Agbiz has acknowledged the retirement of its chairperson, Sean Walsh, from his role as chief executive of KAL Group Limited after nearly 15 years at the helm, while confirming that he will continue to serve as Agbiz chairperson until the organisation’s congress in June.
Walsh, who was appointed CEO of KAL Group in 2011, is credited with guiding the company through a period of expansion and structural transformation. His career spans senior roles in operations, logistics, manufacturing, retail and agribusiness, including executive positions at SA Breweries, Sefalana Holdings Company Ltd, Derek Brink Holdings, SBV Services and GWK Ltd. He holds an Honours B.Econ degree in Transport Economics from Stellenbosch University.
Beyond his corporate responsibilities, Walsh has played a longstanding role within Agbiz, serving both as chairperson and as a member of the organisation’s steering committee for more than a decade. Agbiz said his leadership has contributed to shaping the association’s strategic direction within South Africa’s agricultural value chain.
Theo Boshoff, chief executive of Agbiz, said Walsh’s influence on the organisation and the broader sector had been significant. “Sean’s contribution to Agbiz and the broader agribusiness sector has been immense. It has been my immense pleasure to work under Sean’s guidance as the Chairman over the past two years but his leadership at Agbiz extended far beyond that, having served on the Steering Committee the past decade. His steady and thoughtful leadership has helped to shape Agbiz’s strategic direction as an important and effective industry association for the agricultural value chain,” Boshoff said.
Boshoff added that Walsh’s decision to remain in his role until the June congress would provide continuity as the organisation prepares for a leadership transition. “We are grateful that Sean will remain actively involved in Agbiz in the coming months until our new Steerco will be elected at Congress in June,” he said.
Agbiz expressed appreciation for Walsh’s years of service, noting that his impact extends across the organisations he has led and the wider agribusiness sector. The association said further details regarding its future leadership structure would be communicated after the upcoming congress.