Holdings Board
Peter Dart
Non-Executive Director
Peter is the WPP team leader for Unilever working across all the WPP agencies that have a relationship with Unilever. These include companies such as Ogilvy, JWT, Mindshare, Millward Brown, Research International, Glendinning, Added Value and the Smollan Group. He is also significantly involved with WPP's CSR work and pro bono help with charities. Peter's career began in Unilever, where he worked for 14 years in Europe and Asia. He studied Physics at Oxford University where he was also an organ scholar. He owns Stanlake Park Wine Estate in Berkshire, where he lives with his wife Annette and three children.
Jeannette Dowding
Non-Executive Director
Jeannette has been with the Smollan Group for over 20 years. She began her career as Assistant Company Secretary, eventually being appointed Group Financial Director in 1993. In 2003, Jeannette was appointed Organisational Effectiveness Director, combining human resources management with business strategy. She has been pivotal in the Group's transformation process and chaired the Smollan Group Diversity Forum. In 2004, Jeannette and her team formalised and augmented their efforts in people development, establishing the Smollan Centre for Learning and Development.
Malcolm Leitch
Non-Executive Director
Malcolm spent 30 years with Unilever in a variety of Customer Development and General Management roles. In doing so he travelled the world and as a member of the Global Customer Development Board had a part in Unilever's global strategic move towards customer centricity. He represented Unilever on several industry bodies in South Africa and played a key role in the formation of the Consumer Goods Council of South Africa where he chaired the Executive until 2007. After retiring from Unilever in 2007, Malcolm has worked as a consultant to CHEP Equipment Pooling Systems and through Glendinning Management Consultants has worked on customer related projects for some of South Africa's leading food companies. He is associated with Trade Intelligence, an organisation dedicated to improving manufacturers understanding of the retail food trade. All this helps fuel his passion for the industry and retail.
Mandiza Mbekeni
Non-Executive Director
After completing her LLB in 1990, Mandiza began her career as a candidate attorney at Webber Wentzel Attorneys. She joined Transnet in 1994 and was appointed Executive Officer of Finance and Information Technology in 1996. In 1998, Mandiza joined Rand Water, where she is currently General Manager of Corporate Services. Her portfolio includes legal services, risk management and corporate social investment. Mandiza is a board member of African Life, Company Secretary and Executive Committee member of the National Black Management Forum and a member of the African Leader Advisory Board.
Dr Oupa Monamodi
Non-Executive Director
Dr.Monamodi is an Independent Non-Executive Director of Smollan Holdings (Pty) Ltd and is also the Chairman of Logato Investment Holding (Pty) Ltd. He is the former Chief Executive Officer of Uthingo. Dr.Monamodi has a B.Sc in Computer Science and Applied Mathematics and an MBA, an MA in Social Science and a Ph.D from Indiana University. He has extensive experience in general management and information systems development and management in both the Information Technology industry and University settings.
Andrew Scott
Non-Executive Director
Since 1999 Andrew has been WPP's Director of Corporate Development leading the Group's global Mergers and Acquisition activity. In this role he is responsible for managing the large number of strategic acquisitions made by WPP each year to help position the group in faster-growing functional and geographic areas. Andrew also leads WPP's International Specialist Communications Division which contains businesses in a diverse range of marketing services sectors – Promotion and Relationship Marketing, Sports Marketing, Custom Publishing and Media, Technology and Production Services. Prior to joining WPP Andrew was a strategy consultant at LEK Consulting. He holds an MBA with distinction from INSEAD.
Malcolm Segal
Non-Executive Director
A Chartered Accountant by profession, Malcolm was appointed Management Partner of Grant Thornton Chartered Accountants and Business Consultants (Johannesburg) in 1987 and National Chairman of Grant Thornton South Africa in 1989. Malcolm is currently Chief Executive Officer of NIB-MDM Private Equity Fund Managers – a private equity fund management company which manages assets and funds for investment in excess of R600m. Malcolm sits on the board of the various companies in which NIB-MDM is invested and holds various board appointments outside the group. He is also Chairman of the South African Private Equity and Venture Capital Association.
David Smollan
Chief Executive
David is a Chartered Accountant and Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA Charterholder). He completed his articles at Grant Thornton Kessel Feinstein, whereafter he was appointed a consultant in their Corporate Finance Division. In 1998, David co-founded i capital – a corporate finance advisory and private equity fund management business, where he was an Executive Director for 10 years. He is also a founding member of Young Business for South Africa – a non-profit organisation that aims to promote networking and understanding between young, economically active South Africans. David is the third generation of Smollans to become involved with the Smollan Group, and the eldest of Doug's three sons.
Doug Smollan
Chairman
The Smollan Group was founded by Doug's father, Fred Smollan, in 1931. Doug joined the business in 1968 as a salesman and became Managing Director eight years later. Having recently handed over the role of Chief Executive to his eldest son David, Doug now holds the position of Chairman. With a wealth of experience, he provides organisational leadership, strategic input and direction to the board. He is also pivotal in the Group's global business strategy. Doug is passionate about South Africa, its people and its development. He was Chairman of Business Against Crime ("BAC"), Gauteng in 1997 and in 2000, he joined BAC's National Board. Doug heads up the Consumer Goods Council of South Africa Anti-Crime initiative under the auspices of BAC.
Gerhard Snyman
Company Secretary
Gerhard completed his articles at KPMG in 1987, where he was appointed audit manager. In lieu of his military training, Gerhard joined the auditing department of The South African Revenue Services, before joining PPC as Group Financial Accountant. In 1995, he joined the Smollan Group as Financial Manager. Over time, he has been responsible for various functions, ranging from reporting and budgeting to software implementation in the Finance Department. In November 2006, Gerhard was appointed as Group Financial Director.
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