Printing SA has announced Simon Downes as the next president of its Board. Printing SA is honoured to have such an accomplished scholar, entrepreneur and social activist to head up its board, and to have someone who will take the organisation to new heights under his leadership.
Printing SA wishes him well in his tenure, and also thanks Leal Wright for his over four years of dedicated and selfless support to the organisation to date.
Downes obtained a BCom and a Diploma in Accounting at Natal University, and qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Pim Goldby (now Deloitte). In 1983, he also completed the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants Final Exams, and is a Fellow of the Institute. In 1984 he completed a Master of Business Administration degree at Cape Town University, and was awarded the Old Mutual gold medal and the Nedbank study grant as the top student.
In 1985, he joined Shave & Gibson Group (Pty) Ltd as Financial Manager and then as Financial Director. He bought out the other shareholders in 2005, and has owned the company since then. The company manufactures board packaging such as food, wine, cereal and fast food boxes. In addition, they have a security printing division which manufactures high value documents such as visas, gift vouchers, census forms, ballot papers and those cheques still required in Africa.
Recently the company invested in a paper bags business which is in a significant growth stage. The company employs around 600 people, based mainly at their factories in Mobeni and Hammarsdale.
He was an independent non-executive director of ARB Holdings, a distributor of electric cable, accessories and Eurolux lighting since its listing on the JSE in 2007 until its delisting in 2022. During that time, he chaired the company’s Remuneration, Audit, Risk and Social and Ethics committees.
He is the immediate past chairman of Clifton School and has served on its Boards of Directors and Trustees for the past 23 years. He was the settlor and remain chair of the Clifton School Foundation Trust. He is also the past chair of Centenary Homes and the settlor and chair of the Centenary Homes Investment Trust, public benefit organisations which provide accommodation and board for social pensioners who rely solely on government grants.
He also serves as the chairman and settlor of The Maple Educational Trust and of the Shave & Gibson Foundation Trust. He was recently appointed as a trustee of the Victor Daitz Foundation.
PRINTING SA
+27 11 287 1160
info@printingsa.org
http://www.printingsa.org
