Leadership

Kuben joined the Group in 2006 and worked in the B-BBEE arm as Managing Director and Shareholder of Kapele Freight. In 2011, he was appointed as the Group Managing Director incorporating Kapele Freight and operations in Africa. In 2021, Kuben was appointed the CEO of Africa and Middle East. Prior to his employment in Röhlig-Grindrod, Kuben worked for Kuehne + Nagel for 16 years, leaving in 2006 as the head of Ocean Freight in South Africa. He is currently a director of companies and trustee in non-profit organisations.

Riona Mangalparsad is a distinguished finance executive with over 15 years of experience shaping financial strategy and leading transformation across multinational organisations. She began her career at PwC, qualifying as a Chartered Accountant in 2011, and later spent a decade in senior finance roles at Murray & Roberts' mining division, navigating complex, performance-driven environments. Appointed Chief Financial Officer in October 2023, she leads the Group's financial strategy with a focus on agility, governance, and long-term value creation. Riona is widely recognised for redefining the role of finance as a strategic partner that drives growth, innovation, and operational excellence, and she is shaping a resilient, future-ready finance function for the organisation.

CJ Naidoo's career began in engineering and evolved into a dynamic role at the intersection of digital innovation, AI, and executive leadership. As Chief Digital and Information Officer, he is passionate about blending strategic thinking, emerging technologies, and people-centric leadership to drive digital evolution. He holds a Master's in Computer Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology, specialising in Artificial Intelligence, an Honours-level management qualification from GIBS, and a BSc in Electronic Engineering from UKZN. His experience includes transformative roles in financial services, logistics, insurance, and technology, from developing telematics systems for InsureTech to co-founding a data-driven start-up.

Sifiso Gasa is the Chief Human Resources Officer at Röhlig-Grindrod, bringing over 20 years of HR experience across manufacturing, private security, and logistics. He first joined the organisation as an HR Officer in 2010, building a deep understanding of the company throughout his career trajectory. He holds a National Diploma in Human Resource Management, a BTech degree in HRM, and a BCom Honours degree from the University of Johannesburg, complemented by an MBA from Wits University.

With over 37 years in the logistics industry, Beverley-Ann Stephens has built her career on an unwavering commitment to customer service excellence and operational performance. Her expertise spans commercial logistics, international freight forwarding, customs clearing, contract logistics, and distribution, with a particular focus on complex cross-trade routes into Africa across air, sea, and road transport. Her early career provided 15 years of experience on the client side within the mining and glass manufacturing sectors, giving her a deep understanding of customer perspectives. For the past 22 years in the freight forwarding sector, she has concentrated on commercial strategy, customer retention, and solution-driven sales, building strong client relationships based on trust and tailored solutions. In her current role, she leads strategic customer engagement, manages tender processes, and champions the delivery of impactful, client-focused logistics solutions. She is passionate about cultivating a culture of service excellence, continuous improvement, and innovation.

Rajen Chetty write up: Rajen Chetty is a seasoned logistics executive with over 35 years logistics experience. He began his career at DB Schenker where he spent five years. He later spent 16 years at Kuehne + Nagel where he successful led a highly profitable airfreight division for more than a decade. He joined Rohlig-Grindrod in 2012 and successful led both the Durban airfreight division for nearly 6 years and the Durban Sea freight division for more than 8 years. Rajen now serves as Director Sea freight and is recognized for his strong commercial leadership, ability to build high performance teams and consistent delivery of profitable growth.

Valene joined the Group in May 2022 as Chief Financial Officer and currently serves as Director: Strategic Projects, Contract Logistics and Transport. She is a distinguished Chartered Accountant with over 15 years of financial leadership in the logistics industry, she brings a strong track record of driving strategic transformation, operational efficiency, and sustainable growth across global enterprises. Her career spans senior finance roles within leading multinational logistics companies, where she has successfully led complex budgeting frameworks, optimized cost structures, and supported scalable business expansion. Valene’s deep expertise in global trade, regulatory compliance, and performance analytics has consistently enabled the alignment of financial strategy with overarching business objectives. With core competencies in mergers and acquisitions, enterprise risk management, and digital finance transformation, Valene delivers measurable impact in fast-paced, high risk environments. As a trusted advisor to executive leadership, she combines financial precision with strategic insight to facilitate data-driven decision-making and long-term value creation.

Arjun Menon leads the group's national airfreight division, bringing over 20 years of experience in product knowledge, negotiations, customer service, and engineering solutions. He holds a BBA from the University of Western Michigan and began his logistics career in the UAE. His background includes various management roles at Manica SA and CEVA Logistics. Arjun joined the group in 2022 to head R-G Fresh, the perishables service offering, and previously served as branch manager for the Cape Town airfreight branch before assuming his current national role.

Carmen Mertens brings over 22 years of logistics experience to her role as National Sales Manager, where she strategically heads the Growth Movement and focuses on developing new accounts. Previously, she held the positions of Johannesburg Airfreight and National Airfreight Product Manager at Röhlig-Grindrod, overseeing operations, financial performance, and strategic development. Her career includes key roles at companies such as UTi, Shanghai Sinotrans, CMA CGM Logistics, and Santova Logistics, building expertise in operations, client relations, pricing negotiations, and sales. She holds a BCom in Industrial Psychology, has completed numerous industry training programs, and is an alumna of Röhlig's Blue Step and Blue Arena global leadership programs. Fluent in English, German, and Afrikaans, she is known for her dynamic approach, strong problem-solving, and commitment to developing both people and processes.