Gabriël Stoltz has resigned as CEO and executive director of York Timber, ending nearly a decade at South Africa’s largest solid wood processor. That is according to a JSE compliance disclosure lodged by the company’s board, which confirmed the departure will take effect from 31 March.
Stoltz joined York Timber in 2017 as chief financial officer and stepped into the interim CEO role in July 2021, before being confirmed in the role permanently in 2022. It comes as South Africa’s construction industry contracted by 4 per cent in real terms last year, with the Absa Purchasing Managers’ Index averaging 47.2 across the first eleven months of the year — well below the 50-point threshold separating growth from contraction.
Founded in 1916, before being listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in 1946, York Timber spans forestry, sawmilling, plywood manufacturing and timber distribution. Its market capitalisation sits at approximately R900 million (US dollar approximate)
During his tenure, he has served the company with distinction, first in his capacity as CFO and most recently as CEO,” York Timber said in a statement. “Under his stewardship, the group has navigated a complex operating environment whilst strengthening its strategic positioning for the future.”
Wood Central understands that independent non-executive chairperson Nonzukiso Siyotula will oversee governance and guide the group’s long-term strategic direction as it works through the transition. No permanent successor has been named, with Stoltz remaining in an advisory capacity during the handover period to support incoming leadership.
