New CEO for Perdeberg Winery

Gerhard van der Watt has been appointed chief executive officer of Perdeberg Winery from 01 April 2008.

Gerhard, 45, brings a wealth of experience to Perdeberg, having previously been project manager on corporate strategy for Distell in Stellenbosch, prior to which he was general manager for Distell's European operations, based in London. A chartered accountant by profession, Gerhard was group financial accountant before becoming a corporate planning manager for Stellenbosch Farmers Winery in the 90s. His achievements are numerous and include the successful development of new markets for Distell and the development of an international strategy to turn Savanna into a global brand.

Having spent the last year as an entrepreneur - he bought a small printing company and increased its client base and turnover by 35% - Gerhard found he missed the wine industry.

As well as day-to-day management responsibilities at Perdeberg, Gerhard will be tasked with growing international markets for bulk wines and for developing new markets for the brands.