Michelle Phillips has the big job of arresting the perennial decline of Transnet's freight rail and port operations, which is undermining the recovery and growth of SA's economy.

Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan has confirmed the appointment of Transnet veteran and insider Michelle Phillips as the permanent CEO of the state-owned freight rail and ports operator.

She becomes Transnet's eighth CEO in 23 years -- a count that includes individuals who were acting CEOs.

Phillips, who has been with Transnet since 2001 and served in various roles over the past 22 years at the state-owned enterprise's (SOE's) port and pipeline operations, has been in an acting group CEO position since October.

She was at the helm of Transnet on an acting basis following the resignation of Portia Derby and other high-profile executives in September.

She brings technical expertise and institutional memory to the Transnet top job. Over the past two decades, she has managed the SOE's port terminals (mainly at Durban) and most recently served as the CEO of Transnet Pipelines, which moves petrol, diesel and gas across South Africa.

The appointment of Phillips as the group CEO of Transnet is a step change as most of her recent predecessors (those permanently appointed) -- including Derby, Maria Ramos and Brian Molefe -- were external candidates. This time, she joins Siyabonga Gama (another predecessor) in being picked as an...