Tshikululu Social Investments appoints Leanne Emery-Hunter as new CEO to lead strategic growth and innovation

Tshikululu Social Investments, South Africa’s leading social investment fund manager and advisor, has announced the appointment of Leanne Emery-Hunter as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective 17 June 2025.

Emery-Hunter is a purpose-driven business leader with a proven track record of driving innovation, organisational growth, and measurable social impact. She most recently served as Chief Commercial Officer at the Youth Employment Service (YES) — a national private sector initiative focused on reducing youth unemployment in South Africa.

She holds an MBA with distinction from the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) and was a 2022 finalist in the TransUnion Rising Star Awards (Public & Private Sector category), further highlighting her leadership credentials.

“I am honoured to join Tshikululu, an organisation with a proud legacy of driving meaningful change through strategic social investment. As we look to the future, I’m excited to build on this foundation and explore bold, innovative ways to deepen our impact and help shape a more inclusive, resilient South Africa,” says Emery-Hunter.

Her appointment comes at a pivotal moment as Tshikululu Social Investments accelerates its influence in social impact strategy, impact investing, and corporate social investment (CSI) advisory. Under Emery-Hunter’s leadership, the organisation is set to expand its cross-sector partnerships and deliver scalable, data-driven solutions to South Africa’s most pressing development challenges.

Since 1998, Tshikululu has worked with funders and social investors to design and implement high-impact social investment programmes, development initiatives, and ESG solutions that address poverty, inequality, and unemployment. In the past year alone, the organisation managed funding that directly supported more than 180 social partners across the country — aligning with clients’ transformation goals and delivering long-term value to communities.