Mr James Thrush
Mr James Thrush began his career as an aircraft mechanic with SAA and upon passing the voluntary free trade test he resigned, going back to university to become an engineer. Graduating in 1989 from UCT his thesis was on the attenuation of sound generated by a Roots air blower at a water treatment plant near a residential area in the Greater Cape Town area. In May 1996, he was registered as a Professional Engineer in terms of the Engineering Profession of South Africa Act, 1990. In October 1996 he addressed a seminar arranged by the Institute for International Research. The topic was “Incorporating Preventative and Corrective Maintenance Into Your Production Process in Order to Prevent Future Break Downs Which Cause a Slow Down in Productivity and Profitability. In October 1996 he was elected to the grade of Member of the South African Institution of Mechanical Engineering. Whilst employed by Sappi Kraft he completed an MBA through the Wits Business School, graduating in 2000.
His research report was titled “Social Networks Underpinning Productivity Improvement Initiatives”. This considered four social characteristics and the impact that they have collectively on the successful implementation of change initiatives designed to improve productivity. In October 2012 he joined the National Institute for Higher Education in Mpumalanga and in 2015 was appointed and the Director: Infrastructure and Maintenance at the University of Mpumalanga.