The Board is co-chaired by a retailer and a manufacturer, both from the FMCG industry, on a rotational basis for two years. Retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers (local and multinational) as well as service providers, logistics providers, the packaging industry and GS1 South Africa are represented on the Board.

Grant Pattison (Chairman) is CEO of Massmart Holdings, which comprises nine wholesale and retail chains, in 14 countries in sub-Saharan Africa through four divisions comprising 256 stores. An electrical engineer by profession, Grant, joined Massmart as Executive Assistant to the Executive Chairman in 1998. He has since then grew through the ranks, holding different management positions within the company, until he became CEO in 2007.

Gail Klintworth (Chairman) is chairperson of Unilever SA, having joined Unilever as an industrial relations graduate from Wits University. She has over the years become instrumental in building the company’s brands as well as relationships with consumers. With over 400 brands spanning 14 categories of home, personal care and foods products, the company employs 179 000 people in 100 countries worldwide. Before taking her current position at Unilever, Gail was the company’s global brands director in London, creating global campaigns in at least 30 countries.

Nick Badminton has been with Pick’n Pay’s for over 30 years since joining the company as a Trainee Manager in the Western Cape Region in 1979. With several awards to his name, Nick took over as CEO of the Pick ‘n Pay Group in 2007 after he had been Managing Director of the company’s retail arm since 2001. The JSE-listed group, which started from humble beginnings with four small stores, is now one of Africa’s largest retailers of food, clothing and general merchandise.

Wayne Hook. A chartered accountant, Wayne Hook became CEO of the Spar Group in 2006, having served in financial, IT and logistics management positions within the group since 1984. Before taking on the role, he was Managing Director of the group’s KwaZulu-Natal operations. Listed on the JSE, the SPAR group currently operates six distribution centres and supplies goods and services to almost 800 stores in South Africa.

Doug Smollan. Chairman of Smollan Holdings, Doug Smollan joined his father’s business in 1968 as a salesman. He matriculated at King Edward School, obtained his B Com degree from Wits University and MBL from University of South Africa. Doug started Business Against Crime (BAC) in 1997 and has also been instrumental in the CGCSA’s Crime Prevention Programme The Smollans Holdings is a diversified marketing services company, focused on providing visibility, mobility and intelligence for a vast spectrum of brands. It employs 12 000 people in South Africa, Zimbabwe and China.

Sullivan O’Carroll became Chairman and Managing Director of Nestlé South Africa, one of the world's largest food manufacturers, in 2009. A University of South Africa graduate, O’Carroll has over decades built his career within the Swiss-based group in various locations around the world. Apart from Switzerland, where he headed the group’s sugar confectionery business, O’Carroll also held senior positions in the company’s Polish and most recently in Malaysian operations.

Ronnie Herzfeld, is Chairman of GS1 South Africa and represents the organisation on the CGCSA Board. He has been a chairman. GS1 is a leading global organisation dedicated to the design and implementation of global standards and solutions to improve the efficiency and visibility of supply and demand chains globally and across sectors. The GS1 system of standards is the most widely used supply chain standards system in the world.

Mncane Mthunzi joined the CGCSA Board in June 2009 when he assumed the CEO role in the organisation. He has proved to be an astute leader and manager in various roles he has held, starting off at Accenture, where he spent about seven years. He was previously Senior Manager at PriceWaterhouseCoopers before becoming Strategic Consultant and later Sales Executive at Microsoft. Before joining CGCSA, Mncane was Managing Director of the Black Management Forum.

Grattan Kirk, JD Group CEO, has 13 years experience in the auditing and retail industry.  He was appointed CEO of Connection Group Holdings Ltd in 2003.  After JD Group acquired Connection Group Holdings Limited in 2005, Grattan served as Chief Executive of the Cash Division, encompassing HI-Fi Corporation and Incredible Connection as well as assuming responsibility of ABRA, the Group’s International brand in Poland.  In May 2007, he was appointed Chief Operating Officer of the Traditional and Cash Retail divisions.  He was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the JD Group in June 2008.

Eben Maré, currently holds the position of Group Financial Manager for the Massmart Holdings Group.  Eben joined Massmart Holdings in 2006 from the professional firm, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, where he had been an Assistant Manager, also serving his period of Articles there.  He completed his B.Com Accounting and Accounting Honours at RAU and is qualified as a Chartered Accountant (SA).  Eben further serves on various Massmart related Audit Committees and governance structures within the broader Group and associated entities.