Strauss Oosthuizen

Executive - Technical Delivery

Strauss was born in Newcastle in KwaZulu-Natal but grew up in Polokwane, Limpopo.  His childhood dreams have always been to become an engineer, or if all else failed, a doctor.

Engineering is such a diverse field of study and when Strauss had to make decisions on his career path, he relied on what comes naturally to him, and shares, “my passion is to instill structure and optimize any environment in which I may find myself.”   This led him to study Industrial Engineering at the University of Pretoria, where improvement of processes is key.

Strauss has a ‘never quit' attitude to any problem he is faced with, and one of the lessons he learned at a young age was that with tenacity and determination, anything can be achieved by breaking it down into achievable steps.

Strauss is a family man, and he says, “I believe that balance is the fuel that drives my engine, and I, therefore, place my family as my first priority.”  Strauss enjoys spending time with his wife and two beautiful children as often as he can.

He is very passionate about sport, and he appreciates watching a game of rugby.  When taking some time out, he also likes to play a bit of tennis and golf and has taken part in a few of the VBKOM 4-ball golf games that he has been invited to.

Tiaan Ackermann

Financial Modeller

Tiaan Ackermann, known as "Ice Man” at work, lives in Centurion with his wife, two kids, two dogs, three cats, and one bird. He started his career in Industrial and Systems Engineering after having studied at the University of Pretoria where the late Professor Paul Kruger had introduced him to this exciting field of problem solving. Tiaan finds satisfaction in the diverse problem-solving and exciting projects he encounters, with his greatest achievement being representing VBKOM at global events. 

Outside of work, Tiaan enjoys staying active with Parkrun and playing squash, hosting family braai’s, and going to church. He is also passionate about playing the guitar and listening to 80’s rock bands like Def Leppard, ACDC, and Queen. His favourite food is avocado, which he’s loved since childhood, and he lives by the VBKOM value: "Think unique and explore a better way." 

The Ice Man is being friendlier than he looks! Tiaan values his family time and strives to bring creative, innovative solutions to both his professional and personal life.

Margariet Lumgair

Financial Modeller

Margariet was born in Pretoria, but her family moved around quite often to various mining towns, and she lived in Kathu, Durnacol, Rosh Pinah, and Thabazimbi. 

Before venturing into Industrial Engineering, Margariet dreamt of becoming a fashion designer.  She lives out her passion for fashion design at home, where she creates beautiful dance costumes for her daughter.  Margariet jokingly shares, “I can really create art with fabric and a sewing machine.”

So when it came to deciding on her career path, Margariet says that her parents raised her to be brave, to pay attention, and to question the world around her.  She really enjoyed High School Maths and Science, and she wanted to challenge herself by applying her mind to solving problems. 

Within the VBKOM setting, Margariet gets to transform something strong into something superb alongside a team of individuals who collectively strive for excellence.

Margariet shares that the most satisfying part of her career is “being able to create something original of great quality and value which really makes a difference in a client’s world.”

Margariet is the proud mother of two boys and one girl, and she and her husband like taking the family rock climbing, mountain biking, and hiking where they can appreciate the beauty of nature.

Eduan Pieterse

Financial Modeller

I come from the Karoo but grew up in Port Elizabeth. By grace, I received the opportunity to study in Pretoria and as an undergraduate, I studied Agricultural Engineering whilst sharing subjects and classes with my Mining Engineering colleagues. Unbeknownst, but this trivial aspect would lead to me joining VBKOM 13 years later. As a postgraduate I never actually applied myself in the agriculture sector as my Master’s dissertation opened the door for me to enter into the world of consulting & strategy. It was at that time during a brief lapse of concentration that I enrolled in a postgraduate diploma in Taxation at Wits, where I proved to the rest of the lawyers in class that willpower trumps intelligence!

My interest in Enterprise Risk Management and Project Management evolved whilst I was consulting to the Regulatory and Credit Risk divisions of Absa Bank, and implementing Credit Rating Systems for Commercial and Business Banking. It was only after 8 years in the corporate world that I came full circle to rejoin my mining colleagues at VBKOM.

My StrengthsFinder results corroborate that I am a perpetual optimist who loves to pull people into the conversation by sharing ideas about future possibilities. I am an early riser with a passion for leadership, learning, and growing people. I have a weakness for hot-cross buns, and enjoy listening to almost all types of music, as long as it is loud.

My wife and three children come first, followed closely by a good red wine, freshly baked bread and photography.