Print and packaging group Novus has tapped former eMedia Holdings CEO André van der Veen as its interim executive chair after the retirement of its CEO and the resignation of the board chair earlier this year.
The group said on Friday that Van der Veen will be in the role for six months while the company engages in “the process of identifying and appointing a suitable candidate for the CEO replacement”.
This is as Novus confirmed that its CEO Neil Birch will be in the role until the end of this month.
The JSE-listed group said the appointment of Van der Veen was informed by several considerations, including the need to ensure a “seamless leadership transition that balances both the current and future leadership requirements of the business”.
“Mr van der Veen has previously held the positions of CEO and chairman of rapidly growing companies and companies with changing business strategies. The board looks forward to Mr van der Veen’s contribution to the company in his new role,” said Novus.
Van der Veen has been a director on the boards of Tsogo Sun, HCI, Clover and Montauk Energy.
He is chair of Alphawave, a technology holding company, and a managing partner of A2 Investments.
Novus said Birch will, however, remain with the group on a consultancy basis to consolidate the integration of newly acquired Maskew Miller Learning.
“The board appreciates and recognises the outstanding role that Mr Birch has played as CEO and for making himself available to assist with the aforementioned transitional activities,” the company said in a statement.
Novus in 2022 acquired for £53m a 75% stake in Maskew Miller Learning, then called Pearson SA, a courseware business that services all tiers of the education market.
The acquired group holds iconic brands such as Maskew Miller Longman and Heinemann — two of the best-known educational materials publishers and printers in SA providing learning content and teacher training for use in schools, Technical Vocational Education & Training (TVET) colleges, higher education institutions and home and professional environments.
“Pursuant to the acquisition and in light of the CEO’s retirement and the imminent departure of the chairman of the board, Dr Phumla Mnganga ... the board is undertaking an evaluation of the strategy, structure and leadership requirements of the group, including the future capital requirements of the three business segments of Novus and their respective growth plans,” Novus said on Friday.
Birch’s departure is in line with the Novus retirement policy. He entered the printing and packaging industry in 1986 and previously served as the group MD of Lithotech in 1989 and went on to become the CEO at Bidvest Paperplus from 2006 until 2016.
He joined Novus in 2017 as nonexecutive chair and stepped into the CEO role in May 2018.
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