Wikipedia

Jasandra Nyker

Jasandra Nyker is a South African entrepreneur and former CEO of BioTherm Energy, a South African developer of renewable energy sources and power plant operator.[1] She was a managing director of the International Power Fund at Denham Capital,[2] and a board member in the Emira Property Fund.[3] In 2021, she was appointed CEO of Nala Renewables, a company set up by Trafigura and IFM Investors.[4]

Jasandra Nyker
NationalitySouth African
Alma mater
OccupationCEO
Known forRenewable power development
Board member ofEmira Property Fund
Investec

Education

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Nyker has a bachelor's degree in business science from the University of Cape Town and an MBA from the London Business School, where she was a Merrill Lynch scholar.[5]

Career

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After working from Brait SE, and being senior vice president at PCG Asset Management LLC,[3][6] Jasandra Nyker became CEO of Biotherm Energy in 2011. She participated in renewable energy forums such as the World Economic Forum on Africa, held in Kigali, Rwanda in 2016,[7] and the 2017 Africa CEO Forum in Geneva.[8] In 2019 she became a managing director at Denham Capital, after the sale of Biotherm to Actis Capital.[9][10] In April 2021 she was appointed CEO of Nala Renewables,[4] a company set up by Trafigura and IFM Investors with the initial goal of reaching a two gigawatts renewables portfolio.[11] At the beginning of her tenure the company acquired a majority stake in Boston-based Swift Current Energy, together with Buckeye Partners.[12] In 2022 the company started construction of a 100 MWh battery project located at Nyrstar’s zinc smelting operation in Balen, Belgium.[13]

Nyker also serves as an nonexecutive director of the Emira Property Fund,[14] and the international banking and wealth management group Investec.[15]

She has supported business school students and young entrepreneurs by chairing the judges' panel for the 2012 Anzisha Prize,[16][17] and participating in the Odgers Berndtson CEOx1Day programme in 2017.[18]

Views

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Nyker has advocated for the importance of renewable energy in Africa as a way to combat poverty,[19] given the abundance of solar and wind natural resources in the continent.[20] In order for power projects to succeed she has emphasized the need for certainty and consistency in government energy policy,[21][22] and advocated for partnerships between government and the private sector,[23] warning about state capture and failings of utility companies, such as South Africa's Eskom.[24] She has said that the independent power producers help improve power grids run by state utility companies, and that more African countries would benefit from this type of collaboration.[25] However, for 2021 she expected the private renewable market to still dominate, with country-owned renewable power still lagging behind.[26]

Awards and recognition

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Nyker was named a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader in 2012.[27] She was included in the "Fifty Changemakers Advancing Gender Equality in South Africa" list, on the occasion of the first 50/50 Day in 2017.[28] In 2019, she received the Outstanding Contribution Award in Power at the African Power, Energy and Water Awards.[29][30]

References

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  1. ^ "BioTherm Energy Pty Ltd". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on 16 August 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  2. ^ "Jasandra Nyker". Denham Capital. Archived from the original on 16 August 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Jasandra Nyker". www.bloomberg.com. Archived from the original on 16 August 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  4. ^ a b "Nala appoints chief executive". Renewable Energy News. 29 March 2021. Archived from the original on 31 March 2021. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
  5. ^ Jasandra Nyker. World Economic Forum. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  6. ^ Saathoff, Sandra (28 April 2008). "ReliOn Secures "C" Round Financing" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 August 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  7. ^ Mulupi, Dinfin (3 June 2016). "Seeing power generation as a business opportunity: African CEOs weigh in". How We Made It In Africa. Archived from the original on 16 August 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  8. ^ "Can off-grid electricity power Africa?". How We Made It In Africa. 28 May 2017. Archived from the original on 16 August 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  9. ^ "Denham Capital Announces Sale of African Renewable Power Company BioTherm Energy". Denham Capital. 1 August 2019. Archived from the original on 16 August 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  10. ^ "Actis acquires South African renewables company BioTherm Energy". 2 August 2019. Archived from the original on 18 August 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  11. ^ Payne, Julia (6 January 2021). Potter, Mark (ed.). "Trafigura's Nala Renewables invests in Belgian power storage". Reuters. Archived from the original on 31 March 2021. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
  12. ^ Payne, Julia (7 April 2021). Evans, David (ed.). "Trafigura's Nala, Buckeye acquire majority stake in U.S. renewable energy firm". Reuters. Archived from the original on 9 April 2021. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  13. ^ Mishra, Baibhav (10 March 2022). "Construction of major battery energy storage system in Belgium commences". Sea News. Archived from the original on 13 March 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  14. ^ "Officer Profile". in.reuters.com. Archived from the original on 18 August 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  15. ^ Waite, Tom (21 May 2021). "IN BRIEF: Investec adds former JSE CEO Nicky Newton-King to board". MorningstarUK. Archived from the original on 22 May 2021. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
  16. ^ "Andrew Mupuya named as 2012 Anzisha Grand Prize Winner". African Leadership Academy. 30 August 2012. Archived from the original on 18 August 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  17. ^ Nsehe, Mfonobong (5 September 2012). "Three Young Prize-Winning African Entrepreneurs To Watch". Forbes. Archived from the original on 18 August 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  18. ^ "CEO for a Day South Africa - Participating CEOs". www.odgersberndtson.com. 2020. Archived from the original on 18 August 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  19. ^ Nyker, Jasandra (15 May 2014). "Why Renewables are the Way Forward for Africa | GE News". General Electric News. Archived from the original on 18 August 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  20. ^ "Building renewable power in South Africa". BBC News. 19 July 2019. Archived from the original on 18 August 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  21. ^ Burkhardt, Paul (1 February 2018). "How to Wreck the World's Fastest-Growing Renewables Program". Bloomberg NEF. Archived from the original on 18 August 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  22. ^ "Africa Energy Forum, London: Progress Takes Time But Quick Action is Needed". Renewable Energy World. 11 July 2016. Archived from the original on 18 August 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  23. ^ Creamer, Terence (6 November 2019). "Infrastructure Fund project pipeline stands as R700bn, DBSA reports". www.engineeringnews.co.za. Archived from the original on 18 August 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  24. ^ Nyker, Jasandra (6 February 2019). "Op-Ed: All the eggs are in Eskom's basket: It is time to diversify the energy sector". Daily Maverick. Archived from the original on 18 August 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  25. ^ McGroarty, Patrick (14 September 2015). "South Africa Pushes to Expand Renewable Energy". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Archived from the original on 26 August 2020. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  26. ^ Reed, Ed (7 January 2021). "Tighter times for African carbon amid capital pressure - News for the Oil and Gas Sector". Energy Voice. Archived from the original on 7 January 2021. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  27. ^ Norbrook, Nicholas (7 May 2012). "Young Global Leaders: Cream of the crop at the World Economic Forum". The Africa Report.com. Archived from the original on 16 August 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  28. ^ Mathews, Charlie. "Fifty Changemakers Advancing Gender Equality in SA". Treeshake. Archived from the original on 18 August 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  29. ^ Gordon, Philip (22 May 2019). "Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Rwanda and South Africa amongst winning projects and pioneers at African Power, Energy & Water Industry Awards". Smart Energy International. Archived from the original on 16 August 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  30. ^ Theron, Ashley (25 November 2019). "Outstanding Contribution Award 2019: Power". African Energy Elites. Archived from the original on 18 August 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
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