Board Members

Click Here is an expression of love. True giving from the heart

Dr Wilhelm Lichtenberg:

Founder

 

S

outh Africa’s “Singing Surgeon”, husband and father of three teenagers, lives in Cape Town, where he practices full-time as a Cardiothoracic Surgeon. From an early age, he cherished the dream of becoming a conductor and an opera singer, after his father, a respected and beloved former judge president of the Free State, cultivated a deep love of music in him.

 

During his student years he played the trumpet in the professional symphony orchestra of the Free State Arts Council, while studying Medicine at the University of the Free State. He moved to Cape Town in 1995, where he specialized as a heart surgeon at the Christiaan Barnard Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Groote Schuur Hospital and the Red Cross Children’s Hospital. In 2018, he also completed a postgraduate certificate in Medicolegal Practice at the Faculty of Law at the University of Cape Town.

DrWL

To indulge himself in his love of music, he has been studying singing with the well-known mezzo-soprano Violina Anguelov for the past few years and under her guidance he has developed a rich, strong and soaring tenor voice which enables him to perform classical as well as contemporary genres with effortless clarity. He realised his childhood dream when he played one of the principal roles in Cape Town’s Gilbert and Sullivan’s opera “Trial by Jury” in 2017, a role for which he was also awarded best newcomer that year.

DrWL_1

He released his debut album entitled “Tale van My Hart” in 2019. The title track on the album is a duet with the internationally renowned and award-winning singer and songwriter Stef Bos. This album was recently nominated for a SAMA Award for Best Classical Album, an unprecedented achievement for a debut album.

 

When he is not performing open heart surgery, he loves spending quality time with his family, immersing himself in his love of wine, cooking and sports. He is a keen hiker and an avid cyclist who has completed more than a dozen Argus Cycle Tours. He is also a passionate nature lover who has raised funds to combat rhino poaching though cycling.

Rajesh Sukha:

Chairman

 

R

ajesh Sukha is a governance consultant to small, and medium enterprises in the for-profit and NPO sectors.

 

He entered the governance space in 2008 and has subsequently held various roles within the corporate governance space with Investec Asset Management, Sanlam Investments and Old Mutual.

 

In his last corporate role, he served as Deputy Group Company Secretary of Ninety One Ltd and was part of the project team responsible for the demerger of Ninety One (Investec Asset Management) from the Investec group, and its dual listing on the London and Johannesburg stock exchanges in 2020.

 

He has been serving as a Black Umbrellas director since January 2010 and was appointed Chairman of Black Umbrellas in February 2019.

DSC05117-Edit_sml

Rajesh was trained as a lawyer and was admitted as an Attorney and registered with Law Society of Cape of Good Hope in November 2000. His educational background includes a B. Proc (Law) through the University of Western Cape (1998), CIBM at the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA) in 2014, and Business Development through UCT in 2021. He has also attended various short courses relating to corporate governance from the Institute of Directors and Ethics SA.

 

Rajesh started his post-articles career at Weiner & Associates in Cape Town and later opened their Queenstown office (Eastern Cape). Following that he established his own law firm, Rajesh Sukha and Associates, and managed a debt administration company which he co-founded.

IMG_20180331_111629v2

Manfred Noriskin-Ender:
Marketing Director

 

Manfred has been accountable for strategising, leading and driving integrated marketing campaigns across multiple channels for some of South Africa top blue chip brands. He is a passionate advocate of customer engagement and digitalisation and believes they are the cornerstones to achieving greater success for his clients.

 

Having worked at a senior level at Ogilvy, FBC Lindsay Smithers and Bates Worldwide, Manfred brings both local and global brand experience with him to Young Hearts Africa. He was a founding member of Bates Direct & FCB Direct, was one of the original partners of the Old Shanghai Firecracker Factory and also founded Pezula 360, a strategic marketing consultancy focusing on seamless marketing integration and customer engagement.

 

Over the years he has been fortunate to work on well-known local and global brands like Telkom, BCX, Openserve, Fiat Chrysler, World Leisure Holidays, DStv, Vodacom, Sun International, One & Only Hotels, SAA, SAB, Toyota and Nedbank CIB to mention a few.

 

He has been fortunate to have been involved with both SAVE THE CHILDREN and the DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS NGOs and has extensive experience in donor drive and NGO marketing.

Doctor Riaan Steyn:

Treasurer & Musical Director

 

Riaan Steyn is a classical pianist and organist. He obtained a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree, as well as Licentiate (Cum Laude), from the University of Stellenbosch and completed his PhD at the same institution.

 

Riaan is also an arranger, orchestrator, composer and music producer that worked on more than 500 albums up to date (of which many won awards both locally and internationally), various TV productions and music for advertisements for some of the biggest corporate companies globally.

 

Traxtudio Holdings International started off in the bedroom of Riaan Steyn in 1994. He is still the CEO of the group today which grew to an international corporate media and entertainment specialist company with branches in South Africa, Namibia, Australia and Europe.

Riaan_1

OUR NON EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS

Professor Blanche Cupido

 

Professor Blanche Cupido is a consultant adult interventional cardiologist who has a special interest in congenital heart disease, cardiac imaging and valvular heart disease.

 

She graduated from UCT in 2001 and spent 2 years in KwaZulu Natal, completing her internship and community service. After working in the UK for a year, she returned to Groote Schuur Hospital to complete her physician training in 2009 and her cardiology training in 2013. In 2016, she did a fellowship in Adult Congenital Heart Disease in Leeds, UK.

78452888_102870614534757_4768348489602039808_nBlanche

In 2017, she also completed a Certificate in Advanced Heart Failure Management from the University of Zurich and the European Cardiac Academy. She has returned to Groote Schuur Hospital and established a dedicated Adult Congenital Heart Disease unit and currently works at Groote Schuur Hospital and UCT Private Academic Hospital as the Head of Echocardiography and the Clinical Lead for Adult Congenital Heart Disease.

 

She is currently the President of SA Heart and the African regional representative for the International Society of Adult Congenital Heart Disease.

ProfBrink

Professor Johan Brink

 

Emeritus Associate Professor Johan Brink is a Senior Specialist Cardiothoracic Surgeon at Groote Schuur Hospital and the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospitals. He is the past president of the South African College of Cardiothoracic Surgeons and the South African Transplant Society. During his career he has focused on the clinical and surgical aspects of Cardiothoracic Surgery and has been heavily involved in the training of junior cardiothoracic surgeons.

OUR

BENEFICIARIES

 

All donations we collect get allocated to the great initiatives run by our worthy beneficiaries:

  •  The Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital
    • Weekend Waiting List Project
  • The Christiaan Barnard Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery
    • 1000 Hearts initiative
icon-donation-grey
YOU CAN SAVE A LIFE