André de Ruyter, Former Eskom CEO, Joins Yale’s Jackson School of Global Affairs as Senior Fellow

Former Eskom CEO André de Ruyter has been officially admitted as a senior fellow for the academic term 2023 to 2024 at Yale’s Jackson School of Global Affairs. This Ivy League research university based in New Haven, Connecticut, boasts a history that dates back to 1701, making it one of the oldest and most esteemed educational establishments in the United States.

Senior fellows at Yale are recognised top-tier practitioners in international affairs, who dedicate a year or semester nurturing students whilst occasionally delivering lecture modules. They provide career guidance, inspire lively debates on campus and conduct research rooted in their professional backgrounds.

In the 2023/2024 term, De Ruyter will be part of the eight newcomers who join twelve returning fellows at the renowned Yale Jackson School of Global Affairs. Among the other recently admitted fellows are Beth Goldberg from Google, David Leonhardt from The New York Times, former CIA COO Andy Makridis, and Duvvuri Subbarao, ex-Governor of India Reserve Bank.

On welcoming De Ruyter, Yale lauded his accumulated 34-year-long professional journey spanning South Africa and beyond. Over the years, De Ruyter has held varying roles in energy-related businesses, including the management of coal, oil, chemical and gas enterprises. Additionally, while leading Eskom, his focus was centred on decarbonising the company's generation fleet and minimising both water consumption and environmental harm. Endorsing good business practices and stringent governance, De Ruyter has been an influential voice against corruption, wrongdoings, and poor policy amalgamation.

His legacy at Eskom includes being an advocate for equity-based decarbonisation of energy-dependent industries. He also made a pivotal contribution to the conceptualisation and negotiation of the $8.5 billion South African Just Energy Transition facility announced at COP26, among other similar climate financing initiatives.