WALVIS BAY: The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Erongo RED, Gerhard Coeln, on Wednesday announced his early retirement as a result of ill-health.
Speaking during a media briefing here, Coeln said he will be stepping down as the CEO of the Erongo regional electricity distributor at the end of January 2013.
“There is a time to come, and a time to go. We do not always have control over our future, and I believe that I owe it to my wife and myself to look after my health, especially during this period of my life,” he noted.
Coeln, 55, has been actively involved with the electricity supply industry in Namibia for about 23 years.
He has also been involved in the set-up and development of Erongo RED over the past 17 years, from its conception to its inception.
“I now wish to afford the opportunity to others to steer Erongo RED through the restructuring process, aligning it to reach the goals that have been set by the Erongo RED Board of Directors,” he added.
The chairman of the Erongo RED Board of Directors, Coenraad Botha, said Coeln was successful in changing a company that was started with a bank commitment of over N.dollars 45 million into a company with a staff complement of over 250, and over 30 000 clients.
Botha explained that Erongo RED has been challenged extensively over the last few years, and the demand for creative thinking, higher production and constant evolution put tremendous strain on people in leadership positions.
“When performance is not measured in terms of profits but in delivering services within a controlled environment, you cannot control the price of the commodity that you are buying for distribution, and this has taken its toll on the health of Coeln,” he said.
Botha noted that within the current staff complement, there are competent General Managers who can apply for the CEO position.
The post will be advertised soon to make sure that service delivery and the execution of business remains intact.
Coeln will assist the Erongo RED Board of Directors in grooming the new CEO, and making sure that the transition does not create any challenges.
“He will be remembered by many as the pioneer of Erongo RED, and definitely leaves a legacy behind that he can be proud of,” said Botha.