d'VineRipe®

d'VineRipe® appoints general manager

Leon Maree brings broad-based national and international management experience across multiple disciplines to his position as general manager of joint venture company and specialty truss tomato producer, d'VineRipe®.

His responsibilities encompass managing d'VineRipe's® growing and packing activities which include maximising the yield and quality of the crop and ensuring the product meets grading and packing specifications. His role includes managing Occupational Health and Safety and Quality systems, human resources, financial administration and engineering services.

Originally from South Africa, Mr Maree has more than 20 years' experience within the packaging manufacturing industry, specifically South African multi-national company, Nampak Limited, where he held several divisional management and human resource roles from 1984 to 2000.

His key achievements at Nampak (one of the world's most diverse packaging companies) included developing and implementing complex financial structures to ensure a steady and reliable cash flow from subsidiary and joint venture business within several African nations. He also successfully leveraged operational synergies between group companies to effectively reduce operating and working capital costs.

During his career at Nampak, Mr Maree spent periods as managing director of Spicers Paper, Blow Molders, Foodcan and Nampak Africa, having also served as a divisional director on the boards of other divisions and companies within the group - at one stage responsible for 10 subsidiary companies in several different African nations.

In 2000, Mr Maree relocated to Australia where he was employed as general manager of Visy Industries' The Packaging Company (TPC) in Smithfield, New South Wales.

He was then employed as general manager Centapak Pty Ltd, a division of Detmold Packaging Pty Ltd (2002-2003); held several management positions within Visy Industries' Specialties Division (2003-2007) and was general manager (finance and operations) at leading light fitting importer and distributor Euroluce Lighting Australia Pty Ltd (2007-2008).

Prior to joining d'VineRipe®, Mr Maree provided interim management services to a China-based furniture manufacturer where he had operational responsibility during a period of exceptional uncertainty due to the global economic crisis.

Mr Maree's vast experience includes managing multicultural workforces, managing primary packaging manufacture for two seasonal industries (canned pelagic fish and canned fruit), developing new business and overseeing interests within an export context. 

His key objectives are to exceed the profit expectations of investors, establish an on-site nursery to enhance crop propagation, improve operational and workforce performance and skills, ensure the prevention of disease outbreak and accurately forecast crop production to meet market expectations.

Mr Maree holds a Bachelor of Commerce (University of Pretoria, South Africa, 1981) and a Diploma of Paper Distribution (Association of Paper Distributors of South Africa, 1997). He is a member of Protected Cropping Australia. He also served two terms as a director of the Point of Purchase Association (Australia and New Zealand).