Directors

Group directorate

Independent Non-executive directors

Ronald Bowen

Age: 63
Qualifications: BSc (Hons)
Designation: Independent non-executive director
Date appointed to board: 28 September 2011
Board committee membership: Audit committee
Significant directorships: None

Experience: Senior executive for Sued Chemie AG Group, Germany and Ashland Chemicals, USA for 30 years. Served on Boards of Sasol, Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), Central Energy Fund (CEF) and PetroSA as well as several other Boards in South Africa and internationally. Council member of global consultancy group and consultant on specialty chemicals worldwide.

Nick Binedell

Age: 63
Qualifications: PhD; MBA; Bachelor of Commerce degree
Designation: Independent non-executive director
Date appointed to board: 24 February 2017
Board committee membership: None
Significant directorships: None

Experience: He invested the last 30 years of his career in business education. In 1992 he was appointed as head of the Wits Business School. In 1998 he established a new business school called GIBS in South Africa focused on meeting the individual and corporate needs of business. His experience from 2000 to 2015 in the field of management education includes being the founding director of GIBS where he was Dean. Was a board member of the International Management Board of The Association of MBAs (AMBA). Also served on the Academic Advisory Board for the same body. He was the founding president of the African Association of Business Schools (AABS). He also served two terms as the chairman of the South African Association of Business schools (SABSA).

Frank Butler

Age: 62
Qualifications: BSc Chem Eng; MBA
Designation: Independent non-executive director
Date appointed to board: 27 September 2002
Board committee memberships: Social, ethics and risk committee (chairman), audit committee
Significant directorships: None

Experience: Private consultant in risk management and business strategies; chairman of CRM International Group 1980 to 2001.

Tina Eboka

Age: 57
Qualifications: BSc, MBA
Designation: Independent Non-Executive Director
Date appointed to board: 25 February 2016
Board committee membership: None
Significant directorships: International Trade & Administration Commission Board of SA, Stefanutti Stocks Group, Richards Bay IDZ Board, Allan Gray E Square

Experience: Previously served as executive director at CSIR, Textile Technology Division and Water, Forestry & Environmental Division, Group Corporate Affairs at Standard Bank Group and Vice President at Organisational Development Communications. Currently serving as Group MD for NTP Group Soc Ltd subsidiary of NECSA (Nuclear Energy Council SA)

Ralph Havenstein

Age: 58
Qualifications: BCom; MSc Chem Eng
Designation: Lead independent non-executive director
Date appointed to board: 6 November 2007
Board committee memberships: Social, ethics and risk committee; audit committee, Remuneration committee
Significant directorships: Northam Platinum Limited, Murray & Roberts Holdings Limited

Experience: Served as director of Anglo Platinum, Simmer and Jack, Mintek and Sasol and on councils of Chamber of Mines and Chemical and Allied Industries' Association (CAIA).

Hester Hickey

Age: 61
Qualifications: BCompt (Hons); Chartered Accountant (SA)
Designation: Independent non-executive director
Date appointed to board: 13 June 2008
Board committee memberships: Audit committee (chairperson)
Significant directorships: Cashbuild Limited, African Dawn Capital Limited, Pan African Resources plc, Sentinel Pension Fund

Experience: Extensive experience in auditing, internal audit, risk management and governance. Consultant in governance and director training.

Sizwe Mncwango

Age: 49
Qualifications: BSc; MSc Civ Eng; MBA
Designation: Independent non-executive director
Date appointed to board: 29 July 2010
Board committee membership: None
Significant directorships: Central Energy Fund (SOC) Limited, PetroSA (SOC) Limited, AEMFC (SOC) Limited and Proactive Health Solutions (Pty) Limited

Experience: Served on numerous Boards and former CEO of Central Energy Fund (SOC) Limited. Extensive experience in general management, deal structuring and turnaround strategies.

Dhanasagree (Daisy) Naidoo

Age: 43
Qualifications: BCom; Chartered Accountant (SA); MAcc (Tax)
Designation: Independent non-executive director
Date appointed to board: 1 April 2011
Board committee membership: Remuneration committee; audit committee
Significant directorships: STRATE (Pty) Limited, Hudaco Industries Limited, Mr Price Group Limited, Anglo Platinum Limited, Marriott Unit Trust Management Company Limited, Old Mutual Unit Trust Managers Limited, Old Mutual Alternative Risk Transfer Limited and Old Mutual Wealth (Pty) Limited. Trustee of Discovery Health Medical Scheme and South African Investors Protection Fund.

Experience: Head of debt structuring unit at Sanlam Capital Markets and appointed to sub-credit committee of Sanlam Investment Cluster. Serves on Boards and member of audit and risk committee of several companies. Provides risk advisory services to Vantage Mezzanine Fund. Member of SAICA and IOD.

Non-executive directors

Rod Humphris

Age: 59
Qualifications: BSc Chem Eng; BCom
Title: Non-executive chairman
Date appointed to board: 11 March 1999
Board committee memberships: Social, ethics and risk committee, Remuneration committee
Significant directorships: Chairman of Chemical and Allied Industries' Association (CAIA)

Experience: After gaining experience in gold, uranium, flotation and sulphuric acid at Anglo-American's President Brand and Ergo mines, joined Omnia as project engineer in 1982. After occupying various positions within Omnia Group, appointed managing director of Omnia Fertilizer in 1995 and group managing director of Omnia Holdings Limited in 1999. Past president of Fertilizer Society of South Africa. Appointed to non-executive chairman of the Group on 1 June 2017.

Dr Willem (Willie) Marais

Age: 59
Qualifications: BCom; MBA; DBA (UP); Professional Valuer
Designation: Non-executive director
Date appointed to board: 15 February 2007
Board committee membership: None
Significant directorships: Institute of Estate Agents of SA

Experience: Business involvement in property and agriculture sectors. Past president of Institute of Estate Agents of SA, and former member of executive committee of International Consortium of Real Estate Associations.

Helgaard Marais

Age: 57
Qualifications: BAdmin (UP)
Designation: Alternate to Dr WT Marais
Date appointed to board: 3 December 2010
Board committee membership: None
Significant directorships: Overberg Agri Limited

Experience: Serves on Boards of various unlisted companies in agricultural sector in capacity of non-executive director and member of audit and risk, as well as remuneration and nominations committees.

Executive directors and company secretary

Adriaan De Lange

Age: 41
Qualifications: BCom; BAcc; Chartered Accountant (SA)
Designation: Group managing director
Date appointed to board: 1 June 2017
Board committee memberships: Social, ethics and risk committee
Significant directorships: Chairman of the Fertilizer Association of Southern Africa (FERTASA)

Experience: Joined the Group in 2003 as financial controller for BME and was promoted to Financial Manager, where he played an important part in developing and implementing the mining division’s business strategy. In 2007 he was transferred to Omnia Fertilizer as Financial Manager and was soon thereafter promoted to Financial Director of Omnia Fertilizer. He thereafter held various positions in Omnia Fertilizer, including the position of Director: Supply Chain, before he was appointed as Managing Director of Omnia Fertilizer: RSA in 2012.

Wayne Koonin

Age: 45
Qualifications: B.Com; B.Acc; Chartered Accountant (SA)
Title: Group finance director
Date appointed to board: 1 August 2014
Significant directorships: None

Experience: Over the past 17 years Wayne has operated at board level as group financial director or chief financial officer gaining extensive international experience working for various international mining companies with listings on the ASX, TSX, LSE, AIM, JSE and NASDAQ exchanges. This provided him with exposure to various international regulatory issues, reporting standards and transactions and to develop a portfolio of experience covering information technology, legal, corporate finance and strategy.

Celeste Appollis

Age: 43
Qualifications: BA LLB; HDip Co Law
Title: Group company secretary, head of legal and BBBEE/EE officer
Date appointed as group company secretary: 1 December 2007
Significant directorships: None

Experience: Admitted as attorney in 1998 and practised as legal professional. Joined Department of Public Enterprises in 2001, ultimately holding position of chief director: shareholder management. Joined Omnia as legal adviser in 2004. Promoted to group company secretary in 2007 and to head of legal in 2010.

Board composition

Board composition [graph]

(Omnia Holdings Limited has a unitary board structure, comprising a majority of non-executive directors independent of management.)