Debmarine Namibia has announced the appointment of Willy Mertens as its new Chief Executive Officer, with effect from 1 November 2022.
Mertens will succeed Otto Shikongo, who retires from the business at the end of this year, and has been at the helm of the marine diamond mining company since 1 January 2004.
To ensure a smooth transition, there will be a handover period with Willy Mertens and Otto Shikongo to the end of this year.
Mertens, a Chartered Accountant by training, is currently the Chief Financial Officer of Debmarine Namibia with oversight accountability for Namdeb Holdings (Pty) Ltd.
“The appointment of a competent Chief Executive is without a doubt one of the critical duties of any Board. We are most pleased that we have been able to draw from the phenomenal talent pool at Debmarine Namibia, to find a suitable candidate to fill the role of CEO. Not only does Mr Mertens have a deep understanding of our business; he also has an acute appreciation of the strategic role of Debmarine Namibia within the broader context of Namibia. Debmarine Namibia is a key contributor [to the] Government Fiscus, enabling the Government to support its many developmental objectives. We are thus pleased that we are able to confirm Mr Willy Mertens as the new CEO of Debmarine Namibia,” Debmarine Namibia Board Chairperson Dr. Ndeulipula Hamutumwa said.
“We also wish to thank Mr Otto Shikongo for his invaluable service to Debmarine Namibia. His astute leadership, profound engineering knowledge and meticulous business acumen has successfully steered the organisation through many achievements and successes.
“Under his leadership, Debmarine Namibia has become a recognised world class company; an aspect of immense pride for all of [us] at Debmarine Namibia. His many achievements include the migration of the business from South Africa to Namibia in 2001, the acquisition of a world-class diamond recovery fleet, including the custom-built mv SS Nujoma, the world’s first custom-built marine diamond sampling vessel, as well as the latest, recently inaugurated, mv Benguela Gem, the world’s largest diamond recovery vessel. We wish him and his family the best for their future endeavors,” Dr. Hamutumwa added.
Commenting on the appointment, De Beers Group CEO Bruce Cleaver said “I extend my sincere appreciation to Otto Shikongo. Otto played a pivotal role in migrating the business from Cape Town in 2001, first as Operations Manager, and then as CEO from 2004. In his time as CEO, he has overseen an accelerated growth plan of Debmarine Namibia, from humble beginnings, to where it is today as the single largest private sector enterprise in Namibia. On behalf of everyone at De Beers Group, we would like to thank Otto for his 35 years of outstanding service. At the same time, we are delighted that Willy will succeed Otto. Willy has been a key member of the Debmarine Namibia leadership team for the last ten years, and I look forward to his leadership as CEO.”
Debmarine Namibia is a joint venture marine diamond prospecting and recovery company, owned in equal shares by the Government of the Republic of Namibia and De Beers Group.
