Keegan Pather appointed to run new office in Johannesburg
Lorien Engineering Solutions has launched an office in South Africa to meet growing demand in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).
Experienced engineer and project manager Keegan Pather has been appointed Director of the Johannesburg-based operation.
Lorien specialises in capital projects for global brands in food and drink, brewing, life sciences, safety compliance and sustainability. It is headquartered in Burton-upon-Trent, UK and also has an office in Wrocław, Poland which serves the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) region.
Keegan worked at a multi-national FMCG market leader for 18 years, including a decade at executive management level. His experience incorporates business development, operations management, project management and technical consulting.
Keegan said: “I’m excited to join Lorien at this time of international expansion and look forward to developing the business and our team within the region.
“Many of our customers, particularly in the brewing and food and drink industries, are looking to expand into the sub-Saharan Africa market. We will provide them with a feet on the ground presence and exceptional service for capex investment projects within this region.”
Steve Slater, Managing Director (Group) of Lorien, added: “This is another key appointment for us as international expansion is core to our business growth strategy. Our UK business is expanding and we also see huge growth potential in Africa as well as our existing, successful operations in Poland.
“Keegan’s experience and expertise along with his knowledge of operating within the region makes him the ideal person to lead our growth strategy in Africa. We are already receiving new orders from within the SSA region and we are confident we can replicate the success we have had in both the UK and Poland.”
Lorien is a division of global engineering and technical services organisation GP Strategies Corporation, headquartered in Maryland, USA. Steve Slater was this year appointed to an international group role with GP Strategies, with responsibility for Lorien’s operations in the UK, Poland and South Africa.
