BAOBAB BRANDS - Key Persons


Grant Wheatley - CEO

Job Titles:
  • CEO
Grant has been part of Baobab since its founding in 2008. Educated at Dale College and then Rhodes University, Grant moved into the residential then commercial property sector, developing independent stores and shopping centres. He has a passion for the food industry and the people in it. When not building great teams and growing brands in Africa, he returns to his home and sanctuary in the Eastern Cape.

Harvey de Wit

Job Titles:
  • People Executive
Harvey is the People Lead for the Baobab group, encompassing the entire HR function in all markets. He is a key driver of talent management and implementation, the holistic development of our people and the maintenance and constant improvement of organisational effectiveness.

Nicky van Huyssteen

Job Titles:
  • Marketing Executive
Nicky has an impressive background in FMCG marketing, covering both personal care and confectionary. She is insight driven towards consumer-centricity, resulting in the development of data-supported strategies that promote brand equity. This allows her to develop campaigns that resonate with the market, delivering key business objectives.

Roslyn Goldsmith

Job Titles:
  • Principal Staff Officer
Roslyn started her working career in the building industry, then gained experience in the motor sector where she spent 20 years honing her practical accounting and business skills. It is in the food industry where her knowledge and experience has been invaluable, being a key ingredient of Baobab's growth from three units to an operation spanning five countries.

Tereza van Niekerk - CFO

Job Titles:
  • Chartered Accountant
  • Chief Financial Officer
Tereza is a chartered accountant with an interest in systems and processes. Coming from a public sector auditing environment, she brings a strategic attention to detail with a keen eye for problem recognition with solutions that are implementable resulting in an internal competitive advantage. She heads up a dynamic team with a core belief in innovation and continual professional development.

Werner Lindenberg

Job Titles:
  • Vice President - RoSSA Markets
Werner brings international experience to the team, as well as the acumen of having operated successfully in the tightly regulated financial sector. He is an avid proponent of the power of team performance, and a lifelong student at heart with the dual passions of data-driven strategies and consumer psychology.

Wikus Putter

Job Titles:
  • Supply Chain Executive
Wikus has a focus on efficiency to optimise operations in the industry. He has a penchant for simplicity, and combines his background in accounting and auditing to give him the leverage to use data and automation to support strategic decisions. In addition to his planning and coordinating functions, he is passionate about transformation which he expresses in leading, training and developing people.