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 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 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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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 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 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 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.