Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Pillango Placements; Gauteng; On-site; ZAR 4,000,000 - 6,500,000; Full time

Job summary

Pillango Placements seeks an accomplished MD/CEO to unite and lead a multi-market group across mining, civil engineering and energy. The role demands strong commercial judgement, operational discipline, and the ability to consolidate post-merger operations into one high-performance organisation.

You will drive strategy, integration, and growth while maintaining governance and stakeholder engagement. Candidates should bring significant executive leadership experience, a proven track record in

Qualifications

• Significant senior executive leadership experience, ideally as MD/CEO/COO.
• Proven P&L and multi-country operational leadership with project-driven environments.
• Experience leading acquisitions, mergers or major organisational transformation.
• Strong commercial background with large contracts and tenders.

Responsibilities

• Set and execute the group strategy in partnership with the Board, with accountability for revenue and profitability.
• Lead post-merger integration to create a cohesive multi-country group and protect customer relationships.
• Drive safe, reliable and profitable delivery across multi-country operations and improve performance.
• Strengthen relationships with major mining, civil and energy clients and pursue new markets and opportunities.
• Oversee governance, risk, and stakeholder management in a listed-group environment and invest in tech-driven improvements.

Skills

Senior leadership

P&L management

Mergers & acquisitions

Strategic planning

Client leadership

Education

Engineering/Commerce/Finance/Business degree

MBA or mining/engineering qualification

Tools

ERP systems

Analytics platforms

Job description

This is a substantial leadership mandate: integrate the businesses, create one high-performance operation and drive sustainable growth across multiple markets. The group serves blue-chip and mid-tier clients across mining, civil engineering and energy, supported by real-time data, digital reporting and advanced analytics.
The successful MD/CEO will need to be equally comfortable in the boardroom, on site and in front of major customers. Strong commercial judgement, operational discipline and the ability to bring people together after a merger will be critical.

Duties / Key Responsibilities

Strategy & Business Leadership Set and execute the group strategy in partnership with the Board. Translate growth ambitions into clear commercial and operational plans, with accountability for revenue, profitability, cash generation and long-term business value.

Post-Merger Integration Lead the integration of the merged businesses into one cohesive group. Align structures, systems, processes, culture and leadership teams while protecting customer relationships and operational performance. Identify and deliver merger synergies without losing momentum.

Operational Performance Take overall responsibility for safe, reliable and profitable delivery across multi-country operations. Drive productivity, asset utilisation, project performance, cost control and consistent operating standards across the group.

Commercial Growth & Client Leadership Strengthen relationships with major mining, civil and energy clients. Lead strategic tenders, contract negotiations and key account development while identifying new markets, services and acquisition opportunities.

Financial & Corporate Performance Own overall business performance and work closely with the CFO on budgets, forecasts, capital allocation, working capital and investment decisions. Ensure disciplined commercial decision-making and strong returns from contracts, assets and growth initiatives.

Governance, Risk & Stakeholder Management Maintain strong governance, regulatory compliance and enterprise risk management within a listed-group environment. Build effective relationships with the Board, shareholders, investors, regulators, lenders, strategic partners and other key stakeholders.

Technology & Business Improvement Use technology, real-time operational data and analytics to improve decision-making and performance. Drive further adoption of digital platforms, automation, ERP capability and practical AI applications across the business.

People & Culture Build a strong executive leadership team and create a clear, accountable operating culture across the merged organisation. Develop succession, strengthen management capability and ensure teams remain aligned through significant change.

Requirements

• Significant senior executive leadership experience, ideally as MD, CEO, COO or Divisional CEO.
• Strong exposure to mining services, mining contracting, engineering, infrastructure, industrial services or a similar project-driven environment.
• Proven P&L and operational leadership across a complex or multi-country business.
• Experience leading acquisitions, mergers, integration or major organisational transformation.
• Strong commercial background covering large contracts, tenders, pricing and customer negotiations.
• Exposure to African and international operating environments.
• Sound understanding of listed-company governance, risk and stakeholder expectations.
• Comfortable using operational technology, ERP systems, analytics and data to improve performance.
• Strong track record of profitable growth, operational improvement and building effective leadership teams.

Education

Required: Relevant degree in Engineering, Commerce, Finance, Business or a related discipline.

Advantageous: MBA, postgraduate business qualification or relevant mining/engineering qualification.

Soft Skills

Commercially sharp, decisive and highly accountable. Strong communicator who can influence Boards, customers and operational teams. Calm under pressure, comfortable with complexity and able to lead significant change without losing focus on day-to-day execution. A practical leader who builds trust, sets clear standards and gets people moving in the same direction.

Salary

The salary is open for discussion. It will be market related based on qualifications, skills, and experience.