Executive Team
Manne Emsley Dipico - Chairperson
Manne in his early years was active in student politics at the University of Forte Hare, joined the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) first as its regional organiser and subsequently as the national education officer. He later helped with the establishment of a solid NUM region in the Kimberley areas and was assigned the task of leading the newly established Northern Cape Province as its first premier. After serving two terms in office from 1994 to 2004, he was deployed the Election manager of the ANC for the 2004 national and the 2006 municipal elections. In 2004 he was appointed a director of Afrifocus Securities and Uni-Africa Invesment Holdings and a Parliamentary Counsellor by President Mbeki. In 2005 he was appointed to head the Ponahalo Consortium which acquired a 26% interest in the De Beers Group and in the following year was appointed Deputy Chairman in De Beers. In 2006 he co-founded the Matasis Group. Manne is the chairperson of NECSA, Matasis and Burk Mining and serves on the baord of SAFIC.
Jayant Pema - Chief Executive Officer
BComm (Acc), BCompt (Hons), CA (SA), H Dip Tax Law, Diploma in Insolvency Law and Practice (RAU)
Jay served his articles at Gaddie Brothers and Partners, and was an iternational auditor for Sigma Motor Corporation before joining Arthur Andersen in 1982. He spent a total of 6 years at the latter firm, where he specialised in auditing and taxation. In 1988, Jay founded Pema Lakha & Associates and some ten years later was appointed a partner at Ernst and Young, where he was responsible for parastatals, local government and empowerment vehicles. Jay has served on numerous professional bodies and was a former chairperson on the Board of the Association for the Advancement of Black Insolvency Practitioners (AABIP).
Philip Reynolds
B.Com. C.A. (S.A.)
Philip was (having retired on the 31 May 2009) a Due Diligence and Reorganisation Services partner in Deloitte Corporate Finance division providing due diligence services for both financially sound and distressed businesses.
He established the Reorganisation Services practice in South Africa as one of the leading providers of advice to distress businesses in South Africa. Prior to turning his focus to business rescue and corporate recovery in 2002, Philip practised as a registered liquidator for 18 years and was an audit partner in one of the then big 5 firms for 17 years.
He is a member and director of the recently formed Turnaround management Association of South Africa. He is also an honourary member of the Association of Insolvency Practitioners having been a council member serving in various roles for some 18 years.
Philip has assisted numerous clients including: The Super Group, Babcock Borsig - Steinmuller Africa, Stock & Stocks, Regal Bank, Islamic Bank, FBC Fidelity Bank, BKS, Manganese Mining Company, Rand Mines, CG Smith, DNA Logistics, Murray & Roberts, and Sasol.
Philip's skills lie in reviewing businesses, their systems, business plans, cash flows and the like and assisting with devising improvements thereto and the implementations thereof. He also advises clients on the liquidation process, schemes of argument and compromises based on his experience gained over many years as a liquidator. He has the skills to recognise the business structure, to dispose of noncore or non perfoming divisions, subsidiaries and assets to improve overall return on investment.
Abel Dlamini
Bachelor of Accountancy, Honours Bachelor of Accounting Science, CA (SA)
Abel served articles with Coopers and Lybrand during the years 1990 - 1994. He practised as a registered accountant and auditor in the partnership and the business trading as Dlamini Inc. with offices in Johannesburg, Durban and Pietersburg (now Polokwane).during the period 1994 - 1998. He joined Arthur Andersen as a partner in 1998. Abel joined KPMG on the merger with Andersen in 2002 as a partner in the Information, Communication and Entertainment (ICE) business unit before moving to the Management Assurance Services (MAS) business unit at the beginning of 2003.
Irene Susan Ponnen
Diploma in Insolvency Law and Practice (UP)
Samantha joined Anne-Marie Cornelius Trustees in 1997 as an insolvency clerk and progressed to the position of insolvency administrator. In 2003 she joined Lesedi Trust as head of Insolvency Administration. Prior to joining Matasis, she was a member of Mabaso Trust CC, responsible for the administration of their insolvent estates. Samantha is presently the deputy secretary of the Association of Black Insolvency Practitioners (AABIP).
Gunvant (Guni) Muggan
BCompt (Acc), PA (SA), CIA, Diploma in Insolvency Law and Practice (RAU)
Guni served his articles with Pim Goldby (Deloitte and Touche) in their audit division during the early 1980's. He then joined the manufacturing company, James Howden Group (SA), as a divisional accountant. He was appointed financial manager at a subsidiary of transport company Unitrans Limited. In early 1990 Guni joined Pema Lakha & Associates as a financial consultant and manager. Prior to joining Matasis, Guni was a liquidator at Sekela Antrust (Pty) Ltd and Internal audit manager at Sekela Consulting (Pty) Ltd.
Craig Kavanagh
Diploma in Insolvency Law and Practice (RAU)
Craig joined the industry back in 1992 when he was employed by Mr Philip Reynolds of Ernst & Young (Pty) Ltd to assist in the administration of estates. In 1995 he moved as a manager and administrator of Insolvent estates to Reynolds Trust (Pty) Ltd a company formed by Mr Reynolds, when he purchased the Liquidation and Insolvency division of Ernst & Young. In 1997 he enrolled for the AIPSA Diploma in Insolvency Law and Practice which course he successfully completed the same year. During 1997 Reynolds Trust merged with Deloitte & Touche Trust (Pty) Ltd. He was admitted as a practising member of The Association of Insolvency Practitioners of South Africa on 19 August 1999. The Liquidation and Insolvency division of Deloitte & Touche Trust was then taken over by D & T Trust (Pty) Ltd in 2004, where Craig operated as a senior manager responsible for all aspects related to the administration of insolvent estates until he joined Matasis in June 2009.