André de Ruyter joins Google research boss and ex-CIA man at Yale

Another CIA and Google connection!

Former Eskom CEO André de Ruyter has officially joined Yale’s Jackson School of Global Affairs as a senior fellow for the 2023 to 2024 academic year.

Yale University is a private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Founded in 1701, it is one of the oldest and richest higher education institutions in the United States.

Earlier this month, Yale’s Jackson School announced that De Ruyter was one of its new 2023/2024 senior fellows.

Senior fellows are leading practitioners in international affairs who spend a year or semester at Yale teaching courses and mentoring students.

They teach courses, consult with students about career ambitions, enliven the conversation on campus, and conduct research emanating from their experiences.

De Ruyter is one of eight newcomers who joined twelve returning fellows at the Yale Jackson School of Global Affairs.

Other newcomers include Beth Goldberg from Google, David Leonhardt from The New York Times, retired CIA COO Andy Makridis, and former India Reserve Bank Governor Duvvuri Subbarao.

In its announcement, Yale said De Ruyter is a seasoned executive with a career spanning 34 years in South Africa and internationally.

He served in various portfolios in the energy business, including managing coal, oil, chemical and gas businesses.

He also worked in marketing export coal to international utilities and managing mega coal and gas conversion plant operations, including electricity generation and manufacturing.

While at Eskom, De Ruyter focused on decarbonising the company’s generation fleet and reducing water consumption and environmental impact.

A strong believer in the importance of good business ethics and strong governance, he has written a best-selling memoir about his time at Eskom.

De Ruyter came out strongly against corruption, malfeasance, and poor policy choices and integration.

He is committed to enabling the responsible yet accelerated decarbonisation of energy and other industries.

He played a key role in conceptualising and negotiating the $8.5 billion South African Just Energy Transition facility announced at COP26.

De Ruyter also helped with other large climate financing facilities with DFIs, the Climate Investment Fund and the World Bank.

He has consistently advocated for considering the legitimate concerns of those invested in the coal value chain.

He also developed alternative pathways to ensure South Africa can be weaned off its coal dependency equitably while ensuring a net gain in employment and economic growth.

A firm believer in a business approach to solving problems, he developed several innovative structures to accelerate the roll-out of renewable energies.