Jan is the Director of Strategy and International Relations in the City of Johannesburg.

His primary areas of interest include cities in general and conceptualising creative approaches for dealing with significant urban issues such as poverty, inequality and governance challenges. The relationships between cities and global local government networks and the influence that cities can exert in global dialogues and decision-making is a recent interest and focus area. He works closely with political decision-makers, executives, the academic sector and local and international stakeholders and he is at the forefront of government knowledge and information.

He spearheaded a new approach to international relations in Johannesburg, was a member of the campaign team lobbying for the successful election of the current UCLG President; project managed the hosting of international conferences such as Metropolis (2013) and Africities (2015) in Johannesburg. He is also responsible for the Joburg city strategy and corporate research.