Grobest appointed Hua Du as the company’s new CEO following a decision by current CEO, Samson Li to step back from his role. Li will remain in the group as a senior advisor.
Du joins Grobest after 11 years at Solvay, a leading global chemicals and materials company, where he held the position of president of Global Business Units, and was a member of Executive Committee, leading several global business units with revenues of $5 billion, more than 10,000 employees and technologies covering a wide range of end markets. Prior to Solvay, he worked at the Rohm and Haas Company for 13 years, driving growth in Asia for its electronic materials group.
Ko Chi-Kang, chairman of Grobest, said, “we sincerely thank Samson for his service and look forward to working with him in his new capacity as a senior advisor. He has guided the company through the pandemic and has overseen a period of transformation that has enabled Grobest to operate at the highest global standards. Equally, I am delighted to welcome Hua Du as our new CEO. He joins Grobest at an exciting time in our journey and we look forward to growing further with his leadership and drive in the years ahead.”
Ola Nordquist, vice-chairman of Grobest and head of the Nordics at the global private equity firm Permira, said, “we look forward to our continued relationship with Samson as a senior advisor and are delighted that Hua has joined Grobest as its new CEO. With his extensive Asia and global leadership experience, and his strong focus on people, customers and technology, we are confident Hua has the right mix of capabilities to lead Grobest into its successful future. We have ambitious plans and are well-positioned for our next phase of growth, cementing and building on our leadership position in advanced functional performance feed for the aquaculture industry.” Funds advised by Permira acquired a 50% stake in Grobest in 2018.
Grobest growth and expansion
In recent years, Grobest has implemented several important changes in the way it manages and operates its business. It has evolved from a successful, ambitious family-run business with a long history of innovation, into an Asia market-leading company and one of the world’s top aquaculture feed groups.
Hua Du said that “Grobest has set the standard in aquaculture in Asia and I am delighted to have been given the opportunity to help drive the company into its next phase of growth. Samson has successfully steered the company through a period of significant change and I now look forward to working with the entire team to deliver on exciting growth and development ambitions.”
Samson Li, senior advisor at Grobest, said, “my past three years as CEO have been immensely fulfilling. We have helped Grobest transition to become a true regional champion. This would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of our incredible staff and I wish them all the best for an exciting and prosperous future under the leadership of my successor Hua Du, as I transition to my new senior advisor role.”
Founded in 1974, Grobest today operates in eight markets across Asia, with 17 feed and pre-mix factories and more than 3,500 employees. In addition to this broad presence across Asia, Grobest is also a pioneer and technological leader in an array of innovative and differentiated functional feed products. The company also provides a full range of services and technical assistance to farmers throughout Asia, including pond maintenance, water treatment, and soil and disease testing.
