After a 37 year association with Grindrod, Ivan Clark, chairman of the board, retired at the recent company AGM. He had recently turned 70.
On his watch as CEO of the group in 2005 and 2006, Grindrod was the top listed company in South Africa and the top shipping company in the world. Alan Olivier, CEO of Grindrod, said at the AGM: “Thank you for the tremendous contribution to the group, for your support and the important lessons you have taught us along the way.” Proudly South African and from a humble background, Ivan was born in Durban in 1943 into the well-known Clark family who were resident in Glenwood. He attended Glenwood Junior Primary, Parkview Senior Primary and matriculated at Glenwood High School, playing first team cricket and rugby. He recently sponsored a sports pavilion at the school. Ivan attended the University of Natal and qualified as a chartered accountant. He joined the Grindrod Group in 1977 and rose through the ranks to CEO, a position he held from 1999 to 2006, when he was appointed deputy chairman and subsequently chairman when Murray Grindrod retired after 50 years with the group. Ivan, with the support of the chairman and a strong board of directors, guided the group from a reported loss of R66 million in 1999, to the number one listed company in South Africa and to the Marine Money International top listed shipping company in the world, for 2005 and 2006. Grindrod, one of the largest companies in Durban, was also the Financial Mail’s top company for 2005, 2006 and 2007, and the top KZN company in 2005. Grindrod celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2010.Ivan is a past winner of the British Airways/Natal Mercury KwaZulu-Natal Businessman of the Year, Past President of the South African Shipowners Association and the South African Chapter of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers; in 2006 he was a finalist for the South African Entrepreneur of the Year.
During global prosperity and strong shipping markets, Ivan and his executive team made strategic decisions which positioned the group well for future growth. Asked about his recipe for success, Ivan responded, “I have a simple recipe: hard work, perseverance and a bit of luck.” His colleagues and associates will tell you that his management style is open and direct with no bureaucracy. He is a people person and is held in high regard by employees, partners, customers and suppliers. He is a self-motivator and dislikes people who talk around the point and don’t get on with realising that life is real. Ivan’s parting message to the group was: “As chairman of Grindrod, I was fortunate to see the business diversify, survive a global economic recession and negative world shipping markets and become the substantial business it is today. I am eternally grateful for having had the privilege of being part of this dynamic organisation.” The Board has elected Mr Mike Hankinson to succeed Mr Ivan Clark as new Chairman after the AGM, effective 30 May 2014. Hankinson has been serving on the Grindrod board since December 2009 and was a member of the Audit Committee, and is Chairman of both the Remuneration and Nomination and the Social and Ethics committees. Hankinson also serves as chairman on the boards of the Spar Group Limited and Brandcorp Holdings (Proprietary) Limited and as a non-executive director of Illovo Sugar Limited. Former appointments include those of CEO of Dunlop and Romatex Limited.
