- Non-Executive Directors
- AVI Executive Team
- Operational Management
Mike has over 35 years’ business experience in both SA & global markets. He served as CEO of RDI REIT PLC, a dual-listed property investment company (LSE/JSE) from 2006 until his retirement in 2020. He has held managerial roles in Corporate Finance Division of Standard Corporate & Merchant Bank; Nels-Bliss Dairy Group, Pegasus III (Anglo American Property Services' subsidiary) & the Corovest Property Group. He has also held numerous non-executive directorships of listed companies in SA, UK & Australia. Mike was appointed to the AVI Board on 1 June 2023, & was appointed Chairman of the board on 1 July 2023.
Michael John Watters
Age: 64
Qualifications:
Bachelor of Science (Civil Engineering) (University of Witwatersrand), Graduate Diploma (Project and Financial Management) (University of Witwatersrand), MBA (University of Cape Town)
Directorships:
AVI Limited, Afine Investment Limited
Abe was the Group Executive: Human Resources, Nedbank Group Limited until recently. Previously he was Executive Head: Human Resources, Anglo Platinum Limited and Executive Director: Human Resources, Iscor Limited. In addition, Abe has held Senior Human Resources and business-related positions in various South Africa companies, i.e. General Electric SA Proprietary Limited, Gemini Consulting, etc. Abe was appointed to the AVI Board on 3 December 2010.
Abe M Thebyane
Age: 63
Qualifications:
BAdmin (University of the North); Postgraduate Diploma in HR Management (Wits Business School); Diploma in Company Direction (Graduate Institute of Management and Technology); MBA (De Montfort University, UK) and MSc in Banking Practice and Management from Ifs University College (UK).
Directorships:
AVI Limited, Reagile IHS Proprietary Ltd
Maserame was a Group Executive Director at Old Mutual Limited, where she led the company’s marketing, public affairs, and sustainability function across 13 markets in Sub Sahara Africa. Prior to joining Old Mutual Limited, she worked for Coca-Cola Africa, Unilever, and Kellogg’s. Maserame was appointed to the AVI Board on 1 August 2023.
Maserame Mouyeme
Age: 57
Qualifications:
Bachelor of Social Sciences and Graduate Diploma (University of Cape Town), MBA (University of West London), Executive Leadership Development Program (Harvard University)
Directorships:
AVI Limited, Nahana Communications Group (Pty) Ltd.
Steve joined PA Becker & Company in 1981 as a trainee Chartered Accountant and was admitted to the partnership in 1991. After the PA Becker merger with KPMG in 1992, he became an audit partner in the Industrial, Automotive, and Pharmaceutical business unit. Steve was the audit partner on several high profile clients and acted as the engagement quality review partner on a number of large listed companies. Steve has 30 years of experience as an audit partner. Steve was appointed to the AVI Board on 1 March 2023.
Steve Robinson
Age: 63
Qualifications:
Bachelor of Accounting Science (Hons) (UNISA), Higher Diploma in Computer Audit (University of Witwatersrand), CA (SA)
Directorships:
AVI Limited, Rodl & Partner (Pty) Ltd.
Alex completed her articles at PwC in 2003. She joined the PwC partnership in 2010 until February 2019. Since 2014, Alex was responsible for heading up the Governance, Risk and Internal Audit practice in the Financial Services Assurance division at PwC. Alex was appointed to the AVI Board on 1 July 2019.
Alexandra Muller
Age: 46
Qualifications:
BAcc, BAcc Honours (Unisa), CA(SA)
Directorships:
AVI Limited
Simon was a co-founder of Otterbea International (Pty) Ltd, an international trading business based in South Africa. He was appointed managing director of Consol Limited in 1997 and oversaw the successful turnaround of that company. He joined the AVI Board in 1999, was appointed business development director in 2002 and Chief Executive Officer in October 2005.
Simon L Crutchley
Age: 60
Qualifications:
BBusSci (UCT)
Directorships:
AVI Limited
Michael joined AVI in 2002 as business development analyst and was appointed to the role of business development executive in January 2011. Prior to joining AVI Michael held the position of associate at New York headquartered financial management consultancy Stern Stewart and Co., working in its Johannesburg office from 1999 to 2002. Michael was appointed to the AVI Board on 9 September 2013.
Michael Koursaris
Age: 46
Qualifications:
BCom Finance (Hons), HDip Com Law (Wits), MBA (Columbia), CFA
Directorships:
AVI Limited
Justin is a qualified Chartered Accountant. He completed his articles at KPMG in 2003 whereafter he was employed as Audit Manager and Senior Audit Manager. Justin joined the AVI Group in 2009 as the NBL Finance Executive, subsequently being promoted to: AVI Group Financial Manager (2010), Snackworks Financial Director (2015), and NBL Financial Director (2017). Justin was appointed to the AVI board as Chief Financial Officer in January 2022.
Justin O’Meara
Age: 45
Qualifications:
BCom Acc (UJ), BCom Acc Hons (UJ), CA(SA)
Directorships:
AVI Limited
After being admitted as an attorney in 1995, Vivien spent 5 years in general legal practice before moving into the corporate legal environment with companies in the chemical and hospitality industry. She joined AVI in 2005 with the Real Beverage Company and moved to AVI head office as Legal Advisor in 2007. She was appointed to the position of Group Legal Executive in 2013.
Vivien Crystal
Age: 63
Qualifications:
B.Proc (Unisa)
Catherine spent 10 years in advertising and communications in the United Kingdom where she was a Board Account Director of Leo Burnett London until 1998. On her return to South Africa she consulted to, amongst others, Consol Limited, and from 2000 has held various positions in the AVI group. She was appointed Group Marketing Executive in 2008.
Catherine Makin
Age: 59
Qualifications:
BBusSci (UCT)
Gaynor who joined the Group after completing her articles with KPMG in 1993, has intermittently had 19 years’ experience within the Group, most recently as the Finance Director of Snackworks, She has had extensive financial exposure to the IT , FMCG and Customer Services spheres of the business over this period, having worked in the Tea, Coffee, Creamer, Oil , Salt business culminating in her appointment as Managing Director of Snackworks in 2012 and Entyce in 2016.
Gaynor Poretti
Age: 54
Qualifications:
B Com (Wits), B Compt Hons ( Unisa), CA (SA)
Prior to joining AVI, Roelf spend 20 years at Barloworld, initially at Barloworld Equipment and later at Barloworld Handling. Starting as an accountant, Roelf progressed during his time there to hold various positions in a number of divisions. In March 2016, Roelf joined AVI as the Director of Financial Shared Services.
Roelf van der Laan
Age: 56
Qualifications:
CA(SA)
Soon after qualifying as a chartered accountant, Jonty spent thirteen years in the UK, gaining professional and leadership experience in a number of organisations, including British Airways, T-Mobile and Cable and Wireless. In 2008, Jonty returned to South Africa with his family, where as CFO of Supergroup, he led their recapitalisation before joining AVI at Irvin and Johnson as the finance director. Jonty was appointed managing director in June 2013.
John Jankovich-Besan
Age: 55
Qualifications:
CA(SA)
Roger joined AVI in 2000 and has been in various senior management positions running Willard’s, Real Beverage Company and Denny Mushrooms. In 2011, Roger left AVI to continue running Denny under RMB and Libstar. In 2017, Roger returned to AVI and after managing the closure and restructure of the Green Cross operations, he has now taken on the management of the International Division.
Roger Coppin
Age: 63
Qualifications:
Matric
Eugene joined AVI in May of 2015, as the Infrastructure Services Executive for the AVI Group. Eugene is an established IT practitioner with extensive experience in Manufacturing, Retail, Avionics and Mining. Most of his working career was gained at Business Connexion and UCS Solutions, where he held the position of Infrastructure Executive: Strategy, Technical Application Development and Support Services. Eugene was appointed as the Executive for ITSS in August 2016 to head up group IT service.
Eugene van der Merwe
Age: 46
Qualifications:
BMSc