Passionate about innovative research and backed by a doctorate degree in business management, Dr Thandeka Ellenson was appointed the chief financial officer of the Moses Kotane Institute in Durban in 2014. Known as MKI, this was a role Ellenson kept for four years – introducing a number of new systems and transforming the institution from the ground up – until the position of CEO became vacant. “MKI is not an academic establishment, we don’t provide those sorts of qualifications, we mainly focus on business research,” explains Ellenson, who has experience working within both the private and public sectors.

“The turnaround time is shorter because the research we do is for decision- making, creating interventions at a particular point.” The fast-paced research environment at MKI has a lot to do with who it’s working for – government departments that want solutions delivered in a short space of time. To do this, Ellenson leads a team of researchers and innovators and runs the institution according to three pillars: research, advisory and capacity development.