Sanlam appoints new Board members in line with proactive approach to enhance governance, transformat

The Sanlam Board has announced the appointments of new Board members in line with the Group’s proactive approach to enhance governance, transformation and the continued strengthening of the leadership at board, executive and management levels. These appointments are also aimed at supporting the success of the broader Group and supporting its growth ambitions.

Messrs Andrew Birrell, Elias Masilela and Kobus Möller have been appointed as independent non-executive directors to the boards of directors (Boards) of Sanlam Limited and Sanlam Life Insurance Limited. In addition, Ms Jeanett Modise, the Group’s Chief Executive for Human Resources, has been appointed as an executive director to the respective Boards.

Mr Birrell is a qualified actuary with 25 years’ experience and holds a BA BSc. degree. He has sound public and private sector experience in life insurance, asset management, wealth management, general insurance, cell captive insurance and internet banking. His past experience on boards and board committees of listed companies involved in Life Insurance, Health Insurance, General Insurance, Stock Broking, Investment Management and Banking in the United Kingdom, South Africa, Ireland, Scandinavia and Canada stands him in good stead of this appointment. Andrew’s appointment is effective from 01 September 2019.

Mr Masilela is the Executive Chairman of DNA Economics and a Commissioner of the first and second National Planning Commissions. He holds a BA degree in Social Science with the University of Swaziland, an MSc in Economic Policy and Analysis from the University of Addis Ababa as well as several professional certificates from Harvard University. He is currently the Chair of several influential entities in South Africa and has recently taken up the chairpersonship of the National Task Force on Impact Investing in South Africa. He also serves as a member of various other boards of strategic entities which contribute to his experience. He has a good understanding of the financial services industry. Elias’s appointment is effective from 01 October 2019. However, his board participation will commence on 03 December 2019.

Mr Möller qualified as a chartered accountant in 1983 and also holds a B.Compt (Hons) and a B.Compt degree. He has held senior financial positions in Gencor, Impala Platinum Holdings, Sanlam Personal Finance and was Financial Director of Sanlam from 2006 until his retirement in 2016. Kobus’s appointment is effective from 01 January 2020.

Ms Modise joined the Sanlam Group in 2014 as the Executive: HR & Transformation at Santam where she spent three years before taking up the Chief Human Resources Officer role at Sanlam Investments. Thereafter Jeanett assumed the role of as Chief Executive: Human Resources for the Sanlam Group effective 01 July 2019. Her academic background includes B.Com, MDP, MBL, Senior Executive Programme (Harvard) and Advanced Management Development Programme (Insead). She is an accomplished HR executive with more than 20 years’ experience in other blue chip and multinational companies including SAP, Hewlett Packard, Nedbank and AngloGold Ashanti, where she was before joining the Sanlam Group. Jeanett previously served as Non-Executive Director and Chairperson of the board HR & Remuneration committee of Foskor, Non-Executive Director for Save the Children South Africa, a global NGO that focuses on the rights of children. Her appointment is effective from 01 September 2019.

Commenting on the appointments, Sanlam Limited Chairperson, Dr Johan van Zyl, said: “We are pleased to welcome the new members of the Boards and we look forward to their contribution. We are confident that they have the requisite skills, experience and impeccable credentials that will complement and add value to Sanlam and support the Group’s growth ambitions.”

ENDS