Magala, Kapoor, get executive appointments at AfDB

The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group has announced two executive appointments naming Mateus Magala and Kapil Kapoor as vice president for corporate services and human resources, and as director general, Southern Africa regional development and business delivery office, respectively.

Mateus Magala’s and Kapil Kapoor’s appointments are effective September 1, 2018, while Bajabulile “Swazi” Tshabalala’s appointment is effective August 1.
Magala, a citizen of Mozambique, is currently the chairman and CEO of the Electricity of Mozambique (EDM).

A statement from the AfDB on his appointment noted that Magala brings a strong transformation and reform mindset and experience. At the EDM, where he heads several thousand staff, he embarked on reforms to put in place performance-based systems, cut back on layers of bureaucracy, implemented global talent hunts and established performance-based contracts.

“Within two years, the performance of the EDM saw a rapid turn around. With the recruitment of better-qualified and rewarded staff, EDM saw its revenue rise from $150 million to $500 million and on track to reach $1 billion by 2020. He has won acclaim for his work at EDM, earning the 2017 personality of the year in Mozambique, by the Blue Bird Club, the 2016 African Leadership Business Excellence Award and the Outstanding Contribution for Power, 2017 / 2018, by the African Utility Week Industry Awards.”

Commenting on his appointment, Magala said: “It is such a great honour to be appointed as vice president for corporate services and human resources for the African Development Bank. I look forward to helping to further promote a culture of high productivity, performance and accountability for results, through attracting, rewarding, and retaining best-in-class staff talents”.

“Already, the bank is the fourth most attractive company among employers in Africa. I look forward to working with president Adesina on his bold reforms and to help fast-track institutional systems and processes to make the Bank more nimble for faster responsiveness to the needs of our stakeholders while accelerating the delivery of the operations of the Bank,” Magala said.

Speaking on Magala’s appointment, Akinwumi Adesina, AfDB’s president said: “Magala has led institutional reforms successfully and brings innovative ideas, creativity, passion, drive and determination to implement reforms. He is results-oriented. I expect that he will be able to effectively align the human resources and corporate services to support the Bank on its lending and non-lending operations to achieve greater impacts”.

“Magala, who is from a Lusophone or Portuguese speaking African country, also becomes the first-ever vice president of the bank from a Lusophone country in the bank’s 54-year history. This reaffirms my strong personal commitment, and that of the Bank, to greater diversity, inclusiveness and broad-based representation within the Bank Group,” Adesina said.

On Kapoor’s appointment as director general, Southern Africa regional development and business delivery office the bank noted that he has led numerous development initiatives in diverse country settings, ranging from fragile states like Afghanistan and Somalia, adding that he had earlier worked as a manager and development economist with the World Bank, where he managed an annual portfolio of projects in excess of $1 billion.
Kapoor expressed excitement about his appointment, saying “I am excited and truly honoured to be appointed as the Director General for Southern Africa. I look forward to leveraging my diverse experience from within and outside the African Development Bank to build a healthy, high impact sustainable business in the Southern Africa region through an engaged skilled workforce across the region.”
Adesina described Kapoor as someone who brings wide experience and a deep knowledge of the operations of the Bank. He has provided rich strategic thought leadership for the Bank’s Strategy formulation and understands well the New Business Delivery Model of the Bank. Kapil’s depth of experience in high-level policy dialogue, stakeholder engagement and his deep knowledge and experience in the Southern Africa region will further help in our drive for accelerated delivery and greater impacts for the Bank’s investments in the Southern Africa Region”.
Adesina also thanked Josephine Ngure, who has been acting as the director general for the past one year, for having stepped up and delivered outstanding work, providing leadership, direction and support for the bank’s staff and operations in the region.