In a surprising turn of events, Bob van Dijk, the CEO of Dutch e-commerce investor Prosus and its controlling shareholder Naspers, has abruptly resigned from his position. Effective immediately, Van Dijk has stepped down as the chief executive and also resigned from the board. The announcement came without any specific reasons provided for his departure.
Key Takeaway
CEO Bob van Dijk abruptly steps down as the chief executive of Prosus and Naspers, allowing Ervin Tu to assume the role of interim chief executive. No specific reasons have been given for Van Dijk’s departure.
Ervin Tu, the Group Chief Investment Officer of Prosus, has been appointed as the interim chief executive for companies that hold significant stakes in major commerce enterprises and startups across the globe. While the companies did not provide any details about the reasons behind Van Dijk’s departure, they did express their gratitude for his leadership during his tenure.
“The Boards of Prosus and Naspers want to thank Bob for his decade-long leadership,” said Koos Bekker, the chair of Prosus. He further added, “During this time, we have established substantial businesses in Classifieds, Food Delivery, and Payments, as well as ventured into new fields. We appreciate Bob’s contributions and wish him success in his future career.”
The boards of Prosus and Naspers along with Van Dijk mutually agreed upon his departure. However, it has been announced that he will continue to provide consultancy services to the board for a year. The sudden change in leadership has left many speculating about the future direction of both Prosus and Naspers.
Meanwhile, Ervin Tu expressed his excitement about his new role as the interim chief executive. “Prosus is operating with momentum. I am honored to assume this role and play a part in shaping the future of the Group. I am incredibly excited about the team around me and eager to get started,” he said.
