--- title: "Stephan Kornelius appointed Pragma CEO" description: "Pragma appoints Stephan Kornelius as CEO from 1 October 2026, bringing leadership continuity and deep experience to the company’s next phase of growth." image: https://www.pragmaworld.net/wp-content/uploads/AdobeStock_1387744585-scaled.jpg canonical: https://www.pragmaworld.net/stephan-kornelius-appointed-pragma-ceo/ url: https://pragma-world.getmd.ai/stephan-kornelius-appointed-pragma-ceo/.md last_converted: 2026-09-26T21:46:53.369Z --- # Pragma appoints Stephan Kornelius as Chief Executive Officer September 4, 2026 Pragma’s leadership transition supports continuity, strategic momentum and the next phase of the company’s growth.Author | Pragma **Experienced Pragma executive takes the helm on 1 October as the business continues its next phase of growth.** The Pragma Board is pleased to announce the appointment of Stephan Kornelius as Chief Executive Officer, effective 1 October 2026. Stephan has been part of Pragma’s executive leadership since joining the business in 2017. Over this time, he has held senior roles spanning strategy and business development, Professional Services, Advisory and Academy, and most recently Strategy and Projects. His appointment brings valuable continuity at an important point in Pragma’s journey. In his current role as Head of Strategy and Projects, Stephan has been closely involved in shaping the planning for our next wave of growth, including the roadmap for the investment, change-management and governance elements required to support its successful execution. Before joining Pragma, Stephan spent approximately 17 years with Accenture, progressing to Managing Director for Strategy in the resources sector. A mechanical engineer by training, he brings extensive experience in corporate strategy, business transformation, commercial development, operational improvement and technology-enabled change. Throughout his career, Stephan has worked closely with clients, executive teams and people across organisations to translate strategic ambition into practical execution. His leadership approach combines collaboration and accountability, with a strong focus on client value, building capable teams and maintaining momentum. The appointment concludes the leadership succession process announced in June 2026. Adriaan Scheeres will complete his term as Interim CEO on 30 September, having stepped into the role to provide continuity and stability during the transition. The Board and Pragma team thank Adriaan for his leadership during this period. As Pragma’s co-founder, he continues to play an important role in the business and will remain a member of the Pragma Board and its Lead Director. With Stephan taking up the CEO role, Pragma remains firmly focused on delivering value to clients, strengthening its market position and advancing the next phase of its growth journey. The company’s strategy, operations, service delivery and commitment to its clients remain unchanged. The Pragma Board and leadership team look forward to working with Stephan as he leads the business into its next chapter. ##### Subscribe to our newsletter ##### Tags Business Growth Asset Management Leadership Pragma ##### More content ##### Asset Management Masterclass or Awareness Training? Start with the role, not the course Author | Karen Greyling - Business Development Manager, Pragma I get asked this question quite often: Should I do the Asset Management Masterclass, or... ##### The lonely learner problem: why self-paced learning still needs people Author | Karen Greyling - Business Development Manager, Pragma Self-paced learning has solved a very real problem for busy adults. It gives people more... ##### No time for training? Look at what is taking the time. Author | Karen Greyling - Business Development Manager, Pragma “Not now. The team is too busy.” It is one of the most understandable reasons... ##### When Finance and Operations agree on spares Author | Pragma MRO spares are often the source of a familiar business tension. Finance wants to reduce... ##### You don’t train for a marathon by running a marathon Author | Tim Beavon - Partner Consultant, Pragma Why shutdown readiness depends on applying lessons before the next major event A major shutdown... ##### Pragma announces leadership transition and continues strategic momentum Author | Pragma Pragma has announced an important leadership transition as the business continues to build on... ##### Are we solving the wrong training problem? Author | Karen Greyling - Academy Business Development Manager, Pragma When organisations say they need training, they may already be solving the wrong training problem:... ##### The art of balancing work order feedback with compliance, learning, and wrench time Author | Scheepers Schoeman - Senior Associate, Professional Services Most organisations don’t choose their work order feedback culture. They drift into it. A new... ##### Why a qualified maintenance planner changes more than maintenance Author | Karen Greyling - Academy Business Development Manager, Pragma In many plants, the same pattern repeats itself. Work arrives late. Materials are chased at... ##### Why MRO inventory is different from other inventory classes Author | Andre Jordaan - Partner Consultant, Pragma MRO inventory differs from other inventory classes because demand is irregular, the consequences of stockouts... ##### How failing water infrastructure is quietly reshaping South Africa’s cities Author | Nelson Broden – Business Lead Pragma Managed Services On the school run through... ##### From dead capital to operational certainty: Smarter spare parts management Author: André Jordaan, Partner Consultant, Pragma Most MRO stores aren’t short of parts; they’re short... ##### Asset Management Awareness Training that fits real work Author | Karen Greyling, Business Development Manager If you’ve ever thought, “We don’t need another... ##### Asset Management Masterclass: Strategic training for leaders driving performance, reliability and results Author | Karen Greyling – Business Development Manager In asset-intensive industries, leaders are under growing... ##### Beyond compliance: Why repeated maturity assessments define asset performance leadership Author | Stephan Kornelius – Pragma Professional Services Business Lead In asset-intensive industries, leaders face... ##### OEMs need a connected platform for services Author | Henk Wynjeterp – Regional Lead – Europe | Henk leads Pragma’s OEM after-sales... ##### When rivers cry out: How asset management can help heal South Africa’s waterways Author | Nelson Broden – Business Lead Pragma Managed Services The Hennops River, once part... ##### Ditch the buzzword: OEM after-sales leaders buy execution, not “servitization” Author | Henk Wynjeterp – Regional Lead – Europe | Henk leads Pragma’s OEM after-sales... ##### Beyond the software – embedding your EAMS into your organisation’s DNA for sustainable value The key to a successful EAMS (Enterprise Asset Management System) implementation lies in integrating the... ##### Pragma’s perspective on what the proposed South African budget means for infrastructure governance Author | Stephan Kornelius Author | Stephan Kornelius – Pragma Professional Services Business Lead Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s 2025... ##### Government infrastructure investments must go beyond bricks and mortar – A global perspective Author | Bani Kgosana Author | Bani Kgosana Across the globe, ageing infrastructure threatens economic stability. In the US,... ##### Pragma partners with Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team to power maintenance excellence Author | Liza Schroeder Pragma is proud to announce its support of the Q36.5 Pro... ##### Revitalising South Africa – a better path to infrastructure renewal Author | Bani Kgosana, Pragma CRO South Africa faces an extraordinary opportunity to transform its... ##### Transforming maintenance from a grudge purchase to a strategic investment Author | Scott Gibson, Pragma CEO  With South Africans enjoying a break from load shedding... ##### Pragma 2.0 – CEO of Pragma, Scott Gibson’s vision is to compete with international giants through engineering excellence At Pragma, our roots are deeply embedded in engineering consulting. We are proud to be... ##### Are you proactively shaping your focused improvement process or is it evolving organically? Author | André Jordaan, Pragma Partner Consultant Focused improvement (FI) is the overarching process used... ##### Introducing Pragma’s Enhanced Asset Management Assessment Framework: AMIP Physical assets must be managed effectively for a business to grow and be competitive. Across... ##### Unlocking Asset Management Excellence: Pragma’s Spotlight at the SAAMA Conference, 5-6 June 2024 As anticipation builds for the upcoming South African Asset Management Association (SAAMA) Conference, Pragma is... ##### A new era at Pragma: Scott Gibson appointed CEO Designate After an illustrious 34-year tenure as co-founder and CEO of the Pragma Group, Adriaan Scheeres... ##### Enhancing OEM Service Revenue Growth: Overcoming After-Sales Challenges Author | Stefan Terblanche, Pragma Partner Consultant Over the last decade, more and more Original...