Rockit has appointed Grant McBeath as Chief Executive Officer after an executive search conducted by SEQEL Partners.

Rockit is a successful New Zealand based business which grows and sells the world’s first fully matured miniature/snack size apples. At present, the apples are sold into more than 30 countries worldwide.

Grant’s early career was spent primarily with well known multi-national consumer products companies such as Coca Cola, SC Johnson and Cadbury before joining Nokia in 2004. Over his nine years at Nokia he progressed quickly through a series of leadership roles in New Zealand, then Asia, culminating in the position of Managing Director for Thailand and Emerging Asia where he held accountability for revenues in excess of US$1 billion.

Grant returned to New Zealand in 2013, joining Telecom (now Spark) in the role of General Manager Sales. He then moved through various roles of increasing seniority before being appointed as Customer Director in 2019. This role held responsibility for Spark’s sales and service channels encompassing 2,500 staff and revenues in excess of $3.5 billion. Additionally, Grant oversaw a variety of independent Spark owned businesses including Revera, Digital Island, Qrioius, Leaven, Spark Health and CCL.

Grant will be taking over from Mark O’Donnell who announced that he would be stepping down a few months ago.