Food Business Africa

Retail startup MarketForce appoints FMCG distribution veteran Arthur Bourekas as Chief Commercial Officer

Sep 28, 2021Sep 28, 2021 Editor

KENYA – MarketForce, Kenya headquartered B2B platform for retail distribution of consumer goods, with operations in Nigeria, has appointed Arthur Bourekas as the Chief Commercial Officer, effective 1st October 2021. Mr. Arthur has over 25 years of experience executing commercial growth, logistics and distribution in some of the most challenging countries in the world. He worked for A.G. Leventis (Nigeria) PLC and PZ cussons in Nigeria, Indonesia, Malaysia and Australia. He is a veteran FMCG distribution expert in Africa, where he has spent over 17 years supporting conglomerates listed on…

Barry Callebaut appoints new heads for procurement and human resource divisions

Sep 27, 2021Sep 28, 2021 Editor

SWITZERLAND – Zurich-based cocoa processor and chocolate manufacturer Barry Callebaut has made new executive appointments in its procurement and human resource departments as it seeks to ensure a smooth transition following exit of former CEO Antoine de Saint-Affrique. According to a statement from the company, Massimo Selmo, currently, head of global sourcing, will become the first-ever chief procurement officer of the chocolate company. Selmo who has worked at Barry Callebaut for 25 years, including 23 as head of global sourcing will also become a member of the executive committee. During…

Yum! Brands appoints Sabir Sami as global division CEO of KFC

Sep 24, 2021Sep 24, 2021 Editor

US – Yum! Brands Inc has KFC Asia managing director, Mr. Sabir Sami as global division chief executive officer of KFC effective January 1, 2022. KFC division is Yum’s largest business. It added nearly US$4 billion in system sales from digital channels last year to grow the KFC digital business to about US$10 billion in system sales in 2020 Sami will succeed Tony Lowings who is stepping down as chief executive at the end of this year. He will report to Yum! chief executive officer David Gibbs. Yum! Brands said that Sami will, in his new role,…

CCBA’s Ghanaian unit Voltic Limited names Flora Jika as new Managing Director

Sep 23, 2021Sep 23, 2021 Editor

GHANA – Voltic Ghana, a subsidiary of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) has appointed Flora Jika, as its new Managing Director. According to the parent company, Flora will take up the leadership position at the end of December 2021. Taking over the helm of the soft-beverage manufacturing and distributing entity, she succeeds Simon Everest who’ll be retiring in December after 20 years with The Coca-Cola Company family. Flora joins Voltic Ghana from Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa (CCBSA) where she is the current Logistics Director. She hails from a mining engineering background,…

Africa’s first lab grown meat developer Mzansi beefs up leadership team as it readies growth

Sep 21, 2021Sep 21, 2021 Editor

SOUTH AFRICA – Mzansi Meat, Africa’s first cultivated meat start-up based in South Africa has appointed Dr Wade Edwards (PhD) to be its new Research and Development (R&D) Director. Dr Wade brings with him over 20 years of experience in entrepreneurship and the commercialisation of research and innovation in the Life Sciences, Biotechnology and Engineering sectors. In addition to his PhD in Biotechnology and majors in Microbiology and Biochemistry from Rhodes University, he participated in the Executive Education Programme hosted by the Goizueta Business School at Emory University. Founded last…

South Africa based Premier FMCG names Fritz Grobbelaar as its new CFO

Sep 15, 2021Sep 15, 2021 Editor

SOUTH AFRICA – Premier FMCG, one of South Africa’s leading and oldest consumer goods company, has appointed Fritz Grobbelaar to be its new CFO. Fritz takes over the position that was left vacant by Kobus Gertenbach, who was appointed the CEO of the company in March following the retirement of its former head Tjaart Kruger. The new CFO will build on the solid financial manufacturing foundation that has been established within Premier FMCG. “Sweating the detail is a crucial part of Fritz’s success combined with a strong focus on leadership…

FrieslandCampina CEO Schumacher named new Global Dairy Platform Chair, Anheuser-Busch shuffles leadership team

Sep 13, 2021Sep 13, 2021 Editor

USA – Global Dairy Platform (GDP), a not-for-profit industry association representing the international dairy sector, has announced the appointment of Hein Schumacher, Chief Executive Officer of Royal FrieslandCampina, as Chair of its Board of Directors. GDP membership, which includes more than 95 leading corporations, companies, associations, scientific bodies and other partners, has operations in more than 150 countries and collectively produces approximately 1/3 of all the world’s milk. Schumacher succeeds Rick Smith, President and Chief Executive Officer of Dairy Farmers of America, who completed a four-year term as GDP Chair.…

Niall FitzGerald to Chair Olam Food Ingredients’ Board of Directors

Sep 9, 2021Sep 9, 2021 Editor

SINGAPORE – Olam International Limited has appointed Niall FitzGerald as the Chair of the Board of Directors for its operating group, Olam Food Ingredients (“OFI”), effective 9 September 2021. OFI was created in early 2020 following the announcement of the re-organization of Olam to unlock and maximize its long-term value. FitzGerald’s appointment comes as OFI seeks a primary listing on the premium segment of the London Stock Exchange, and a concurrent secondary listing in Singapore in H1 2022. Niall FitzGerald commented: “It is an honour to be invited by the Olam…

Former DSM CEO Feike Sijbesma to spearhead private sector collaboration in new role as WFP Champion

Sep 8, 2021Sep 8, 2021 Editor

ROME – The World Food Program of the United Nations (WFP) has appointed former Royal DSM CEO, Feike Sijbesma is its first ever Champion. Sijbesma has had a long and illustrious career which culminated in him heading Dutch multinational nutritional and health company Royal DSM as Chairman and CEO, a position he held for 13 years. The career business executive transitioned to the role of Honorary Chairman of Royal DSM in early 2020 and also serves as the Special Corona Envoy for The Netherlands. He sits on a variety of Supervisory Boards, like Royal Philips, Unilever, and the Dutch Central…

Unga Group taps into expertise of Premier Foods’ CEO Joseph Choge to be its new MD

Sep 6, 2021Sep 7, 2021 Editor

KENYA – Unga Group Limited, a major grain miller in Kenya, has announced the retirement of its long serving Managing Director Nicholas Hutchinson, effective December 31 2021. The holding company with investments in flour milling and manufacturing of human nutrition products and animal feeds, has tapped into Premier Foods’ CEO Joseph Malel Choge, to take over from Mr Hutchinson from December 1. The Nairobi Securities Exchange-listed company said in a notice that Hutchinson would continue in an advisory capacity for a while to ensure a smooth transition, reports Business Daily.…