Bob van Dijk, CEO of Prosus and Naspers, unexpectedly resigned from both positions. Ervin Tu, Prosus’ Group Chief Investment Officer, becomes interim CEO. The reason for Van Dijk’s departure was not provided yet, but it was declared a mutual decision. The move was part of a planned transition with Van Dijk achieving his goals. He will consult the boards for a year.
The companies wrote in a statement:
“The group’s strategic goals remain unchanged and it is on target to deliver on its commitments, including achieving consolidated ecommerce trading profit during the first half of FY25.”
The recent departure of CEO Bob van Dijk follows a series of exits by senior executives, including Larry Illg, who oversaw Prosus’ deals in the food and ed-tech sectors. In July, Prosus criticized Byju’s, the world’s most valuable ed-tech startup, for reporting and governance lapses.
Tu, a veteran dealmaker who joined Prosus two years ago from SoftBank, said in a statement:
“Prosus is operating with momentum. I am honored to assume the role and help shape the future of the Group. I couldn’t be more excited about the team around me and to get started.”
Naspers is a multinational technology and media company based in South Africa. Naspers made an important $32 million investment in Tencent in 2001, propelling it to a leading global investor. Over the past 20 years, Naspers has invested in prominent firms like StackOverflow, Delivery Hero, Trip.com, Udemy, PayU, Byju’s, Swiggy, and Meesho.
Prosus is a prominent global tech investor. It gained prominence through a significant $32 million investment in Tencent in 2001. Over two decades, it backed various businesses across sectors, including education tech, food delivery, and more.