The Human Science Research Council has appointed two deputy chief executives to support the CEO, Dr Olive Shisana.

Dr Temba Masilela has been appointed deputy CEO for research and Peter Pedlar deputy CEO for operations and capacity enhancement.

The two positions are new. Masilela will play an oversight role in the HSRC's various research areas and Pedlar will ensure there are high-performing teams to provide overall support to the whole of the HSRC.

Before joining the HSRC in July 2006, Masilela worked for years as a special adviser to the minister of social development. He has also worked in the areas of corporate citizenship and reputation management, in commercial (Telkom) and academic (Centre for Corporate Citizenship at Unisa) settings alike.

In addition to a PhD from the University of Iowa, Masilela is an alumnus of the senior executive programme run by the University of the Witwatersrand and Harvard Business School.

Pedlar is a University of the Western Cape and University of Stellenbosch graduate.

He has a BCom (Hons) degree, a diploma in law and tax from the World Bank/Federal Reserve in Washington DC, and has attended the Harvard senior executive programme through Wits Business School.

He has worked in financial management for various corporations and was group executive at the department of science and technology for corporate services and governance. He was also acting CEO of f the State Information Technology Agency (Sita) and chief of regulatory affairs and procurement.

At the HSRC, he will lead directorates of operations, finance, legal services, supply chain management, human resources, information services and information technology.

He will also lead the capacity enhancement directorate whose units are institutional collaboration, researcher trainees and staff development.