Directorate

Non-executive

Hassen Adams
H. Dip Civil Engineering (PenTech), Pr. Tech. Eng.

Hassen is a civil engineer by training and has many years’ experience as a professional consulting engineer/project manager. He has many years’ extensive business experience and is chairman of Asch Professional Engineers and Proman Projects Management Services. His other directorships include Cape Town Fish Market, Retail Corporation, Gold Circle and Grindrod Limited. His skills and experience are used in making strategic investment decisions for GPI.

Alexander Abercrombie
Att.Adm.Dipl. (UWC), PgD (Company Law) (US), Cert (Sports Law) (UCT)

Alex is an admitted attorney and a qualified conveyancer. He is a director at Cliffe Decker Hofmeyr. Alex has been appointed to act as a judge of the High Court of South Africa. He has a number of business interests and he is well respected in both legal and sports circles.

Ralph Freese
Ralph was born on the Cape Flats, educated by diverse teachers and experiences, and now serves on boards of both developmental NGOs (arts, housing and financial) and businesses. He enjoys complex processes, reads widely (science and novels), and loves the mountains, beaches and wines of the Cape.

Anthony Bedford
B.Admin (Hons) (Industrial Psychology) (UNISA), N.Dip (States Accounts & Finance) (PenTech)

Tony has extensive business management and public service experience on local and international levels. Having completed a six-year spell in the Public/Finance/Treasury and Training department, Tony in 1978 embarked on a 20-year career in the Fruit Canning and Food Processing Industry. As part of Del Monte Food International he successfully headed the Human Resource function, spearheading the affirmative action programmes under the Sullivan Code of Conduct. He concluded a UK assignment as Director of the Human Resources Department Direct International Remuneration Practices, Project Assignments and the UK Personnel functions.

As managing director of the SA-based company, on his return from the UK Tony served on all the fruit canning boards, labour, and international sales and marketing committees, and ensures that business plans are successfully executed.

Since 1998 he commenced his career in the defence industry at Denel (Pty) Limited as the General Manager, Director at Ordinance level, Middle East and Asia Pacific. In these capacities he was responsible for all strategic areas of business including manufacturing, international sales and marketing, and oversight of manufacturing processing units of Pyrotechnics, small arms, ammunition and mine clearing.

Since April 2008 Tony strategically directs his own enterprises in property, commodity trading and strategic investments.

Tony serves on a number of other boards in the food, gaming, property and engineering sectors.

Nombeko Mlambo
BA (UNISA), B.Ed (UCT), MA in Counselling Psychology (Durham University)

Nombeko started her teaching career in 1966. She co-founded the Council for Black Education & Research Trust, an educational NGO, in 1982. She is involved in The Trust for Education Advancement in South Africa, the Business Skills & Development Centre and the Community Plough Back Movement. Nombeko served on the Western Cape Cultural Commission from 2002 to 2005.

Charl Williams
BA (Law) (UWC), LLB (UWC), LLM (UCT)

Charl is an admitted attorney and director of the law firm Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr. Charl practises in all aspects of commercial law including, but not limited to, providing strategic advice and structuring of commercial transactions. He holds BA (Law), LLB and LLM degrees, obtained from the Universities of the Western Cape and Cape Town, respectively.

Dr Norman Maharaj
MB, ChB

Norman has until recently been a commissioner in the Public Service Commission and was an honorary director of Bush Radio. He is a qualified medical doctor and has held senior executive management positions at a number of Western Cape government hospitals, including Groote Schuur, GF Jooste and Red Cross Children’s Hospitals. He has extensive trade union movement experience in the public service sector. His public service experience and involvement in the Public Service Commission will help broaden the GPI board’s analytical and decision-making abilities, with particular reference to matters of good corporate governance and ethics. He is very well known in the Western Cape and through his work in the public service sector on the continent and abroad.

Executive

Adrian Funkey
B.Com Hons, CA(SA), CIMA (UK)

Adrian is a chartered accountant and a member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants in the United Kingdom. He combines sound commercial and financial knowledge with excellent strategic planning and leadership experience. His passion for business has been moulded with blue chip service companies. Previously Adrian was the commercial manager of the Gaming South division of Sun International and was responsible for the commercial and financial affairs of casino/ hotel operations throughout South Africa and in Chile. Of these operations he was intimately involved in the planning, preparation and opening of the Grandwest, Boardwalk, Flamingo, Windmill and Golden Valley casinos and was involved in developing and planning the operation of the new Grand Casino Monticello in Chile.

Richard Hoption
B.Com, Dip.Acc (UND), CA(SA)

Richard is a qualified chartered accountant (SA) articled at Deloitte & Touche (1983 – 1986). Post-articles he joined Smiths Manufacturing SA (Proprietary) Limited, a subsidiary of Metair Limited, serving as internal auditor, financial controller and financial manager. Then, after a period of freelance consulting and involvement in the establishment of a small audit practice, Richard joined NBS Bank Limited (which became BoE Bank Limited and ultimately Nedbank Limited). He had various roles within their specialist property equity (investment and development) division as financial manager, senior operations manager and regional investment manager KZN. His functions included being director of a number of the property development and investment companies that the Bank had an investment in. Richard was appointed CEO of GPI to lead the company through its listing and has recently stepped aside to concentrate his efforts on strategy and investments whilst remaining an executive of GPI.