Logistics major gets a new CEO

A DIVERSE career, primarily in
financial services, stands Simon
Hayes in good stead as new chief
executive officer of GAC Laser
International Logistics, a company
jointly owned and controlled
by The Laser Group and Gulf
Agency Company Limited (GAC).
Represented in South Africa since
1991, GAC Logistics combines the
strength of GAC’s global reach with
Laser’s 70 years of experience in air
and sea imports and exports.
A University of Cape Town
commerce graduate, he succeeds
Richard Ferguson, with whom he
has been closely associated, first
as a consultant to The Laser Group
since June 2006 and then directly
in Laser International Logistics
from November 2006. He has
been involved with varied business
interests since arriving in South
Africa at age 18, including import/
export businesses, manufacturing,
sales and marketing.
Along with his appointment
come several key announcements,
first the retirement next month of
John Kershaw, regional managing
executive of GAC Laser International
Logistics and ‘doyen’ of the industry,
after 45 years with the company.
He will be succeeded by Mike van
Eyssen, who has been joint regional
executive.
Another company stalwart,
Basil Hannival, joins the company’s
national executive committee and
has been re-appointed Western
Cape chairman of the South African
Association of Freight Forwarders
(Saaff).