South Africa Engineering Council Appoints Ugandan, Dr Bridget Ssamula, as CEO

The Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) has appointed Dr Bridget Ssamula as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

“After an extensive search and recruitment process, the Engineering Council of South Africa’s Sixth Term Council is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Bridget Ssamula as Chief Executive Officer of ECSA effective 01 November 2022,” said the company in a Tuesday statement.

Her appointment with ECSA follows her career with AECOM since 2013 where she progressed from Executive, Aviation and Rail Market Sector Lead in South Africa to Managing Director of Uganda and East Africa and currently, Senior Director for AECOM USA Key accounts and Cities.

AECOM (Architecture, Engineering, Construction, Operations, and Management) is an infrastructure consulting firm that prides in delivering sustainable legacies for some of the world’s most challenging infrastructure projects.

She holds an MBA in Aviation management, a PhD, and MEng in Transport Engineering, as well as a BSc in Civil Engineering.

Dr Ssamula is a registered Professional Engineer with ECSA and brings to the organisation a wealth of experience in academia, research, and industry, spanning over 23 years in the Built Environment sector.

She has participated in various industry forums in South Africa, worked with various stakeholders in multiple portfolios she has held both in the public and private sectors.

In addition, she has served on boards for over 15 years as a Non- Executive Director for various organisations namely; Mayibuye Transport Corporation, Air Traffic Navigation Services, and South African Express Airways.

She has further served as an Industry Advisory Board member for the University of Pretoria in the Department of Civil Engineering where she was also a senior lecturer.

She has won numerous industry awards and recognitions and is the author of a variety of peer-reviewed conference papers, technical papers, and mainstream articles.

“Dr Ssamula takes over from Mr Edmund Nxumalo whose term as Interim CEO comes to an end on 31 October 2022. The Council would like to thank Mr Nxumalo for his sterling leadership of ECSA during his tenure.”

“The Council looks forward to new insights and is confident of the leadership to be provided by Dr Ssamula as ECSA continues its trajectory of regulating the engineering sector assuring engineering excellence,” the statement added.

Bridget is an old girl of Mt. St. Mary’s College Namagunga, an all-girl boarding secondary school located in Mukono District.

She is one of the daughters of Uganda’s celebrated dentist, Dr. Ssamula.