Lifetime Industry Achievement Award
Dr PD (Dempsey) Naidoo
RECOGNITION
D
empsey Naidoo’s
Namakwa Sands Mine in the Western
institution transformation in
career spans 37
Cape and Executive in the Base
South Africa.
years of leadership
Metals Division.
in the infrastructure
In 1996, he took the reins as CEO at
In 2013, the PDNA Group was sold to the UK-based Mott Macdonald
engineering and business creation
the fledgling PD Naidoo Consulting
Engineering Group. Dempsey served
and management sectors.
Engineers Group (PDNA), which he
as Managing Director of the Africa
founded as a part-time community-
Division in the Europe and Africa
as a civil engineer under a UN
based venture in 1987. In the next
Unit, and was a Shareholder Board
sponsorship and was recruited
10 years, until 2006, the company
Committee Member till his retirement
as a graduate engineer in the
had grown under his direction to
from this position in February 2017.
Anglo American Corporation Civil
a 500-employee organisation with
Since 2011, Dempsey has served
Engineering Department in 1981.
12 offices in South Africa and four
as inaugural Chairman and Director
He spent his internship designing
offices in Africa. During this time, the
of the JSE-listed Texton Property
and constructing various mining
company was notable as the leading
Fund and has been a founding
infrastructure projects in water,
consulting BBBEE practice and won
director since 1996 on the board
slimes, pipelines, townships, dams
numerous technical and business
of the N3 Toll Concession. As an
and structures projects for various
leadership awards. Dempsey was also
active entrepreneur and investor
mines under disciplined senior
nominated as a finalist in the EY/RMB
in start-up businesses – such as the
supervision until he registered as a
entrepreneurship programme.
AIH Automotive Group, which is
Dempsey graduated in the UK
professional engineer in 1985 and
The PDNA business provided
about to begin contract assembly
simultaneously became a chartered
specialist design and construction
for Mahindra Motor Group, and
member of the UK Institute of
solutions to major local and global
the PD Naidoo Group, which
Civil Engineers.
clients in the civil infrastructure,
promotes fintech solutions in the
property, mining and resources,
micro banking, insurance and asset
Anglo American Executive Trainee
industrial and project management
management space, as well as
Programme. Dempsey served as
sectors. Dempsey became the first
investment in technology-relevant
Executive Manager to some of the
black President of CESA and sat on
poverty alleviation and environmental
Corporation’s senior executives in
boards such as the South African
solutions for the upliftment of the
the Gold, Base Metals, Diamond
Property Owners Association and
poor in South Africa – Dempsey
and Management Administration
South African Black Allied Technical
continues to be an advocate of
Divisions. He left the Corporation in
Organisation, which heralded the
transformational business in South
1996 as a Marketing Director in the
first wave of democratic professional
Africa and abroad.
In 1987, he was invited to join the