Gary Arnold has been appointed to serve as the CEO of South African poultry and feed producer Astral Foods, effective February 1, 2025.
The announcement was made by the company’s board of directors on November 14, after having announced in August that the current CEO, Chris Schutte, would retire in 2025.
Arnold is currently the chief operating officer of Astral Foods, a position he has held since October 2021. He has also been an executive director with the company since 2012.
The selection of Arnold as CEO came following what the board described as a “robust replacement process by the nomination committee.
He started his career in 1997 with Meadow Feeds, first as an animal nutritionist, later being named a technical manager for that company. In 2024, he was appointed as the managing director of Provimi SSA, and two years later, he was named COO for Meadow Feeds in the Western Cape.
Other positions he has held include director of business development of Astral Operations, and managing director of Astral’s Agriculture Division.
“Mr. Arnold has been an integral part of Astral for the past 28 years. He has extensive experience and an in-depth understanding of our integrated business model and has been integral in executing the group’s strategy,” the company stated.
“The board would like to wish Mr. Arnold all the best in his new position. The board is confident that, under his leadership, Astral will continue to build on maintaining its position as South Africa’s leading integrated poultry producer.”
Schutte has been the CEO of Astral Foods since 2009, after having been with the company for seven years.
In 2023, Astral Foods slaughtered 290 million broilers, making it Africa’s largest poultry producer. Globally, Astral Foods ranks as the 33rd largest poultry producer and the 100th largest feed producer.
