Gert Blignaut is the new chief executive officer (CEO) of the Beefmaster Group, effective from 1 October.
Beefmaster stated Blignaut will succeed Louw van Reenen who has decided to step down from this position to focus on his family after 16 years of dedicated service. Van Reenen will become the executive chairman of the Beefmaster Group Board.
“Since my brother, Louw, expressed his desire to be more involved with the day-to-day activities of his children, it was always understood that Gert would be the right fit for the role, given he has been part of the Beefmaster family for more than 20 years,” says Roelie van Reenen, supply chain executive at the group.
Blignaut has been the chief operating officer (COO) since 2017. He started his career at Beefmaster in 2000 after qualifying with a BSc Honours degree in Agriculture and Animal Feeding, attained from the University of the Free State (UFS), and was promoted to feedlot manager in 2004. In 2006 he was appointed as general manager.
“Louw’s decision to step down reflects his dedication to family values and priorities. He has steered us ably through various crises such as Covid-19 and foot-and-mouth disease and all its associated challenges with a characteristic calm and steady approach. He has also played an integral role in working with government to open more beef export markets,” concludes Van Reenen.
