Corporate Social Review Magazine 1st Quarter 2013 | Page 11

Bertie Lubner

is a son of one of the founders of the Plate
Glass Group, Mr Morrie Lubner.
After his schooling in South Africa,
and having attended the University of
Witwatersrand to do a B.Comm., he
joined the company in 1951 as a trainee.
In 1953 he went to what was then
Rhodesia, to develop the Company’s
interests in what was then the Central
African Federation, which comprised
of three countries: Northern Rhodesia
(now Zambia), Southern Rhodesia (now
Zimbabwe) and Nyasaland (now Malawi).
After 14 years, having developed the
Group’s interest in 7 different countries of
the region, he returned to South Africa at
the end of 1967.
The Group operated in two areas of
activity, Glass and Wood Products. On
his return, he assumed responsibility
for expanding the Group’s interest in
the Wood Industry in South Africa, and
successfully launched it into a major
player, both Nationally and Internationally.
Its activities involved manufacturing of
various board products. It also became
the single largest world wide supplier of
hard woods eminating mainly from the Far
East and Africa and supplying to world
markets. He also established National
and International Distribution Networks.
Simultaneously,
Bertie’s
younger
brother, Ronnie, was developing the
Glass Business – also Nationally and
Internationally. By the early 1990’s the
Group was operating in 19 countries,

employing 23,000 people, with a turnover
of over $1 billion.
Bertie and his brother, Ronnie, were joint
Chief Executives of the Group and Bertie
was Chairman from 1982 to 1990. In 1992
the family sold control to SA Breweries,
but the family maintained its holdings in
the International glass sphere.
At this point of time, Bertie relinquished
his role the age of 60 as Chairman of
the Group, but remained as a director
of all the South African and International
Companies.
Subsequently, the family, together with
management, bought back in 2001, the
South African Glass interests.
His main reason for his change of
focus after 41 years with the Group,
was to expand his long term desires
for involvement and interest in a wider
sphere, which had already developed
during his active years at Plate Glass.
His priorities were as follows:
1. make time available to assist his
To
now grown up children in their various
business and lifestyle activities.
2. His concern for the under privileged –
both those with disabilities, as well as
those who were victims of Apartheid.
This led him to initiate and become
either a Board member or Chairman of
a number of outreach programs, i.e.
• Tikkun – a Jewish led community
organization to assist the previously
disadvantaged Black Community;
• The Field Band Foundation – an
organization which, over the last
few years, has developed 19
CORPORATE SOCIAL REVIEW

Magazine Final.indd 9

college style bands, bringing not
only musical skills, but lifestyle skills
to over 2,500 children from the most
depraved areas;
• Trustee for the Worcester Home for
the Deaf and Blind;
• Patron of the Lubner “Kibbutz” – a
farming project in South Africa,
incorporating people with Downs
Syndrome and a number of other
communal projects.
Positions, memberships, awards and
achievements
• Member of the National Export Advisory
Board, responsible for developing
export strategy for South Africa and to
also encourage FDI into South Africa.
• Board member of the Business
Leadership – top 50 companies in
South Africa.
• Vice-Chairman of the South African
Olympic Foundation.
• Member of Task Force, representing
Business and Government for the World
Economic Forum.
• Member of the Business Council for
Nepad.
•. One of the Vice-Chairmen of the
Board of Governors of the Ben-Gurion
University.
•. Recipient of a Honorary Doctorate
of Philosophy from the Ben-Gurion
University in 1987.
• Recipient of the highest South African
Civil Award – O.M.S.S.
• Bertie recently received a Lifetime
Achiever’s Award from the Ben-Gurion
University in Israel.
• Recent member of the Harvard Dean’s
Council.
• Director of The Plate Glass Group and
other various companies.

9
2013/07/29 10:45 AM