Russell Dreisenstock

Current Position:

GM Business Development Middle East & Africa, MIH Internet Africa and Middle East (2009 to present). Regional head of M&A responsible for acquisition strategy and deal execution. I am based in Cape Town but focused on growing Naspers e-commerce Internet businesses in Africa and the Middle East. (MIH is owned by Naspers and is the aggregation of the electronic media assets within the group.)
I was recruited as Strategy Advisor and Business Development Officer to lead two major research and investigative projects around online advertising and acquisitions. Key accomplishments include Business Plan Development: Performed an assessment of opportunities for investment in the Indian internet and mobile TV environment, conducted extensive field research, identified potential acquisitions, and submitted recommendations that gained consensus and senior-level approval; and Process Improvement: Performed exhaustive study of successful international and US based advertising and media buying organizations to identify “best-in-class” processes and procedures to determine gaps. Utilized industry best practice information to develop and design an enhanced infrastructure to support burgeoning online revenue growth.
Previously Manager Business Development at M-Web and General Manager: MWeb Home (1999-2005).
Prior to that Group Financial Director, Alisa Holdings (1994-1999)

Qualifications: 

BCompt (Hons) UNISA; CA (SA); Member Institute of Chartered Accounts of South Africa

Motivation for standing:

I have been fortunate to work for a highly progressive & technologically innovative Group (Naspers) for the last 10 years. During that time I have been exposed to the full spectrum of “key challenges ” that CITi and the Cape IT industry currently faces. I have also spent a lot of time with aspiring entrepreneurs as well as infrastructure providers and enablers (and disablers as the case may be).
I would thoroughly enjoy and appreciate an opportunity to plough some of this learning back into the tech community. Even if unsuccessful in this candidacy, I would very much like to contribute to the CITi initiative.