ZAMBEEF Products has appointed Faith Mukutu as its new Chief Executive Officer, with effect from July 1, 2022.

According to a statement issued by the company yesterday, Mukutu, 41, becomes the first Zambian CEO in the 28-year history of Zambeef, and replaces Walter Roodt, who would remain on the Zambeef Board.

“Zambeef Products has appointed Faith Mukutu as its new Chief Executive Officer with effect from July 1, 2022. Ms Mukutu (41) takes the top position, as Zambia’s favourite integrated food producer and retailer enters a period of expansion that aims to support national and regional food security. She becomes the first Zambian CEO in the 28-year history of Zambeef, which is listed on the Lusaka Securities Exchange and the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) of the London Stock Exchange. Ms Mukutu replaces Walter Roodt, who will remain on the Zambeef Board in a strategic role overseeing the company’s US$100 million expansion plans that will see cropping at its Mpongwe farms double and a resulting knock-on effect on efficiency and production throughout its value chain,” the statement read.

“An accountant by training, Ms Mukutu joined Zambeef in 2019 as Chief Financial Officer, having previously been Finance Director of three listed entities: Zambian Breweries Plc, National Breweries Plc. and Zambia Sugar Plc. The Appointment of a new Chief Financial Officer will be announced in due course.”

And Mukutu said she was immensely proud that the board had given her an opportunity to take the company to the next level.

“Zambeef is a home-grown world-class company that has set a new standard in food production and retailing, creating thousands of jobs and supporting our farmers throughout the country. I am thus immensely proud that the board has given me this opportunity to take the company to the next level. It is a role I will approach with dedication and a sense of duty to build on the legacy of one of the nation’s flagship companies,” said Mukutu.

Meanwhile, Board Chairman Michael Mundashi said the Board was confident that Mukutu’s combination of financial aptitude, operational skill, strategic flair and capital markets experience was fundamental to delivering the strategic imperatives the company had embarked on.