SWITZERLAND – Accomplished South Africa based food expert Lindiwe Majele Sibanda has been nominated by Nestlé for election to its Board of Directors.

Lindiwe Majele Sibanda is  a Professor and the Director and Chairwoman of the African Research Universities Alliance Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Food Systems at the University of Pretoria, South Africa.

Her nominations comes ahead of Nestlé’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) which is slated for April 15, 2021.

In a statement to shareholders, Nestlé said personal participation of shareholders will unfortunately not be possible at this year’s AGM.

Shareholders will be able to exercise their voting rights through Nestlé’s independent shareholder representative.

The swiss food giant said in a statement that Ursula Burns, a Nestlé Board member since 2017,  decided not to stand for re-election.

Consequently, the Board proposed Prof. Lindiwe Majele Sibanda, a citizen of Zimbabwe, for election in her place.

The Board furter said that it will propose the individual re-election of all other current members of the Board and the Chairman.

“I would like to thank Ursula Burns wholeheartedly for her engagement, expert advice and valuable perspectives”, said Paul Bulcke, Chairman of the Nestlé Board of Directors.

“At the same time, we are delighted to propose Lindiwe as a new Board member.”

Lindiwe, with her hands-on farming experience and her expertise in environmental sustainability, public policy and sustainable food systems, will provide invaluable guidance along our journey to build regenerative food systems at scale.

“Her broad experience across the African continent as well as across the globe will enrich the Board’s insights,” Bulcke said.

In addition to her role at the University of Pretoria, Prof. Sibanda is also the co-Chairwoman of the Global Alliance for Climate-Smart Agriculture hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Rome, Italy.

She has once served as the Vice-President, Country Support, Policy and Partnerships for the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa in Kenya.

She has also worked in South Africa as the CEO and Head of Mission of the pan-African Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network, operating in 19 African countries.

With Lindiwe Majele Sibanda, the Nestlé Board will comprise 14 members, of which twelve are independent directors.

Her nomination is testimony of Nestlé’s commitment to continuously add diverse experience and unique perspectives to its board as well as to enhance its cultural and gender diversity.

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