Jakkie Olivier, the Chief Executive Officer of the Retail Motor Industry Organisation (RMI), stepped down at the end of 2023 after serving the industry for 30 years and holding the position of CEO for the past decade.
Olivier will continue as a Non-Executive Director on the RMI Board, and I am sure you will join me in applauding Jakkie for his enormous contribution to the RMI and the industry at large. He is leaving the RMI in a strong, powerful position, perfectly poised to once again tilt and evolve with the dynamic market changes.
We are excited to announce that our strategy to introduce a Co-CEO leadership structure in 2024 is complete. The two newly established executive positions will hold equal stature and accountability.
Effective 1 January 2024, Ipeleng Mabusela, took up the role of CEO: Strategy and Corporate Support and Jan Schoeman took up the role of CEO: Operations & Regulatory Compliance.
Mabusela, who holds a BSc in Mechanical Engineering and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of the Witwatersrand, has over 10 years of experience in strategy, operations, and new business development. Most recently, he was the Head of Operations and Strategy at the Automotive Industry Transformation Fund (AITF), a fund that supports the transformation of the automotive industry in South Africa. He is a strategic thinker with excellent communication, leadership, operational, investment and negotiation skills. He is passionate about creating impact and solving challenges in the automotive industry.
Mabusela will work closely with Jan Schoeman, CEO: Operations and Regulatory Compliance. Schoeman has a remarkable 25-year journey of dedicated service and unparalleled expertise within the RMI and recently held the position of Chief Operations Officer.
Schoeman holds a graduate qualification from Stellenbosch University in industrial psychology and public administration, a post graduate qualification in labour law and labour economics at the Rand Afrikaans University, and macroeconomics at the International Training Centre of the ILO in Turin. He is a skilled negotiator and operations specialist. His appointment as Co-CEO guarantees the retention of invaluable institutional knowledge. Under his leadership, the portfolio of Operations will remain robust and effective, supplemented by the challenging terrain of regulatory compliance, which is paramount in our industry.
We are confident that this pioneering approach will yield long-term benefits for the RMI and that the structure will strengthen the RMI, guaranteeing sustainability and stability.
Jeánne Esterhuizen, President Retail Motor Industry Organisation
