Company also announces departure of chief financial officer and appointment of new chief operating officer as new executive team takes charge
South African supplier Capespan has confirmed that its chief executive officer Charl du Bois and chief financial officer Jolanda van Heerden have left the company.
André de Klerk, the group’s current commercial director and a board member, will take on the CEO role with immediate effect.
The group’s finances, meanwhile, will be overseen jointly by divisional finance heads Fia Karstens (fruit) and Albert Steyn (farms).
Du Bois’ departure follows a period of strong growth for the business. Capespan’s board chairman Reinhardt Siegrühn thanked both Du Bois and Van Heerden for their work.
“The board wishes to express its appreciation to Charl and Jolanda for their contribution to Capespan during a period of strong operational and commercial progress,” he said.
“We thank them for their leadership and commitment to the group and wish them every success in their future endeavours.”
Du Bois, who plans to explore “other interesting personal opportunities”, joined Capespan in 2016 as head of grapes for Capespan South Africa.
Since then, he has performed various roles across the group, culminating with his current position.
“It has been a privilege to lead Capespan during a period of strong growth and performance,” he said. “Much of this success has been driven by our compelling value proposition, our ability to keep shelves stocked with quality fruit, and the exemplary service and dedication of our people across the globe.”
He added: “Capespan and its people have been an important part of my life for ten years, and I believe this is the right time to step down, with the company in a strong position for continued success. I am particularly pleased to hand the reins to someone of Andre’s calibre.”
Continued leadership
De Klerk has been part of Capespan’s senior management team for 14 years and brings extensive experience in the global fruit industry, positioning him well to lead the company into its next phase of growth, Siegrühn noted.
“Andre is exceptionally well placed to lead Capespan and to build on the recent successes of the business in pursuit of continued growth for all our stakeholders,” he said. “The board has the utmost confidence in his leadership.”
De Klerk himself thanked the board, as well as Du Bois for his continued support.
“I look forward to building on the strong foundation established by the current leadership team and to working with our people to continue delivering sustainable growth and maximising value for our customers and producers,” he commented.
Operations role
Meanwhile, Bernie Denton, who has been with Capespan for 12 years and currently heads the group’s farming division, has been appointed as chief operating officer and to the board.
Bernie’s long-standing experience within the business, together with his deep operational knowledge and leadership across the Group’s activities, are expected to provide important continuity and further strengthen Capespan’s executive team as it continues to grow.
De Klerk said: “Bernie’s appointment will help ensure closer alignment across the group’s operations and continued focus on key operational initiatives. We are delighted to welcome Bernie to the board and look forward to his contribution in this expanded leadership role.”
