The Development Bank of Namibia (DBN) has announced the appointment of Dr. John Steytler as its incoming Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective from 1 September 2023.
Dr. Steytler, who emerged as the successful candidate after an extensive independent recruitment process, will serve in this role for a period of 5 years.
Currently the GIZ Namibia Project Leader of the Sustainable Development Goals Initiative, Dr. Steytler brings a wealth of experience to his new position.
Previously, he served as the Economic Advisor to the President of the Republic of Namibia and played a pivotal role in establishing Namibia’s first National Statistics Office, where he served as the founding Statistician General at the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) for 4 years.
With a strong background in macroeconomics and international economics, Dr. Steytler has made significant contributions in both the public and private sectors.
During his tenure as Head of Research and Chief Economist at the Bank of Namibia, he pioneered the formalization of Namibia’s Monetary Policy Framework and oversaw important research papers that had a significant impact on the Namibian financial system.
Notable achievements include the exploration of optimal utilization of Namibia’s large contractual savings pool for local economic development and the development of the Namibia Financial Sector Charter.
Dr. Steytler’s appointment comes as the DBN seeks to replace Martin Inkumbi, who will be leaving the bank in August after completing his 10-year tenure as CEO.
Sarel Van Zyl, the Board Chairperson, expressed confidence in Dr. Steytler and extended his support to the incoming CEO, emphasizing the crucial role he is expected to play in driving the strategic direction of the bank alongside the DBN’s seasoned executives.
“I expect Dr. Steytler and his executive team to play a significant role in the recovery and future development of the Namibian economy and its people,” said Van Zyl.
The DBN, known for its provision of finance to viable enterprises and sustainable initiatives, aims to contribute to the development of Namibia.
