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Leonie Prinsloo takes over as Namibia Dairies MD

Leonie Prinsloo takes over as Namibia Dairies MD

The role of Managing Director of Namibia Dairies was officially taken over by Leonie Prinsloo as of 01 July.

Prinsloo formerly held the position of Head of Marketing at Namibia Dairies.

Coming from the world of telecommunications, Prinsloo joined the Ohlthaver & List Group in 2011 as Brand Manager at Namibia Dairies. Thereafter, she became the company’s Head of Marketing and also served as Acting Head of Marketing for Hartlief for three months before her assuming the new position.

Prinsloo expressed her enthusiasm in taking on the position, but acknowledged that big challenges lie ahead for Namibia Dairies and the dairy industry as a whole.

“I am very excited to be starting in this new role, but I know it will not be an easy journey. It was initially hard to avoid feeling overwhelmed as there are so many pressing issues to consider, such as COVID-19, food security and job creation. It is a major responsibility and I feel very humbled and honoured to have been chosen to lead in this role and to be welcomed as a woman in leadership,” Prinsloo said.

Prinsloo is firmly committed to ensuring the presence of a sustainable industry that is able to provide food security, notwithstanding the challenges and uncertainty farmers are currently facing.

She highlights that there is a need to find new opportunities to combat the present risks and thus she aims diversify the company’s portfolio and business focus.

“In order to keep offering our products at affordable prices we need to focus on what we can do and find partners for the activities we can no longer optimally perform. The proportion of our dairy product offerings will be less in future, but that opens the door to other possibilities. We can extend our product lines to bring customers new products under the brands they have come to know and love, thereby maximising the potential of our existing brands,” she added.

On being a woman at the helm of the local dairy giant, Prinsloo expressed that women have a lot to bring to the world of leadership, adding that a woman’s caring and attentive dispositions and contemplative natures are aspects of emotional intelligence.

“I believe it is no longer a man’s world, but a leader’s world and I am glad to see it rising in all spheres of society, whether it be in business or government. Empowering others is essential to achieving the end result and with that empowerment, anyone can make a success of themselves,” Prinsloo said.

Prinsloo further explained that the specifications of her job include taking responsibility and leading an industry, feeding the nation, contributing to job creation and bringing the O&L purpose to life, which can feel daunting at times.

“However, I have never felt incapable of taking this on, because the support around me has been tremendous, especially from the Namibia Dairies team with whom I can have open discussions at any time. I also have the support of my family and friends, with one of my dearest friends always being there to help during my late nights studying or working,” she said.


Caption: Leonie Prinsloo, the new Managing Director of Namibia Dairies.


 

About The Author

Donald Matthys

Donald Matthys has been part of the media fraternity since 2015. He has been working at the Namibia Economist for the past three years mainly covering business, tourism and agriculture. Donald occasionally refers to himself as a theatre maker and has staged two theatre plays so far. Follow him on twitter at @zuleitmatthys