The people behind the performance.

Dawie du Toit is originally from Bloemfontein in the Free State, where he completed his education and began his career in the liquor industry with NuCed Distributors. He later moved to Dairybelle before joining The Cold Chain in Klerksdorp, where his 15-year career with Imperial began, building extensive experience across distribution, warehousing and sales.

During his tenure at Imperial, one of his key achievements was taking full responsibility for Mercor Solutions, Imperial's sales and merchandising division. Mercor Solutions later combined with VMS to form Imperial Retail Solutions, where Dawie served as Operations Director. At the beginning of 2018 he left Imperial and started a business that his wife took over when he joined Meridian in 2019.

Dawie initially joined Meridian's CMR division before moving to head office a few months later as Client Services and Business Intelligence Executive. Four years later he was promoted to Chief Operating Officer, and in April 2026 he was appointed Managing Director of Meridian Group.

Dawie is passionate about the people of Meridian and the clients the business serves. He believes in leading by example and spending as much time as possible in trade with the teams. He still enjoys being hands-on, whether packing stock out himself or ensuring that Meridian creates the best possible opportunity for brands to reach consumers' baskets.

On a personal note, Dawie is married to Charlene du Toit. They enjoy outdoor activities, sport, and the occasional 4x4 adventure to remote areas of the country.

Karen Hammond is an award-winning People Executive with over 25 years of Human Resources experience and more than 20 years in senior leadership roles. As Group Head of People at Meridian Group, she partners with executive teams to build high-performing cultures that drive business success through people.

Having held leadership positions across renowned organisations including Meridian Group, Sun International, Dimension Data, Nedbank, PwC, PepsiCo and the ICC Durban, Karen brings extensive experience spanning financial and banking services, technology, professional services, consumer goods and manufacturing, hospitality and gaming.

Known for her people-first leadership approach, Karen has successfully led organisational transformation, talent development, culture change, employee experience and digital HR initiatives. She is passionate about leveraging innovation and AI to modernise people practices, enhance employee experiences, and create future-ready workplaces where both people and businesses can thrive.

Recognised as one of KwaZulu-Natal's Top Business Women in 2025, Karen is driven by a simple belief: when organisations put people first, exceptional results follow.

People are at the heart of every great organisation. When we combine human potential with innovation, extraordinary things happen.

Jaco Jooste is Head of Dedicated Solutions at Meridian Group, with over 17 years of retail and operational leadership experience.

Having progressed from frontline sales into national leadership, he now leads Meridian's dedicated client solutions, driving operational excellence, client growth, technology adoption and consistent execution across South Africa. He is passionate about people and developing high-performing teams.

Louis Janse van Rensburg serves as National Head of Syndicated Solutions at Meridian Group, bringing extensive experience across the FMCG, sales and retail execution sectors. Throughout his career he has developed deep industry expertise, building a strong foundation in commercial strategy and trade performance.

Working closely with clients, manufacturers and retailers, Louis has consistently focused on bridging the gap between brand objectives and in-store execution. His career is defined by a collaborative approach to driving growth and optimising retail operations in dynamic, competitive markets.

In his role as National Head of Syndicated Solutions, Louis works at the intersection of client ambition and trade reality. He is responsible for developing and implementing innovative, tailored solutions that enhance in-store performance, strengthen long-term customer partnerships and drive sustainable business growth across the retail landscape.

Louis is passionate about creating tangible value for the brands Meridian represents. He believes in a strategic, results-orientated approach that balances forward-thinking innovation with pragmatic execution, ensuring that every solution delivers measurable impact in trade.