Alliance Group has appointed Willie Wiese as interim chief executive.
Current chief executive David Surveyor leaves the co-operative on February 10, and chair Murray Taggart said until a replacement is found, Wiese – its current manager of manufacturing – will fill that role.
Taggart said the process of finding a new chief executive could take several months.
Wiese joined Alliance in December 2017 and has led projects to improve the operational performance across the co-op’s plant network.
“This programme has included an unprecedented investment in technology such as primal cutters and warehouse automation, along with gains in yield performance and health and safety,” Taggart said in a newsletter to shareholders.
Prior to joining Alliance, Wiese led significant manufacturing operations in Australia and South Africa.
His previous role was chief operations officer for ASX listed Asaleo Care, a personal care and hygiene company, and he has also held senior executive leadership roles in the packaging industry with Amcor and Nampak.
Wiese holds master’s degrees in business, engineering and engineering science from the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.
