Dr Stavros Nicolaou

Stavros Nicolaou is the Aspen Pharmacare Group’s Senior Executive responsible for Strategic Trade Development. Previously he was CEO of Aspen’s Export Business. Aspen is Africa’s largest pharmaceutical manufacturer and a now world leader in Anaesthetics and injectable anti-coagulants. Aspen is one of South Africa’s most globalised multinational companies with a presence in over 50 geographies globally, with 26 manufacturing facilities across 6 continents. He was instrumental in introducing the first generic ARV’s on the African Continent developed by Aspen, which has gone on to save hundreds of thousands of lives in South Africa and on the African Continent.

Nicolaou has over 28 years’ experience in the South African and International Pharmaceutical Industry and is a previous winner of the SA Institute of Marketing Management (IMM) Health Care Marketer of the year Award. He was inducted as one of the youngest Fellow of the Pharmaceutical Society of South Africa (PSSA), one of the highest honours bestowed by the PSSA, and was recently awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Science in Medicine from Wits University.

He has previously and continues to serve on a number of Industry & associated structures, some of which include:

• Chairman of the Public Health Enhancement Fund (PHEF) – A joint collaboration between the Private Health Sector and the Minister of Health
• Re-appointed for a third term by President Cyril Ramaphosa, to the Board of Brand South Africa
• Appointed to the Government-Business 6-a-side on the President’s Health Compact
• Elected to the NEDLAC 5-a-side on the National Health Insurance (NHI)
• Appointed to the Trade and Industry Minister’s export panel on devising an export strategy for South Africa
• Appointed by the Minister of Public Enterprise, Alec Erwin as Chairman of the Board of SA Express Airways (2005-2009)
• Appointed by the Minister of Public Enterprises, to the Board of Transnet Ltd. (2004-2010)
• Appointed by MEC’s for Economic Development, as a Director of the Gauteng Growth and Development Agency (GGDA), (for 2 Consecutive Terms). He Chaired the Trade and Investment Committee of the Board of the GGDA.
• Appointed by the Ministers of Public Enterprise, as Chairman of the Board of SA Express Airways (2005-2009)
• Appointed by the Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Rob Davies, to serve on the BRICS Business Council. He was recently reappointed to the Council for a second term.
• Appointed by the Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Rob Davies, to serve on the Special Economic Zones (SEZ) Advisory Board.
• Appointed by the Minister of Trade and Industry, to the Board of Proudly South Africa and presently chairs the Marketing Committee of the Board.
• Presently serve on the Executive and Management Committee of NEDLAC (National Economic Development and Labour Council)
• Elected as a Non-Executive Director of Business Unity South Africa (BUSA), South Africa’s apex business organisation and serves on its Remuneration Committee.
• Elected Chairman of the South African Pharmaceutical Producers Association (PHARMISA) and as Chairman of the Pharmaceutical Task Group (PTG), overall Pharmaceutical Industry Umbrella Organisation.
• Appointed to World Bank/IFC Technical Advisory Board on the strengthening of African Health Systems.
• Served on the IBSA (India Brazil South Africa) CEO’s Forum and the India – SA CEO Council
• He is part of the CEO Initiative, that was set up as a joint collaboration between the Presidency, Ministry of Finance and BLSA (Business Leadership South Africa).
• He was appointed as an Honorary Lecturer to Wits University, accredited to the Faculty of Health Science.
• Appointed as a Director on the North-West University (NWU) Business School Advisory Board (2014 to present)
• Previously served as Vice-President of the International Pharmaceutical Students Federation (IPSF).
• He was awarded, the Order of the Lion of St Mark by the Greek Orthodox Pope and Patriarch, Theodoros II.

He has been a speaker at a number of conferences, including the Economist Roundtable, the World Economic Forum (WEF) and recently delivered a lecture on ARV developments at the Raigon Institute, a JV between Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts General Hospital.