Dipak Dhiru Patel

Dipak Dhiru Patel is a Strategic Advisor, Climate Finance Leader and Board Director. He is a thoughtful and strategic leader with extensive experience across climate policy, finance, infrastructure, and governance. Dipak has a track record of high-impact leadership in state institutions, investment banking, and international development finance. He is currently serving as Deputy Chairperson of the Presidential Climate Commission (PCC). The President of the Republic of South Africa is the Chairperson of the Commission by statute. The PCC is mandated in law to advise on all aspects of the climate and just transition in South Africa.

Dipak combines board-level acumen with a grounded commitment to public purpose, national development, and climate resilience. His professional Experience extends to executive positions in both public and private sectors.

He is a non-Executive Director of Transnet SOC Ltd and chairs the Finance & Investment Committee. From 2018–2021 he advised on strategy, governance, restructuring, and operations of key national State-Owned Enterprises in his role as Special Advisor to the Minister in the Ministry of Public Enterprises. He held various global executive roles at the Standard Bank Group between 2002–2012. Dipak completed the Advanced Management & Leadership Programme at the INSEAD Business School, France; and gained an MSc at SOAS, University of London; he holds an MBA from the University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg, and is a chemical engineer.