WHO WE ARE

WHO WE ARE

Leadership

Val Nichas - Chief Executive Officer

Age: 62

Appointed 2021

Diplomas
Diploma in Public Relations and Franchise Management (PRISA)

Programmes
Strategic Leadership Programme (Oxford)
Scenarios Programme (Oxford)

Val is a highly experienced strategist and leader with extensive experience in the restaurant sector. She served as marketing director of Edgars, senior vice president of multinational food company, Rich Products Corporation, and managing director of Tequila Advertising. Val joined Famous Brands in 1999 as marketing director of Debonairs Pizza and later served as managing executive of Wimpy (then 506 restaurants) and Steers (then 492 restaurants) before her appointment as head of the quick-service restaurant brands. Val ran her own consultancy for eight years, specialising in business strategy and planning, before joining the group.

Cristina Teixeira - Chief financial officer

Age: 51

Appointed 2021

Degrees
Bcom (Wits)
BCompt (UNISA)
CA(SA)

Programmes
Advanced Management Programme (INSEAD)

Cristina has 16 years’ experience as a CFO in listed companies and was voted Businesswoman of the Year (corporate category) by the Businesswomen’s Association of South Africa in 2013. After qualifying as a chartered accountant, she joined Group Five and was appointed as CFO in 2008. Cristina has led finance teams that have been consistently recognised in the Investment Analysts Society annual awards for reporting and disclosure, and in the Institute of Chartered Secretaries/JSE reporting awards.

Kevin Robertson - Chief operating officer

Age: 58

Appointed to board in 2020

Programmes
Financial Management
Food & Beverage Management
Various computer and communication and health and safety programmes

Kevin has been with the group for 33 years. He started as an operational manager at Spur Steak Ranches (Spur), and was soon promoted to regional manager of KwaZulu-Natal. Kevin assisted the group with building the international business in Mauritius, Australia and the United Kingdom. Kevin was appointed managing director of Panarottis in 1999. In 2011, he was appointed as the national franchise restaurant executive and became chief operating officer (COO) of Spur in 2018, before becoming group COO in October 2020.

Colleen Carr - People leadership and culture executive

Age: 57

Employment: 3 years, 6 months

Degrees
BA (Psychology) (UWC)

Diplomas
Postgraduate Diploma in Employment Law (UCT)

Programmes
HR Leadership (UCT)
Strategic leadership (UCT)

Colleen has a strong track record in successful change management. Her transformational leadership abilities have allowed her to significantly shift the culture of organisations and create agile companies that remain relevant in a fast-changing world. These skills are crucial to the group in its strategic journey of making a meaningful impact on its employees and the broader market.

Robin Charles - Group supply chain executive

Age: 50

Employment: 16 years

Diplomas
ND Food Technology (Cape Peninsula)

Programmes
Supply Chain Management (UCT)
Agile Project Management (UCT)

As a food technologist, Robin understands food and successful product development. He has more than 20 years’ experience in quality assurance roles, food safety systems and legislative requirements. He has particular skills in creating production efficiencies and product re-engineering initiatives. These are particularly important skills in a franchised model offering, especially in the current volatile market conditions. He was promoted to the position of supply chain executive from 1 July 2022.

Derick Koekemoer - Franchise executive international

Age: 53

Derick is a seasoned senior operator in the restaurant sector. His more than 20 years of knowledge of the group’s operations through various roles adds particular value. He has more than ten years’ experience in the international division, with a clear understanding of the dynamics of different global markets. His guidance has resulted in a footprint of 90 international restaurants.

Moshe Apleni - Transformation and corporate communications executive

Age: 44

Employment: 7 years

Programmes
Executive Development Programme (UCT)
Leading with Purpose & ESG Strategy (GIBS)
New Managers Development Programme (Stellenbosh)
International Business Ethics (Stellenbosh)
BEE Managers Course (BEESA)
Mastering Board Leadership, Effective Corporate Governance (IoDSA)

Moshe has a background in communications and marketing, with a strong focus on building effective stakeholder relationships. He is closely involved in the ongoing development of an inclusive culture across the organisation. This track record resulted in him becoming one of only 20 African leaders chosen to attend an ethics leadership conference in Germany in 2018. Moshe completed the UCT Graduate School of Business’ Executive Development Programme in November 2021. His passion for effective change has resulted in his role being expanded to include transformation, as well as the chairmanship of the Spur Foundation Trust. He assumed an executive role with effect from 1 July 2022.

Vuyokazi Henda - Chief marketing officer

Age: 38

Employment: 2 years, 6 months

Degrees
BBusSci (Finance) (UCT)

Vuyokazi (Vuyo) has more than thirteen years’ business experience, with her previous role being that of leading the Foods business for Southern Africa at Unilever. She joined Unilever in 2009 and has worked in various positions across sales and marketing. She also spent some time in London working on the biggest Unilever Food brand, Knorr. In 2020 she became one of 20 Dalai Lama Fellows and she has been involved in organisations that uplift young women in South Africa. Her expertise in FMCG, coupled with an in-depth understanding of strategy and passion for leading for the greater good, have already added significant value at the group.

Mike Bosman - Independent Chairman

Age: 63

Appointed 2018

Degrees

BCom (Hons) (Cape Town)
LLM (Cape Town)
CA(SA)

Programmes
Advanced Management Programme (Harvard)
Blockchain Strategy Programme (Oxford)

Mike is the non-executive chairman of SPAR Group Limited, one of the largest retailers in Southern Africa. He serves as an independent non-executive director of MTN South Africa Limited and serves on the audit and risk committees. He is the non-executive chairman of Vinimark, the largest independent wine distribution company in South Africa. Mike has more than 40 years’ cumulative experience as a listed company director in South Africa. He worked for many years in advertising and communication, and in corporate and project finance. He served as Group CEO of the large advertising and communications groups FCB and later at TBWA.

Dr. Shirley Zinn - Lead Independent director

Age: 63

Appointed 2019

Degrees

BA (UWC)
BEd (Hons) (Unisa)
MEd (UWC)
EdM (Harvard)
EdD (Harvard) 

Diplomas
HDipEd (UWC)

Chair of the nominations and remuneration committee

Member of the social, ethics and environmental sustainability committee

Shirley is an acclaimed human resources practitioner who has held senior positions in the corporate and public sectors. She holds a doctorate from Harvard University and was formerly the head of human resources at Woolworths Holdings, Standard Bank South Africa, Nedbank Group and the South African Revenue Service. She currently provides consulting and advisory services in human resources, transformation, leadership and education. Shirley serves on the boards of Sanlam, MTN South Africa, BCG-SA, WWF, Spar and V&A Waterfront, where she is the chairman.

Cora Fernandez - Independent non-executive

Age: 51

Appointed 2019

Degrees

BCom (UCT)
BCompt (Hons) (Unisa)
Chartered Accountant

Chair of the audit committee Member of the risk committee

Member of the nominations and remuneration committee

Cora is a chartered accountant with extensive board experience. She is a non-executive director of Capitec Bank Holdings Ltd, Redefine Properties Ltd, Curro Holdings Ltd, Stormers (Pty) Ltd and Sphere Private Equity (Pty) Ltd. She serves on the investment committees of 27four Black Business Growth Fund. Cora previously served as managing director of Sanlam Investment Management and as CEO of Sanlam Private Equity. Following her departure from Sanlam, she pursued a career as a professional nonexecutive director.

André Parker - Independent non-executive

Age: 73

Appointed 2020

Degrees

MCom (Stellenbosch)

Andre spent most of his career with the SAB/ SAB Miller group and was managing director of SAB Miller’s Africa and Asia portfolio for ten years. He previously served as chairman of Tiger Brands and Remgro’s TSB, and on the boards of SAB plc, SAB Ltd, AECI, Standard Bank, Carozzi SARL and Distell Ltd.

Jesmane Boggenpoel - Independent non-executive

Age: 51

Appointed 2020

Degrees

BCom (Wits)
BAcc (Wits)
MPub Admin (Harvard)
CA(SA)

Programmes
Imagining Technological Future (NTU)

Jesmane is a chartered accountant with private equity and entrepreneurial experience. She is a co-founder and managing partner of private equity firm AIH Capital and was head of business engagement for Africa for the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Switzerland. She currently serves on the boards of Boxer, the agri conglomerate ETG and MTN South Africa. She is also on the board of the South African Venture Capital and Private Equity Association. Jesmane is the author of a book on diversity and inclusion, My Blood Divides and Unites. She is the creator of the online Udemy course: Dealing with the Heart of Race and Gender Inequality in the Workplace. Jesmane was nominated as a Young Global Leader of the WEF in 2013 and as a BMW Foundation Responsible Leader in 2022.

Lerato Molebatsi - Independent non-executive

Age: 55

Appointed 2020

Degrees

BA (Psych) (UJ)

Diplomas
Rural Development and Management (PG Dip) (Wits)

Programmes
Senior Management Development (Stellenbosch)
Senior Executive Programme for Africa (Harvard)

Lerato is the lead independent director of the SA Reserve Bank, a non-executive at Petra Diamonds and a member of the remuneration committee of the Financial Sector Conduct Authority. Over the last 25 years, she attained extensive experience across functional areas such as strategy formulation, communications, marketing corporate social investments, stakeholder relations, black economic empowerment, administration, governance, policy development and upliftment of the broader African continent. She was the CEO of General Electric South Africa, held senior positions in corporate communications, public affairs and corporate social investment, and worked in the Departments of Labour and Transport.

Sandile Phillip - Independent non-executive

BCom, BCompt (Hons), CA(SA)

Appointed October 2020

Age: 41

Member of the audit committee

Member of the risk committee

Sandile is a non-executive director of the SAICA Enterprise Development and previously served as a board member of the SA Institute of Chartered Accountants and the South African Post Office. His business experience is mainly in the areas of general banking, structured funding and leveraged finance in business banking at First National Bank, private banking at Investec and financial management at British American Tobacco and Peninsula Beverages.