GE South Africa Technologies (GESAT) has a new CEO.

Zeenith Ebrahim, who has been with the company since 2008 and on its Board since 2011, succeeds Gorman Zimba in the role. As CEO Ebrahim will be responsible for the execution of the company’s business strategy and will manage its day-to-day business operations. This will include managing relationships within the GE family, its customers and other stakeholders.

“Zeenith’s keen interest in the business of locomotives and her depth of experience working in different parts of GE make her an excellent candidate for this position,” says Thomas Konditi, President and CEO, GE Transportation in Africa, and President and CEO for GE South Africa.

Ebrahim will continue to provide commercial leadership for all of GE Transportation across Sub-Saharan Africa. Until now, she has been part of the executive team as a commercial leader for sub-Saharan Africa at GE Transportation.

The new CEO will oversee the manufacture and supply of 233 diesel locomotives to Transnet Freight Rail among other customers. Valued at around R7bn, the supply of locomotives to Transnet is one of the company’s largest transportation deals outside its native North America.

According to GESAT, South Africa is a promising growth region whose Supplier Development Programme needs support. To this end, the company has invested in skills development and training to assist with local train manufacture and assembly.

Ebrahim said she was excited to play a role in the country’s localisation programme and looked forward to developing South Africa’s supply base.

She holds a Bachelor of Business Science degree in finance from the University of Cape Town and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Oxford as a beneficiary of the Nelson Mandela scholarship.