Prosus and Naspers Name iFood CEO Fabricio Bloisi as New CEO

Prosus and Naspers, two major technology investment groups, have announced a change in leadership with the appointment of Fabricio Bloisi as the new CEO. Bloisi, currently the CEO of Latin American food delivery business iFood, will take on the role at both companies starting on July 1st, replacing long-time CEO Bob van Dijk.

In a statement, Prosus and Naspers Chair Koos Bekker praised Bloisi’s vision, operational experience, and discipline, noting that he is the right person to lead the companies at this exciting time of innovation and change in the technology space.

Bloisi expressed his honor at being given the opportunity to lead both companies, emphasizing the importance of identifying new technologies like AI that impact the world and emerging markets.

The outgoing CEO, Bob van Dijk, oversaw Prosus’s successful initial public offering in 2019 and navigated the company through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the company has faced difficulties in reducing its discount to Tencent, leading to a post-pandemic correction in technology valuations.

As Bloisi takes the helm, interim CEO Ervin Tu has been appointed as president and chief investment officer. Analysts have noted that Bloisi’s skills as an owner-operator may not be fully utilized at Prosus, but the company continues to navigate its investments in both public and private companies.

Following the announcement, Prosus shares were down 2.17% and Naspers shares were down 1.37%. The leadership change comes at a critical time for both companies as they continue to shape the future of technology investment and innovation.