Former South African Finance Minister Trevor Manuel
Photo by: Duane Daws
SABMiller chairperson John Manser expects Trevor Manuel’s experience in advising multilateral organisations on emerging market development and sustainability to be a “great asset” to the soft drinks and brewing giant’s board.
The JSE-listed company announced on Monday that it had appointed the former Finance Minister an independent nonexecutive director, effective March 1.
Manser noted that Manuel’s record as one of the world’s longest-serving Finance Ministers was “exemplary”.
Manuel was a Minister in the South African government for more than 20 years and was first appointed to Cabinet as Minister of Trade and Industry in May 1994, a portfolio he held for two years. In April 1996, he became Finance Minister, steering the South African economy for 13 years. During his last term in office from May 2009 to May 2014, he served as Minister in the Presidency responsible for the National Planning Commission.
During his Ministerial career, Manuel assumed a number of ex officio positions in international bodies, including the United Nations Commission for Trade and Development, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the G20, the African Development Bank and the Southern African Development Community. He also served two terms as World Bank’s Development Committee chairperson.
Manuel was currently Rothschild South Africa senior adviser and deputy chairperson, serving on the company’s board since October 1, 2014. He was also the Green Climate Fund cochairperson, Global Green Growth Institute nonexecutive director, United Nations climate change finance adviser and the IMF’s Development Committee chairperson. He had a national diploma in civil and structural engineering from the Western Cape’s Peninsula Technikon, now known as the Cape Peninsula University of Technology.