Pretoria, 6 June 2023 - HENSOLDT South Africa is pleased to announce the appointment of Gilbert do Nascimento as the new Chief Executive of its GEW business unit, effective 12 June 2023. Do Nascimento will oversee the operations of HENSOLDT’s spectrum dominance business, which is based in Pretoria and which employs a workforce of nearly 300 personnel. In this role, he will also serve on the executive committee of HENSOLDT South Africa, reporting to its Managing Director, Rynier van der Watt.
Do Nascimento will play a vital role in shaping the company’s strategic direction, building on GEW’s track record of strong leadership and a heritage of more than 50 years. As a well-established business unit within HENSOLDT, GEW specialises in spectrum dominance solutions, with a primary focus on delivering advanced land-based signal intelligence solutions for the defence and security market. Do Nascimento’s leadership will be instrumental in driving further innovation, guiding the business through an evolving defence landscape and ensuring continued business growth.
With a distinguished career spanning several years in the aerospace and defence industry, Do Nascimento brings a wealth of experience and expertise to his new position. After completing 12 years in senior management and executive positions within various aerospace divisions of the Denel Group and Zeiss Optronics respectively, he joined Airbus Helicopters (AHZA) in 2010 as the Chief Commercial Executive for Sub-Sahara Africa. After serving as Operations Executive and Account Manager for Airbus Helicopters, Gilbert was appointed as Managing Director and Head of Sales of Airbus Southern Africa (AZA) in 2019. He also served as the Airbus Chief Representative for South Africa. Gilbert holds a bachelor’s in industrial and systems engineering, and a master’s degree in engineering from the University of Pretoria.
"I am honoured to be appointed as the Chief Executive of a business that is renowned for its innovation and commitment to delivering advanced solutions to the signals intelligence market. I look forward to working closely with the capable team at HENSOLDT and contributing to the company's continued success," says Do Nascimento.
Rynier van der Watt, Managing Director of HENSOLDT South Africa, expressed his confidence in the appointment, stating, "Gilbert’s extensive experience and proven track record make him an excellent addition to our executive team. We are excited to have him on board and look forward to the continued growth and success of GEW under his leadership."
Do Nascimento joins HENSOLDT at a time of change and opportunity. HENSOLDT South Africa is making notable strides towards its ambition of being the foremost defence and security electronics company in South Africa. This goal aligns perfectly with the current global importance of technologies designed to detect and protect.
About HENSOLDT South Africa
HENSOLDT South Africa is a pioneer of technology and innovation in defence and security electronics. The company offers a comprehensive range of products, systems and services across defence and civil markets, from electronic warfare and optronics, spectrum monitoring and security solutions, to radar, IFF and datalinks. With more than 700 South African employees across four sites in South Africa, it is the HENSOLDT Group’s largest industrial base outside of Europe and one of the largest defence and security electronics companies in South Africa.
On land, at sea or in the air, HENSOLDT’s world-class solutions detect and protect to make the world a safer place.
Press contact
Ferri Erasmus ferri.erasmus@hensoldt.net
