JOHANNESBURG – BIC, a world leader in Stationery, Lighters, and Shavers, announced the appointment of Marc D’Oliveira as General Manager to lead its operations for South East Central Africa.
Based out of Johannesburg, D’Oliveira will be leading BIC’s proximity strategy in the region, which encompasses 22 markets, as the company strives to strengthen its presence and accelerate its development across South East Central Africa (SECA).
D’Oliveira is a BIC veteran having been with the company for more than 11years. He joined the BIC Finance team in 2008 to lead the transition of the management of five distributors from BIC’s headquarters in France to South Africa.
He was then named Director, Finance Middle East and Africa where he led the finance team across the region. In his last assignment, D’Oliveira played an instrumental role in the successful expansion of BIC in Africa leading the business’s latest acquisition and subsidiary establishment in Kenya and Nigeria.
Commenting on the new appointment, Peter Van den Broeck, General Manager, Middle East and Africa said: “The Middle East and Africa are key developing markets for BIC as they have the world’s youngest population, growing economies, rise in urbanization, and an increase in purchasing power.
"We see solid growth potential in the region, particularly in SECA, and we are focusing on developing and growing our market share by increasing our distribution and strengthening our footprint. Last year we launched our East Africa subsidiary in an effort to be more consumer-centric and in tune with what is happening on the ground, and our strategy in the coming years will remain within that focus. D’Oliveira has played an integral role in the development and execution of our expansion strategy.
"With a successful track record in developing markets and strong financial, strategic, and managerial skills, D’Oliveira is ideally placed to lead our SECA team and drive our business forward.”
South Africa was among the first five international markets that BIC first ventured into in 1958.
Today, Johannesburg is home to the region’s second-largest BIC factory as well as SECA’s headquarters, out of which it manages 22 markets including subsidiaries in Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, and Kenya.
BIC first entered the market with a portfolio of stationery products that has since expanded to include writing instruments, wax colouring, colouring pencils, felt pens, and Tipp-Ex® correction products among others. In the 70s, BIC introduced its Lighters and Shavers into the market that have quickly become favourites among consumers.
BIC is South Africa’s market leader in Stationery, Lighters, and disposable Shavers* recognized for its high quality and value for money products. BIC’s portfolio of trusted quality products will continue to evolve to meet the changing needs of consumers in South Africa.