Wrap Text
Changes to the board
SAPPI SOUTHERN AFRICA LIMITED
Incorporate in the Republic of South Africa
JSE Alpha code: SSAI
("Sappi Southern Africa" or the "Company")
Changes to the board
Sappi Southern Africa, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sappi Limited ("Sappi") is pleased to announce
that Graeme Wild (52), currently Vice President Sales and Marketing at Sappi Southern Africa, has
been appointed as CEO of Sappi Southern Africa as from 01 December 2024. Graeme Wild succeeds
Alex Thiel, who has been CEO of Sappi Southern Africa for 14 years and will now assume new
strategic project duties until his retirement at the end of December 2025.
Steve Binnie, Chief Executive Officer of Sappi, commenting on the contribution of Alex Thiel, said:
"I would like to thank Alex for his significant service to date to Sappi during his 34 years with the
Company and for the support he has shown me as CEO. He is an outstanding leader both for the
Company and for the industry. Returning from Sappi Europe in 2010, he led the restructuring and
repositioning of the South African business to improve profitability, align with our group strategic
objectives and deliver on our sustainability commitments. The region streamlined and focused its
operations and product portfolio, enhanced customer engagement, improved efficiencies as well as
safety performance and implemented a number of expansion and performance improvement
projects, including the recent dissolving pulp expansion and environmental improvements project at
Saiccor Mill. I also wish to commend him on his leadership during the challenges presented by the
Covid-19 pandemic and the disruptions of 2021 and 2022."
"When I was appointed CEO in 2014, Alex provided me with significant support and he was a
member of the executive committee that developed and rolled out our debt reduction and our
Thrive business strategies. He successfully refocused the business on the dissolving pulp and
containerboard segments with sales revenue increasing from R11,7 billion to R27,1 billion and
EBITDA from R1,8 billion to a record R6 billion."
Graeme Wild joined Sappi Southern Africa in 1995 as a forester, rising to strategy manager for Sappi
Forests before moving to Sappi. In 2012 he was appointed Group Head Investor Relations and
Sustainability, with additional responsibility for a global procurement optimisation work stream. He
returned to Sappi Southern Africa in his current role in January 2021 with responsibility for the
marketing and sales of all Sappi products in South Africa. He has overseen growth in the
containerboard segment to supply the significant increase in demand from citrus exporters and the
development of new packaging grades for the food (on-shelf) and fast-food (take-away) markets.
On the appointment of Graeme Wild, Steve Binnie said:
"I am pleased that we are able to ensure a smooth transition in leadership from Alex to Graeme.
Graeme is an experienced leader who has served the group at a global level, has deep understanding
of investors as well as the increased priority of sustainability concerns. He has been integral to the
development and execution of Sappi's strategy and the investments and decisions we have made in
South Africa to ensure we maintain our domestic leadership in paper and packaging, along with our
dissolving pulp and forestry asset investments. I am confident that, under Graeme's leadership, the
business will take the next steps to ensure competitiveness and the adjustments required by our
sustainability commitments, while delivering clear value to the communities where we operate.
"The appointment is testimony to the success of Sappi's strong succession planning processes and
the importance we place on stability and continuity during any such leadership transition."
Graeme Wild holds a B.Sc. Forestry degree from University of Stellenbosch, a MBA (cum laude) from
Gordon Institute of Business Science, as well as a Sappi MDP from SBL, UNISA and he has completed
the Executive Education programme at Harvard Business School, USA.
Date : 19 September 2024
Debt Sponsor: Nedbank Corporate and Investment Banking, a division of Nedbank Limited
Date: 19-09-2024 01:20:00
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