at Directorship level in African and Asian markets and is proficient in a broad range of Industries ranging from pharmaceuticals, medical devices, retail, hotels, agri-processing and manufacturing.

Masters degree in Economics
Doctorate (PhD) in international economics (magna cum laude)
Guest lecturer at MBA school of University of Stellenbosch from 2010 – 2015
Non-executive director

Karsten has extensive top-management and M & A experience with global health care and retail companies. Karsten was the co-founder and group CEO of Ascendis Health (Pty) Ltd seeing the company through its listing onto the JSE and growth in its former years. He is the founder of GEC Consulting, has been a director of Alpha Pharm Western Cape and EC Holdings and worked for the listed global health care company Fresenius for 18 years in various countries and regions like Germany, Switzerland, Eastern Europe, Middle East and South Africa.

Carl is a qualified Chartered Accountant with extensive commercial experience having co-founded Acorn Private Equity, a leading alternative asset fund manager, in 2009.

He is a respected dealmaker and entrepreneur that serves in different positions on various company boards, and as Chief Investment Officer of Acorn he oversees the management of more than R5 billion in assets alongside a highly regarded investment team.

Prior to founding Acorn, Carl was Global Investment Controller for all real estate and private equity investments at Westmont Group, in partnership with Goldman Sachs and other influential investors.

Carl has gained an extensive network through his vast business interests and has a unique mix of local and international experience that brings a well-tested perspective on value creation, management, and governance.

Bharti is a seasoned director with over 10 years of experience, gaining valuable insights into board deliberations relating to shareholder/stakeholder relations; traversing tough economic times and of late, black swan events such as Covid-19 and how
businesses are now planning in a recovery phase. She presently serves as an independent non-executive on the following boards, where she also is chairman of various sub-committees (Remco, Audit and Social and Ethics):

• Stefanutti Stocks Limited (JSE listed, since April 2018), Construction and engineering
• Lenmed Investments Limited (Lenmed) (since September 2010), Private hospital group
• Bell Equipment Sales South Africa (since May 2017), nonexecutive director/equity partner), SA division of the listed yellow metals OEM
• St. Davids Marist Brothers, lnanda (since November 2019), Deputy Chair. Independent boys’ school
• EOH Holdings Limited (as from 1 January 2021), Tech holding group

Bharti has previously served as Lead Independent Non-Executive Director of Ascendis Health Limited. Bharti holds a BA LLB (Natal) & LLM (Wits) – she is an Admitted Attorney, Notary and Conveyancer.

Amaresh is a qualified corporate professional with a B Com, PG Dip Bus Mngmt and an MBA as well as courses completed in Valuations, Corporate Restructuring, Mergers and Acquisitions from UND, HBS and UCT.

He has in excess of 20 years’ investment and commercial experience with significant healthcare experience having previously completed a R1 billion empowerment transaction with Medi Clinic.

Amaresh has extensive capital markets experience supplemented with operational experience and transactions that have ranged from early stage to growth capital, replacement capital and leveraged buy- outs, and includes cross-border transactions.

He has previously served as Head of Private Equity at a family office and was a founder director of lthuba, the operator of the South African national lottery.

Amaresh brings an extensive network of corporate relationships and currently holds several active directorship roles including on various audit, remco and investment sub-committees.