Yershen Pillay

Chief Executive Officer, CHIETA

Yershen Pillay is Chief Executive Officer of CHIETA, in the role since October 2020.

CHIETA is the Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority, the sector education and training authority for the chemical industries. Pillay was reappointed in October 2025 for a term running to 31 March 2030.

In the job

  1. CHIETA announced that the Minister of Higher Education had reappointed Pillay as CEO until 31 March 2030, alongside a new accounting authority. Source

  2. CHIETA welcomed a newly constituted board led by interim chairperson Gerhard Cloete and retained Pillay as CEO. Source

Career before

  1. Student governance coordinator, University of Cape Town
  2. 2013-2016Deputy executive chairperson, then executive chairperson, National Youth Development Agency
  3. 2020Director of stakeholder management, Department of Higher Education and Training

Education

BSocSc in Political Science and Economics, University of Cape Town (2006); postgraduate diploma in business administration and management (2019) and MBA (2020), Gordon Institute of Business Science

Sources

  1. engineeringnews.co.za
  2. techfinancials.co.za
  3. itweb.co.za
  4. miningweekly.com
  5. engineeringnews.co.za

Facts last checked 3 November 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.

More profiles

All profiles
Public agencies Andile Africa Chief Executive Officer, Automotive Industry Development Centre (AIDC)
Public agencies Sibusiso Bukhosini Chief Executive Officer, iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority Since October 2018
Public agencies Thulani Dlamini Chief Executive Officer, CSIR Since February 2017
Public agencies Hamish Erskine Chief Executive Officer, Dube TradePort Since September 2016