Southwire’s Hans Meiring Announces Retirement
September 30, 2018
After more than 40 years in the wire and cable industry, Southwire’s Executive Vice President and President of Operations and International Business, Hans Meiring, will retire at the end of 2018.
Meiring’s career is storied with many notable experiences and contributions. With a background in mechanical engineering and a master’s degree in business administration from Buckingham Management School in the United Kingdom, he began his career in chemicals and explosives as a pupil engineer. He then worked as a resident engineer in gold and base metals mining before becoming the project engineer in charge of building and commissioning projects like the first stand-alone telecommunication cable plant in South Africa.
A few years later, Meiring joined Aberdare Cables, where he spent 27 years in roles including general manager of telecommunications, marketing director and group chief executive officer, working with a variety of customers and partners in countries around the globe. In 2007, Meiring retired from Aberdare and became part of Oman Cables in the Sultanate of Oman as the company’s Chief Operating Officer and, eventually, Chief Executive Officer.
In 2012, Meiring joined Southwire, where he has developed efforts to expand the company’s reach into new global markets and served as Chief Operating Officer.“When I arrived at Southwire three years ago, Hans was instrumental in welcoming me to the company,” says CEO Rich Stinson. “His experience in the industry and his ability to lead teams and develop international and operational strategies has been essential to our company’s continued growth. We wish him the very best in his upcoming retirement.”
Moving forward, Meiring looks forward to traveling and staying active. He and his wife, Marianne, plan to return to their home in South Africa, and spend time with their family, children and grandchildren. Hans also plans to focus on his hobby as a car enthusiast and looks forward to supporting small businesses with a focus on global growth.
“Being part of Southwire has been an incredible experience in my career. I’ve seen growth, industry leadership and significant advancements for the company, and I am very proud of that,” says Meiring. “I’m very thankful for the time spent here and the ability to serve on effective teams. I look forward to what the future holds.”
