Ricardo Hansby has extensive experience in both the private and public sectors across different industries spanning over 25 years, particularly as it relates to economic and business development, infrastructure development, economic development partnerships and social facilitation. He served in several advisory and consulting capacities and was Head: Corporate Affairs & Community Investment (Africa) for a multinational renewable energy company. He is a member of the Black Energy Professionals Association (BEPA) and represents Africa GreenCo as an associate member of the Association of Municipal Electricity Utilities of Southern Africa. 

In the public sector, Mr Hansby was Deputy Director-General (Deputy Permanent Secretary): Infrastructure and Economic Development. He represented the Department on various high-level structures including the Economic Sector, Employment and Infrastructure Cluster of Departments, the Technical Committee of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Anti-Poverty and Employment Creation and the Board of Directors of the Development Fund of the Development Bank of Southern Africa. At the time he chaired the technical committee of the Economic Workstream of the Special Presidential Project on Distressed Mining Communities and served on the Jobs Fund Advisory Committee of the Minister of Finance. Internationally, he co-chaired NetsAfrica, a bilateral structure to encourage business and government cooperation between Tuscany (Italy) and South Africa.

Prior to the call to public service, Ricardo had a stint as Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry after serving in various capacities in the public and private sectors.