South African wine industry body Vinpro has announced that Conrad Schutte has been appointed as the new CEO, to steer the group in a new direction.
The appointment, effective 1 June, ushered in a new era for the wine industry body representing close to 2 600 South African wine producers, cellars and stakeholders in the wine industry, Vinpro said.
Schutte, currently the manager of consultation services at Vinpro, takes over the reins from Rico Basson, who was recently appointed as the CEO of the newly-formed wine industry umbrella body, SA Wine.
Commenting on his appointment, Schutte said he is excited about the new challenge.
“I look forward to utilising my aspiration for people development, the crystallisation of strategic direction, my technical understanding of the industry, and my adequate international experience in my new role and for the benefit of Vinpro,” he said.
Refocus for Vinpro
Anton Smuts, Vinpro chairman, said they look forward to the new phase the group would enter next month. As far as he is concerned, Schutte, who has been part of the Vinpro family for the past 13 years and has a strong technical background, is the right captain to steer the ship.
“Conrad is the perfect person to manage the new direction the Vinpro group is taking to work collaboratively with SA Wine while refocusing on plant improvement, technical production and specialised services and the information needs of our wine producers. We wish him all the best in his new role,” Smuts said.
‘Right man for the job‘
Schutte obtained his Hons. BSc. (Agric) in viticulture in 2001 from Stellenbosch University. He then worked as a viticulturist at Michigan State University in the USA and Thelema Mountain Vineyards, after which he joined Vinpro as a regional consultant in 2010.
In 2017 he obtained his Master of Business Administration (MBA) cum laude from Stellenbosch University. He has been the manager of the consultation service department at Vinpro since 2019.
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