Portia Derby, Group Chief Executive, Transnet

Ms. Portia Derby is the current Group Chief Executive of Transnet SOC Ltd, appointed February 2020. She has occupied senior positions in the South African government during a period of major economic reform. Portia is the former Director-General of Public Enterprises (2005 - 2009) responsible for Corporate Strategy and Structure of the Investment Portfolio (2004 - 2005) and former Chief Operating Officer of the Department of Trade and Industry (2002).

Portia’s career in government started at the National Institute for Economic Policy (NIEP), as a financial researcher where she played an integral role in working on the quantification of the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP).

Portia previously served as a non-executive director of Metair Investments and Safcol. She has also worked in the private sector as an Executive Director: Clients Africa at Aurecon, an international engineering and infrastructure advisory company. Portia holds a Bachelor of Science Degree (majoring in Economics and Geology), an Honours degree in Economics from the University of Natal, as well as a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.