CLICKS chief executive Vikesh Ramsunder is looking forward to a new challenge after spending 28 years with the health and beauty retailer, including 18 years as part of the executive team.
Ramsunder resigned from the group with effect from the end of December to take up a career opportunity as the chief executive and managing director at Sigma Healthcare, a listed wholesale and distribution business in Australia.
He will continue as a strategic advisor to the group until August, 31, next year.
“It is so sad for me to leave the group and to leave South Africa.
“I love South Africa.
“I spent 28 years at the company and I think I want to change jobs at least once in my life.
“I have got an opportunity to do so at 50,” Ramsunder said.
Clicks named Bertina Engelbrecht, the current corporate affairs director as Ramsunder’s successor making her the group’s first female chief executive.
Ramsunder said the opportunity to work in a developed market was a boost for his career.
“I have spent my life in a developing market.
“It is really good to go and test your skills and capabilities in a developed market and that is what has attracted me to the job.
“Clicks is a wonderful company and it has been amazing, but I am also looking forward to a new challenge,” he said.
Ramsunder took the reins as group chief executive director with effect from January 2019 to succeed David Kneale who led the group since 2006.
At the time Ramsunder was the chief operating officer at Clicks and was with the group for 25 years.
He held numerous roles including store and distribution centre management, and was head of logistics in Clicks.
In 2010 he was promoted to managing director of UPD, the group’s pharmaceutical wholesaler, and was appointed to lead the Clicks chain in 2015.
Under Ramsunder’s watch Clicks Clicks and UPD gained market share and the group has expanded its retail presence to 841 stores and 621 pharmacies.
In the year ended August 2021 UPD grew wholesale turnover by 15.1 percent as the business generated strong growth in sales to private hospital groups in the second and third waves of Covid-19.
This contributed to UPD increasing its market share from 28.9 percent to 31.2 percent at the end of August 2021 according to the IQVIA which uses expertise to help customers drive healthcare forward.
Clicks has also been recognised as the most transformed and empowered retailer in the country and in this three-year period the group’s share price has increased by 60 percent and the market capitalisation on the JSE has risen from R48 billion to R75bn despite markets being severely impacted by Covid-19.
In the year ended August 2021 Clicks closed the iconic Musica business after 29 years of connecting South Africans to their favourite music and movies across 140 outlets nationwide.
In January Clicks said it would close its Musica shops due to the shift in the way people consume music, movies and video games.
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