Dr. Marlo de Swardt is the Senior IT Director at the Mangosuthu University of Technology. Contributing to the success of two start-up organizations (Pebble Bed Modular Reactor – PBMR & the South African National Space Agency – SANSA), he is a skilled senior Information, Communication, and Technology Manager, with combined business acumen in Human-Resource Management, Project Management, Administration and Facility Management, and Supply-Chain Management.

His IT career started in 1990 in IT operations following his inspiration to obtain a Ph.D. in Innovation and Technology Management in 2015. Performing the function of an Independent Member of the merSETA Governance and Strategy Committee he is still very much active in the academic space. Publishing a number of academic articles, and ongoing, he also performs other responsibilities such as, supervising a number of Informatic master and doctoral students at TUT, external examiner for the MBA program at UKZN business school, moderating IT Management and Functional Management exam scripts for TUT and assess educational compliance with policy, quality and standards for Umalizu on behalf of the Department of Higher Education and Training.