Adrian Du Plessis

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Adrian Du Plessis

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Biography

As CEO and Managing Director, he demonstrates his strong leadership and business acumen by identifying the potential for growth in the pharmaceutical industry and negotiating the purchase of a South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) approved licensed facility. This acquisition provides the company with a strategic advantage in the market, as they are able to produce and distribute pharmaceutical products in compliance with SAHPRA regulations. As the head of the pharmaceutical business, he oversees the day-to-day operations of the company, ensuring that the business is running efficiently and effectively. He develops and implements strategies to optimize the company’s profitability, manage risks, and maintain compliance with regulatory requirements. Under his leadership, the company successfully navigates the challenges of the pharmaceutical industry, including increasing competition, changing regulations, and evolving customer needs. He builds a strong team of professionals and fosters a culture of collaboration and innovation, enabling the company to achieve its goals and objectives. Through his strategic vision and effective management, he positions the company as a leader in the pharmaceutical industry, contributing to its growth and success.

Chronology

2022-Present | Alphaplant Pharmaceutical

CEO & Managing Director As CEO and Managing Director, he demonstrated his strong leadership and business acumen by identifying the potential for growth in the pharmaceutical industry and negotiating the purchase of a South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) approved licensed facility. This acquisition provided the company with a strategic advantage in the market, as they were able to produce and distribute pharmaceutical products in compliance with SAHPRA regulations. As the head of the pharmaceutical business, he oversaw the day-to-day operations of the company, ensuring that the business was running efficiently and effectively. He developed and implemented strategies to optimize the company’s profitability, manage risks, and maintain compliance with regulatory requirements. Under his leadership, the company successfully navigated the challenges of the pharmaceutical industry, including increasing competition, changing regulations, and evolving customer needs. He built a strong team of professionals and fostered a culture of collaboration and innovation, enabling the company to achieve its goals and objectives. Through his strategic vision and effective management, he positioned the company as a leader in the pharmaceutical industry, contributing to its growth and success.

2016 – 2021 | EPI Consult

Business Management Consulting During his tenure as a Business Management Consultant, Adriaan focused on the Healthcare, Pharmaceutical, Property Management and technology industries. He took on a variety of responsibilities to help his clients achieve their financial goals and objectives. He analysed their financial statements, identified key areas of financial risk, and developed financial and tax strategies to minimize those risks. He worked with the company’s executive team to develop a financial business plan that would help them achieve their long-term goals. He oversaw the client’s company’s financial operations, managed its accounting staff, and implemented transaction processing systems to ensure accurate and timely recording of financial transactions. He worked closely with the company’s management team to develop performance measures that supported the company’s strategic direction, and as a result, the client’s company was able to optimize its profitability and grow its business. In addition to his financial responsibilities, he also oversaw Security management and Facility Management to ensure a safe and productive work environment for his clients. He maintained relations with external auditors and investigated their findings and recommendations to improve financial management. His ability to provide effective financial guidance and leadership helped his clients achieve their financial goals and thrive in their industries. He was proud to be a part of their success stories and looked forward to helping more businesses achieve financial success in the future.

2017-2020 | Mmed Distribution

From 2016 to 2020, he had the opportunity to serve as a business advisor to MMED Distribution a South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA), a pharmaceutical and surgical product distributor that was just starting out in the industry. He played a critical role in helping the company prepare a solid business case and successfully raise the necessary funding to launch their operations. With his extensive knowledge in the healthcare industry and business management, he then assisted MMED Distribution in developing a decentralised inventory system that proved to be a game-changer for the company. This new system enabled the company to onboard more than 10 independent hospitals within just 12 months, a remarkable achievement for a startup. The inventory system was also integrated with the hospitals’ operating systems, which meant that the hospitals could seamlessly manage their medical inventory alongside their other operational functions. This integration allowed for the smooth and efficient transaction of over 3000 SKUs per month, a remarkable feat for a startup. Thanks to his expertise and guidance, MMED Distribution was able to establish itself as a reliable and efficient distributor of pharmaceutical and surgical products, which helped to cement its position in the highly competitive healthcare industry.

2014-2016

From 2014 to 2016, He served as the Group Chief Financial Officer for a pharmaceutical company with divisions in Manufacturing, Distribution, Retail, and Clinical Health Care Management. During his tenure, Adriaan successfully designed, transformed and implemented business standard operating procedures (SOPs) across five subsidiaries’ integrated Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. As the CFO, he was responsible for reporting to third-party vendors, bankers, investors, and board members. He supervised a team of 25 seasoned staff members, overseeing their hiring, training, and monitoring their performance. He prepared monthly board reports for presentation to the board members and ensured compliance with all company tax planning and strategies. In addition, he played a crucial role in building a successful inventory management system for the company, ensuring compliance with the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) while delivering products to over 70,000 patients per month. He also headed up the Due Diligence and Acquisition process to acquire new SAHPRA approved products, sites and licenses, successfully expanding the company’s product offerings. Finally, he facilitated the sale of the business to Dis-Chem Pharmacies, achieving a successful exit for the company.

2010-2013

PwC Audit Assurance – Manager Experience auditor overseeing teams of up to 10 staff, monitored staff performance, training staff and help plant career paths. Industry Experience – Mining, Oil & Gas – Engineering, Property Development, Agricultural, Banking and Private Equity Local and International experience on listed entities reporting IFRS on various Stock Exchanges

2006-2009

PwC Audit Assurance – Trainee Industry Experience – Facility Management, Energy Generation, Energy Utility Management, Healthcare

2000-2009

Education Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com), Honours Accounting, University of Pretoria Charted Accountant, South African Institute of Charted Accountants General Tax Practitioner, South African Institute of Tax Professionals Property Development, University of Cape Town