CES25 Presenters
We are proud to present our Presenters for the Construction Education Summit 2025 to be held on 17 – 18 July 2025 at Premier Hotel Pretoria, Arcadia, Pretoria, South Africa.
Ass. Instructional Professor: University of Wyoming & Professor: Nelson Mandela University
Prof Theo C. Haupt is an NRF-rated Visiting Professor at the University of Wyoming in the USA; an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Construction Management at the Nelson Mandela University; an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Management and Project Management at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology; a Research Scholar at the University of Free State; and Program Director (part-time) at the International Council of Research and Innovation in Building and Construction (CIB).
The Honourable Minister:
Public Works & Infrastructure
Mr Dean Macpherson was appointed as Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure from 3 July 2024. He is an experienced businessman and politician who is passionate about economic policy and job creation. Mr Macpherson has been serving as a public representative since 2009, initially as a local government councillor and since 2014 as a Member of Parliament for the Democratic Alliance (DA). During the Fifth Parliament (2014-2019), he served as the DA’s Shadow Minister of Trade and Industry and a Whip in the National Assembly.
Lecturer and HoD:
Department of Construction Management, Nelson Mandela University
Chris’s career has taken him on a journey to all corners of the globe. Since completing a Bachelor of Building Arts degree at the University of Port Elizabeth and an AutoCad Diploma at the PE Technikon, he has worked for a housing developer before heading to the UK where he joined a design and build firm where he worked on the design and construction of a number of specialist residential and commercial redevelopment projects.
Head of Department Construction Management & Quantity Surveying: Durban University of Technology
Biography writeup goes here
Professor of Construction Management:
Nelson Mandela University
Prof John Smallwood is the Professor of Construction Management in the Department of Construction Management, Nelson Mandela University, and the Principal, Construction Research Education and Training Enterprises (CREATE). Both his MSc and PhD (Construction Management) addressed construction health and safety (H&S). He has conducted extensive research and published in the areas of construction H&S, ergonomics, and occupational health (OH), but also in the areas of health and well-being, primary health promotion, quality management, and risk management.
Lecturer & Researcher:
Nelson Mandela University
Dr Mohlomi Terah Raliile is a lecturer and researcher in the Department of Construction Management at Nelson Mandela University, where he specialises in Construction Health and Safety Management. His researcher focus is on Occupational Health, Safety and Wellbeing, Risk Management, Environmental Management, and Construction Innovation and Technology. Beyond his academic roles, he advises industry stakeholders on research-based solutions for improving health and safety in the construction industry.
Executive Director:
Master Builders Association North
Mohau Mphomela is the executive director of Master Builders Association North. He has held senior positions for Top-40 listed companies, and is a member of the Institute of Directors in South Africa. He is currently the chairperson of the board of trustees of the Building and Construction Industry Medical Aid (BCIMA) and the deputy chairperson of the board of trustees of the Gauteng Building Industry (GBI) Retirement Fund. Mohau holds a Master of Business Leadership from Unisa and a Postgraduate Diploma in Corporate Law from the University of Johannesburg.
Professor:
University of Wyoming
Francois Jacobs is a professor at the University of Wyoming, where he steers the Construction Management program as well as Construction Workforce training across the State of Wyoming. Francois worked in the construction sector for 15 years before his transitioned to academia, where he enjoys a guiding research agenda around, workforce training, co-teaching, and stackable credential training.
Pr.CPM, Past President:
The Chartered Institute of Building, Southern Africa
Bob has been involved in construction industry work for more than 50 years. From craftsman to MD of major construction companies in UK and SA (30 yrs); Senior Lecturer at UCT. CE&M Dept. (15 years); Programme initiator & designer UCT CPM Masters; Deputy Director, designer & presenter CMP, Stellenbosch (1995 – 2010); Founding member & 1st Chair of the SACPCMP Construction Management Development Committee and Director of NGO – Development Action Group (1999-2018) to Currently – Researcher, writer & businessman.
Senior Lecturer • Course Coordinator Earth Studies MArch(Prof) programme: Department of Architecture, University of Pretoria
Dr. Jan Hugo is a registered architect and senior lecturer in the Architecture Department at the University of Pretoria. He completed his PhD focusing on the climate change adaptation potential of building-integrated agriculture. His current research focus is on the role of the built environment in developing climate change resilient cities, specifically focused on heat health solutions.
