The management of leading cement manufacturing company, Dangote Cement, has announced the appointment of Onne Van der Weijde as the new Managing Director for the company. A statement by Dangote Group made available to News Express this morning described the appointment as part of strategies aimed at consolidating on Dangote Cement’s successes.

“In his role, he will report to the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Dangote Cement,” the statement said. It explained that the appointment is in furtherance of the implementation of strategies put in place to drive Dangote Cement’s operational efficiency, support its ambitious growth strategies and delivering shareholder value.

“Van der Weijde, who joined with a wealth of experience working as the Managing Director of Ambuja Cement India, will ensure strategic, operational and brand synergies are maintained, whilst underlining renewed management focus on all customer segments,” the statement said.

“He efficiently worked to improve the profit and consolidation of the business. He was also responsible for the acquisition, growth in marketing and sales of Ambuja Cement,” it added.

According to the statement, as a Director and Business Planning Manager in Holcim (Australia), Van der Weijde developed a business presence in the South East Region of Asia through Joint Ventures and Acquisitions, providing support in the management of existing operations in the Region.

“In addition to his role as a manager, he was also the Chief Operating Officer Of ACC Ltd (India) and a member of the Senior Management Team of Holcim Ltd. A man of determination, he became the Chief Financial Officer in Holcim (Indonesia).

“He was responsible for Treasury, Reporting, Business Planning, Accounts, and Procurements amongst other responsibilities.

“Van der Weijde represented Holcim Ltd in Switzerland as the Senior Vice President, having the line responsibility for the Group of Companies. He managed the International Tax, Audit, Marketing and I.T functions of Holcim (Asia).

“Earlier on, he worked as the Accounting Manager of Equity Trust Bank Netherland, where he acquired new international clients, managing their investment portfolio, while fulfilling the necessary legal and financial obligations for the clients with special focus on mergers and acquisitions. He also managed a portfolio of wealthy private clients in Robecco Group Netherlands as the Accounting Manager.

“Weijde holds an MBA from the University of Bradford, UK and BSc in Economics and Accounting in the Netherlands. He is multilingual in English, Dutch and German.”

•Photo shows Dangote Cement’s new CEO, Van der Weijde.

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