President of the Republic of Malawi, His Excellency Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika, has made new cabinet appointments, naming Dr. George B. Partridge as Minister of Industrialization, Business, Trade and Tourism, and Mrs. Roza Fatch Mbilizi as Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development.
Dr. Partridge previously served as Group Chief Executive Officer of Press Corporation plc. Prior to that, he was Chief Executive Officer of the National Bank of Malawi from November 2006 to October 2016. He joined the bank in 1994 and held several key positions, including Head of Treasury and Finance, General Manager, and Deputy Chief Executive Officer.
Over the years, Dr. Partridge has served on various private and public sector boards and national economic advisory committees. He has also chaired the boards of Malawian Airlines, National Bank of Malawi plc, and Telecom Networks Malawi plc.
He holds a Bachelor of Social Science degree majoring in Economics from the University of Malawi, a Master of Science in Finance from the University of Southampton (UK), and is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants as well as a Chartered Accountant (Malawi). Dr. Partridge also holds an Honorary Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Leadership and Management from the University of Malawi, among other qualifications.
In the same statement, President Mutharika also announced the appointment of Mrs. Roza Fatch Mbilizi as Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development.
Mrs. Mbilizi has a distinguished career in economics and public administration. She began as an Economist in the Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Development, and later served as Senior Economist in the Department of Environmental Affairs. She went on to join the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA), where she worked as Head of Policy, Planning and Research before rising to the position of Deputy Commissioner General.
Mrs. Mbilizi holds a Bachelor of Social Science degree in Economics and Computer Science from Chancellor College, University of Malawi, and a Master of Economic Studies from the University of Queensland in Australia. She has also undertaken several professional development programs in management, leadership, strategic planning, tax administration, and women in development.
According to a statement from the Office of the President and Cabinet, the appointments are with immediate effect.
President Mutharika’s administration has now made a total of five key ministerial appointments, following the partial cabinet announced earlier this year.
