This section contains profiles of our senior executive team, including their past experience and current responsibilities. To learn more about the group businesses they manage, please visit our overview here.
ABOUT ABF SUGAR
our executive
team
the experience, skills and talent behind our group
Paul Kenward
CEO - ABF SUGAR
With my Executive team, I am ultimately accountable to ABF for the sugar division and its overall performance. Together, we ensure that results are delivered by building the centre as an active partner which supports, stretches and tests our businesses. Safety is my top priority, which is why we have a dedicated senior role reporting directly to me to drive this critical agenda, as well as safety directors in many of our businesses.
Under my leadership are:
- ABF Sugar Chief Financial Officer
- ABF Sugar Chief Transformation Officer
- ABF Sugar Chief People & Performance Officer
- ABF Sugar Commercial Director, Africa
- ABF Sugar Operations and Agriculture Director
- ABF Sugar Safety Director
- All sugar division business units: Azucarera, British Sugar, Illovo Sugar South Africa, Illovo Sugar Kigali, Illovo Sugar Malawi, Kilombero Sugar Company, Maragra Acucar, Ubombo Sugar Limited, Vivergo Fuels, Zambia Sugar
- Czarnikow
Kim Usher
Chief People and Performance Officer
I work with the HR Centres of Excellence and BAU HR Leads to deliver on the people strategy and support our overall strategy. This is enabled by focusing on Capability Development, purposeful Organisation Design, relevant and sustainable Talent and Retention strategies, and an appropriate Reward and Remuneration framework. I also guide effective DEIB strategies, develop a mutually beneficial industrial relations climate and drive HR functional excellence by ensuring that best HR practices, minimum standards, and integrated and optimised people processes are standardised and maintained.
Responsibilities:
- Talent Management
- Reward
- Organisational Effectiveness
- HR Services
- Employee Relations
- ISA Medical Services
Andy Nicholson
Chief Transformation Officer
My work is to drive the key areas that greatly impact our businesses' potential: strategy, ESG, people, and business development. We partner with businesses to work on strategy development and implementation. The Results Delivery Office then help ensure that we fulfil the ambitions to which we commit.
Responsibilities:
- Business Development
- Results Delivery Office
- Strategy Execution
- ESG
Craig Jensen
Operations and Agriculture Director
My work is to help our businesses maximise the production of high-quality sugar by improving cane yields and factory efficiencies. In agriculture, this encompasses driving adherence to best farming practices coupled with the adoption of a New Farming System that incorporates the principles of regenerative agriculture and precision farming. In the factory, we are improving the in-season and off-crop maintenance systems to improve asset reliability whilst also focussing on maximising throughput and efficiency. Subject matter specialists assist with capability development and sharing best practices across the division. I also lead a centralised procurement function that leverages the scale of the division to provide an efficient, cost-effective procurement service to the businesses.
Responsibilities:
- Estate Agriculture
- Grower Agriculture
- Manufacturing Performance
- Factory Reliability
- Procurement
- Innovation
Andre Lubbe
Commercial Director - Africa
As head of the commercial function, I support our business units in maximising their commercial performance through effective strategy development, underpinned by capability development that supports execution. Progress is tracked through robust performance measures, followed through with a cadence of engagement that sustains momentum towards performance excellence. Subject matter experts from the centre fully understand the operating environment and lean into the challenges encountered by the business units in order to support them. Capability development is high on the agenda of each SME, enabled by development initiatives and the sharing of best operating practices to grow our employees.
Responsibilities:
- Commercial Strategy Development
- Sales Excellence & Route-to-Consumer Development
- Marketing & Innovation
- Outbound Logistics
- Sugar Sourcing & Exports
- Sales & Operational Planning
- Trade Advocacy
- Downstream Products
- Governance Support
