Board of Directors

Mike was appointed chairman of the board on 1 March 2019. He is an independent non-executive director of AVI, MTN South Africa and EOH Holdings, and serves on the audit and risk committees of these companies. He is non-executive chairman of Vinimark, the largest independent wine distribution company in South Africa. Mike has a background in corporate and project finance, served as CEO of communications groups FCB and TBWA as well as CEO and later chairman of One Digital Media.

Shirley is an acclaimed human resources practitioner who has held senior positions in the corporate and public sectors. She holds a doctorate from Harvard University and was formerly the head of human resources at Woolworths Holdings, Standard Bank South Africa, Nedbank Group and the South African Revenue Service. She currently provides consulting and advisory services in human resources, transformation, leadership and education. She is an adjunct professor at the University of Cape Town’s Faculty of Economics and Management Studies. Shirley serves on the boards of Sanlam, MTN South Africa, Afrocentric and AdvTech.

Cora is a chartered accountant with extensive board experience. She is a non-executive director of Tiger Brands, Capitec Bank, Mercantile Bank and Sphere Holdings, and serves as an independent trustee on retirement funds in the Allan Gray stable. She serves on the investment committees of 27Four Black Business Growth Fund and the National Empowerment Fund. Cora previously served as managing director of Sanlam Investment Management and CEO of Sanlam Private Equity.

André spent most of his career with the SAB/SAB Miller group and was managing director of SAB Miller’s Africa and Asia portfolio for 10 years. He is currently a non-executive director of Standard Bank, Distell (lead independent director) and Carozzi SARL, a leading food company in Chile. He previously served as chairman of Tiger Brands and Remgro’s TSB, and on the boards of SAB plc, SAB Ltd and AECI.

Jesmane is a chartered accountant with private equity, high technology and entrepreneurial experience. She was formerly head of business engagement for Africa for the World Economic Forum, based in Switzerland, and currently serves on the boards of EOH Holdings and Murray & Roberts. She is chairperson of Dubai-based ETG Inputs Holdco and fintech company Sybrin, and is a director and investor of AWCA Investment Holdings. Jesmane was nominated as a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum in 2013.

Lerato is a non-executive director of the SA Reserve Bank and deputy chair of telecommunications company, the Adrian Group, in Kenya. She was formerly CEO of General Electric South Africa, executive vice president of Lonmin plc and held senior positions in corporate communications, public affairs and corporate social investment, and worked in the Departments of Labour and Transport, Old Mutual and Sanlam.

Sandile is a non-executive director of the SA Post Office and previously served as a board member of the SA Institute of Chartered Accountants. His business experience is mainly in the areas of structured funding and leveraged finance in business banking at First National Bank, private banking at Investec and financial management at British American Tobacco and Peninsula Beverages.

Val Nichas (58) has been appointed as an executive director and group Chief Executive Officer of Spur Corporation with effect from 1 January 2021.

Val is a highly experienced strategist who has extensive experience in the restaurant sector.

Val joined Famous Brands in 1999 as Marketing Director of Debonairs Pizza and later served as Managing Executive of Wimpy (then 506 restaurants) and Steers (then 492 restaurants) before her appointment as Head of QSR Brands. Val has run her own consulting business for the past eight years, specialising in business strategy and planning. Her consulting clients have included corporations in various industries as well as clients in the restaurant and food sectors.

Cristina Teixeira (47) has been appointed as group Chief Financial Officer and as an executive director with effect from 1 February 2021.

Cristina has over 20 years experience in financial management with the last 13 years’ as Chief Financial Officer of JSE listed entities with operations in multiple countries in Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. She has extensive experience in finance, risk, governance, stakeholder management and business restructuring. Cristina has led finance teams that have been consistently recognised in the Investment Analysts Society annual awards for reporting and disclosure, and in the Institute of Chartered Secretaries/JSE reporting awards.

Cristina was voted Businesswoman of the Year (corporate category) by the Businesswomen’s Association of SA in 2013.

Kevin has been with the group for 29 years. He was appointed as managing director of Panarottis Pizza Pasta in 1999 and managed the group’s operations in the UK from 2008 until 2011 when he was appointed as the national franchise executive. Kevin was appointed chief operating officer of Spur Steak Ranches in 2018. He was appointed as group chief operations officer with effect from 15 October 2020.

Sacha has 20 years’ experience in marketing management and joined the group in 2007 after seven years at Distell. He has served in senior marketing roles within the group, including head of marketing for Spur Steak Ranches and Panarottis Pizza Pasta, group marketing executive and as chief marketing officer since 2019.