Following a six-month search to find a replacement for CEO Edward Kieswetter, who left the group in February to pursue other interests, Alexander Forbes has appointed financial services veteran Andrew Darfoor (pictured). Darfoor will assume the role of CEO from 1 September, relieving acting group CEO and CFO, Deon Viljoen.
- Deon Viljoen acting CEO of Alexander Forbes.
- Balancing the stakeholders: The success of Alexander Forbes CFO Deon Viljoen.
According to executive chairman Sello Moloko (who will now go back to being nonexecutive chairman), Darfoor's mandate is to continue the succession planning strategies and to accelerate the development of talented executives.
Darfoor's plan is to address SA's waning retirement market, as well as to improve margins. He said:
"We want to invest in our core business in SA, as well as Sub-Saharan Africa. Growth is all about putting the customer in the centre, and delivering operating efficiencies including embedding innovation and digital experiences into the customer proposition."
Darfoor joins the company after two years as CEO of Canadian insurer Sun Life Financial's international arm, and senior roles at Old Mutual, Credit Suisse, UBS and EY.
