Dr. Leon Staphorst is currently the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of UViRCO Technologies, a world leader in multispectral imaging solutions for high-voltage inspection applications, while also leading Rianovo, which he founded to develop technology solutions for animal welfare. Leon started his career in 2000, lecturing in digital signal processing and telecommunications at the University of Pretoria (UP). He joined the Motorola Cellular Training Institute (MCTI) as Training Manager in 2007. From 2008 to 2009 he was the Customer Solutions Manager CSM) of Nokia Siemens Networks’ Neotel business unit, whereafter he joined the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in 2009 as a Principal Researcher in Radar and, thereafter, as the Research Group Leader for its Experimental Electronic Warfare Systems group. From 2013 to 2021, Leon was the Director of the South African Research Network (SANReN) and a Global Research and Education Network Chief Executive Officer Forum member from 2015 to 2021. He acted as Head of the School of Information Technology and Data Science at the Academic Institute of Excellence in 2022 and was a Principal Consultant to NEC XON and Partner at Cambridge Management Consulting from 2022 to 2023. Leon holds Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Electronic Engineering, both with distinction, and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Technology Management from the UP. He received his Master’s Degree in Business Administration (MBA) from the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS), also with distinction. He is registered as a Professional Engineer with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA), a Chartered Manager and Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), a Fellow of the South African Institute of Electrical Engineers (SAIEE), a Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and a Member of the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET). Together with their band of rescued canines, Leon and his daughter lives in Pretoria, South Africa. Both are avid tennis players and mountain bikers, while also enjoying hobbies such as woodworking and gardening.
