Long-serving director and disabled rights champion retires from Pick 'n Pay

Disabled since 1978, Rosen has been a fierce champion of disabled rights and has thrown his weight behind a number of initiatives, including the Para-Olympics, amongst others.

Group CEO Sean Summers said: "Martin has given 33 years of service to the company and really has earned a good break. He has been an incredibly loyal source of inspiration to everyone he worked with. We wish him extremely well."

Rosen worked at both the Boksburg and Durban Hypers, becoming chief buyer of the new Durban hypermarket in 1977. In 1978, Rosen was involved in an accident while doing his national service, which left him paralysed.

Rosen rejoined Pick 'n Pay in 1979, becoming Retail Board marketing director in 1988, a position he held until 2001 when he was made Managing Director of Pick 'n Pay Group Enterprises. Group Enterprises comprises independent but wholly owned companies including Score, Boxer, TM Supermarkets in Zimbabwe, Go Banking, the company's African interests and the company's property portfolio.

Said Rosen: "I have had a wonderful career at Pick 'n Pay and have had the privilege of working with some truly remarkable people."

Rosen has won a number of key awards during his career, including the Rotary Foundation's "Paul Harris Fellowship" awarded for outstanding service to the community, the Herald Times Chivas Regal Business Achiever Award, the FOYSA Award - being chosen as one on the Four Outstanding Achievers of the Year by the Junior Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the TOYP Award from the Junior Chamber International (JCI) - being chosen as one of Ten Outstanding Young Person of the World Category: Moral and/or Environmental Leadership and the Excelsior Award - Department of National Health and Population Development.