B.Sc. Chem Eng
(University of Witwatersrand, SA)
MBA: Leadership and Sustainability
(University of Cumbria, UK)
PhD: Management and Leadership
(University of Lancaster. UK)
Master Reward Specialist
(Accredited by the South African Reward Association (SARA))
Chartered Human Resource
(CHR) Practitioner
(registered with the South African Board for Personnel Practice (SABPP))
Master for the Institute of Directors for South Africa (IODSA).
Boards and Committees
-
Cape Peninsula University of Technology:
(Council member, Chair of the Remuneration Committee, Member of Audit and Risk Committee, Joint Finance and Audit and Risk Committee, Human Resources Committee, Sub-committee member of the Investment Committee);
- MEDO (Pty) Ltd
(Chair); - Xinabox (Pty) Ltd
(Chair); - BRG Consulting (Pty) Ltd
(Chair); - Huguenot College
(Board member; member of Audit, Risk, and Human Resources Committee); - NuQ (Pty) Ltd
(Non-executive Director); - Commodity Connect (Pty) Ltd (Chair);
- Institute of Directors for Southern Africa (Remuneration Forum Member);
- Sanlam Umbrella Provident Fund
(Trustee); - South African Reward Association (SARA)
(Accreditation Committee); - Advisor to numerous Remuneration Committees.
Current Position:
21st Century (Johannesburg)
- Group Director (2025 – present)
- CEO and co-founder member (1998 – 2025)
Dr Chris Blair, former Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of 21st Century, has consulted to over 1500 organisations – both in Southern Africa and internationally. 21st Century is a leading – and dominant – management consultancy in Remuneration and Reward, Organisation Design, Change Management, Talent Management and People Analytics.
Chris Blair is a deep technical specialist with 25 years of experience in Executive Remuneration and Governance advisory, particularly in both short term incentive (STI) and long term incentive (LTI) pay.
Chris’s PhD was focused on the performativity of CEO Pay – where the world starts to resemble the theory and discourse used to justify it. It addressed the move from shareholderism to stakeholderism, and the move of organisations to reevaluate company purpose. In this original shift, the focus moved from financial to include non-financial measures of Environment, Society, and Governance (ESG), and Chris is an expert in this field. He is a specialist in linking ESG measures to Executive pay, both in sustainable (LTI measures) and defensive (STI measures).
Areas of Specialisation:
- Executive remuneration and governance,
- Leadership and management,
- Business risk management,
- Remuneration strategy and policy development,
- ESG strategies,
- Investment strategy,
- Financial management,
- Feasibility and cost-benefit studies,
- Performance management and human resources, and
- Organisation development and design.
- Chris is one of South Africa’s leading experts in long term incentive (LTI) scheme design for both listed and unlisted companies.
Chris has published numerous articles on remuneration in various journals and publications, and he appears regularly in the press for expert views.
Previous Positions:
SABMiller (South Africa)
- Commercial Manager/Supply Chain Executive (1996-1998)
Functions included:
- Strategic and operational responsibility for all brewing raw materials (2 billion p.a.)
- Supply chain management and risk management of raw material costs.
- Extensive international and local contract negotiation.
Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa (IDC)
- Manager (1993-1996)
Equity and Loan Finance.
IBM Application Systems European Headquarters (London)
- Manager: European Database (1989 -1992)
Contracted to IBM in the ASE HQ (Applications Systems Europe Headquarters) Product Support Division to set up an application in AS (Application Systems) to manage and facilitate all activities in the five European IBM Product Support Development for Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East for Application Systems Europe.
East Rand Gold and Uranium Company Limited (ERGO) of Anglo-American Corporation (AAC)
- Manager – Planning and Computer Department
- Plant Production Manager (1989 -1992)
In charge of Planning and Computer Department for the whole of ERGO using developed PC software and IBM mainframe software packages.
Functions included:
- Strategic planning,
- Long term planning (Life of Mine Planning) and financial implications associated therewith,
- Production and treatment forecasting (short, medium and long term),
- Performance trend evaluation,
- Cost and feasibility studies,
- Preparation of management reporting figures for the entire mine (R600 million pa) for AAC Head Office,
- Metallurgical accounting between all plants and divisions, and
- Controlling and accounting for all costs of the department and maintaining budget cost figures.
- Maintaining plant production.