May 14, 2007 - Sappi Limited today said that Roeloff Jacobus (Ralph) Boëttger (45), currently an executive director of Imperial Holdings Limited, will join Sappi on July 1, 2007 as chief executive officer. At that time, Sappi chairman Eugene van As, who has been acting as chief executive for the past 13 months, will revert to a non-executive role.

Boëttger was educated at Potchefstroom University (now the University of the North West), where he completed B.Acc and B.Acc (Hons) degrees before qualifying as a Chartered Accountant in 1989.

He joined Safair in 1991 as Financial Manager before being appointed CEO of Safair in 1996. He was appointed to the Executive Committees of Safmarine Limited (1996) and SAFREN Limited (1997). He continued as CEO of Safair after the company was acquired by the Imperial Group in 1998.

In 2001 Boëttger was appointed to the executive committee of Imperial Holdings with executive responsibilities for the local and international logistics operations, the aviation division and the heavy commercial vehicle distribution operations. He was appointed to the Board of Imperial Holdings in 2002.

Boëttger is a South African citizen and lives in Johannesburg. He is married to Ronel, and they have a young son.

SOURCE: Sappi