Cement producer PPC has appointed Roland van Wijnen to succeed Johan Claassen as CEO.

Van Wijnen is a Dutch national, whose listed company experience and exposure to international global best practice is expected to enhance the management practices of PPC.

"He is an ideal appointment as he has detailed knowledge of the cement sector. He is up-to-speed with our global strategic imperatives and will advance the process without any delays,” chairperson Jabu Moleketi said on Wednesday.

Van Wijnen has worked for LafargeHolcim, previously Holcim, for 17 years.

"As CEO of the Philippine business, a public company, much the same size as PPC, he successfully dealt with similar challenges that PPC is facing. During his time, Holcim Philippines successfully implemented a new retail business model and a growth strategy to best serve customers and increase profitability.
 
“An Industrial Engineering graduate from Twente University, in the Netherlands, Van Wijnen was CEO of certain of Holcim’s Eastern European businesses between 2005 and 2010 and also acted as CEO of Holcim’s global trading business before the Lafarge Holcim merger,” said Moleketi.
 
“Having done some work for Holcim in South Africa before the company moved its operations out of the region, he is familiar with the country,” he added.
 
Van Wijnen has signed a four-year contract with PPC and will take over from Claassen as soon as he receives a work permit.

PPC will also work with Van Wijnen over the next four years to fast-track and implement its succession policy and strategy.

In the role of CEO, Van Wijnen will be tasked with building and developing the executive team and jointly accelerating the process of turning PPC into a high-performance organisation that offers superior products and solutions to customers.

"I am excited and honoured to have been appointed into this executive role at such iconic company that PPC is. PPC is currently undergoing strategic projects to ensure the long-term sustainability and viability of the group and I have been working on such initiatives for the past decade. 

"I am looking forward to starting my new role as CEO, which will enable me to focus on the value and growth strategy of the group. Our future will be defined by how well we deliver on our strategy of driving sustainable growth and maximising opportunities in order to realise the ambitions of our company and take us to the next level of success,” Van Wijnen commented.

Moleketi also thanked Claassen for his hard work.

“He has accomplished what he was set up to do – to renew the operational focus of the company and position the group for a period of consolidation,” he said.

Meanwhile, PPC earlier on Wednesday announced a delay in the release of its results for the financial year ended March 31 to allow for the completion, by its auditors, of a review of considerations relating to fair value adjustments of PPC's Zimbabwean financial assets that could range between R0 and R50-million.

The company will now release its results on June 28.