The board of Hans Merensky Holdings (HMH) and Westfalia Fruit Group (Westfalia) announced the appointment of Chris Bush to the post of group CEO, effective Oct. 28, 2024. Bush will take over from Acting Group CEO Rian du Toit who returns to his role as group CFO.

Bush, a graduate of Manchester Business School and INSEAD, is an experienced international CEO with nearly 40 years of experience, working across grocery retail. He has led vastly complex multinational organizations, driving both growth and turnaround across various geographies. He has a strong track record in leading people and operations, at scale. Most recently he was divisional CEO of DFI retail group, South East Asia (formerly Dairy Farm Group), directing DFI Retail’s 1.500 stores across seven countries. Prior to joining DFI Retail Group, Bush worked at Tesco Plc for 32 years, leading large scale businesses in Asia, culminating in his position as the UK managing director. Throughout his career, BushBush has lived and worked in Europe, the USA and Asia.

Announcing the appointment, HMH and Westfalia Fruit group chairman Dr. Khotso Mokhele said: “After an extensive global search process, the Board is delighted to welcome Mr. Bush as our new Group Chief Executive. Bush is a seasoned CEO with exceptional strategic capabilities, proven operational effectiveness, and strong experience in retail, as well as working across a breadth of different countries and cultures.”

“I am both honoured and delighted to be joining an organisation that is so clearly dedicated to innovation, product quality and sustainability," said Bush. "I am inspired by the company’s stated mission to lead the way in addressing climate change by following in the footsteps of the company’s founder, Dr. Hans Merensky, to do good and contribute to a better planet for future generations.”