Grant Pattison (CEO of Massmart Holdings Limited)

Massmart is a South African-based international management group invested in a diverse but complementary portfolio of wholesale and retail formats. The trading operations are characterised by a focus on high volumes and operational excellence.

Massmart was founded in 1990 on the back of successful trading by the Makro group, then consisting of six wholesalers, with a turnover that year of R895 million. The Group grew aggressively throughout the 1990s and was listed on the JSE in 2000. Today it is one of South Africa’s largest retail entities with sales in FY2008 (ending June) of R39.8 billion. It achieves this through successfully meeting the needs of independent resellers, commercial users and end-user consumers. Massmart has enjoyed 11 successive years of good turnover growth.

Massmart operates approximately 250 stores in 13 sub-Saharan countries and holds a portfolio of nine distinctly branded wholesale and retail chains... MORE