JSE-listed Grindrod Ltd has announced the appointment of Johny Smith as Chief Executive Officer of its rail division, with effect from April 1.
Grindrod said in a statement on Wednesday that Smith, who has wide experience in rail operations in the Walvis Bay Corridor, would contribute to the growth of the business’s footprint in Namibia and unlock growth opportunities for its terminals and ships agency businesses.
Grindrod said its rail-based logistics solutions that Smith is to head up, would assist landlocked countries to becoming port-linked.
Smith, the former CEO of TransNamib and the Walvis Bay Corridor Group, brings more than 30 years of experience in organisational and strategy development, international business, sales, marketing, project management, financial and customer and relationship management to his new role. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Cape Town and an MBA, has served on various boards, and has a long history of working in the transportation/trucking/railroad industry. He has served as CEO in his current role for the past five years.
Smith declined to comment to Freight News about his new appointment ahead of taking up the post next month.