Tongaat Hulett appoints Gavin Dalgleish as CEO to support final phase of business rescue

Tongaat Hulett has appointed Gavin Dalgleish as CEO from June 1, 2025, an appointment the sugar group says is a significant step in the final implementation of its business rescue plan.

The group said on Tuesday that his appointment sets the stage for "a seamless transition of the business, assets, and people to Vision, the consortium acquiring the group."

Dalgleish was appointed by the business rescue practitioners (BRPs) to the company’s management team (not as a director) to assist in executing the business rescue plan. His leadership will be critical in facilitating the complex transaction and ensuring continuity and stability as the group moves into its next chapter, the BRP's said.

They said that Dalgleish brings deep sector experience and a proven leadership record in the sugar industry, with particular strengths in the stabilisation, turnaround, and strategic diversification of sugar businesses.

He was appointed as group CEO of the Vision Group in April 2025 and will resume that role once the asset transaction, which entails the sale of Tongaat’s business and assets as a going concern, in a consolidated group transaction, to Vision is concluded.

The BRPs mentioned that the implementation of the business rescue plan is progressing well. Vision has settled all outstanding obligations to the lender group, which mainly comprises local banks, as of May 9, 2025, and the asset transfer transaction is expected to finalise soon.

“This development underscores Tongaat Hulett’s progress toward financial and operational recovery under the Vision-led restructuring process,” the BRPs said.

They added that the leadership transition, together with the steady implementation of the business rescue plan, reinforces their commitment to securing Tongaat Hulett’s long-term survival.

“The process is not only about restructuring a business, but also about preserving thousands of jobs, sustaining the livelihoods of farming communities, and protecting a company that remains a vital contributor to regional economies across Southern Africa,” the BRPs said.

Rob Aitken, who acted as interim CEO, will resume his role as Tongaat’s chief financial officer and remain an executive director of the company. Gary Baranov, acting chief financial officer, will return to his role as Group Finance Executive and will also remain an executive director of the group.

In February, the board appointed Johann van Rooyen as an executive director. He had been a member of the Tongaat Hulett executive committee since January 1, 2020, and was appointed as Interim Chief Business Transformation and Governance Officer on March 1, 2024, continuing to support the BRP's.

Baranov, who had been head of Tongaat Hulett’s group finance since October 2021 and acting chief financial officer since March 1, 2024, was also appointed to the board on that date.

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