She will be taking over from retiring Nicky Newton-King with effect from 1 October 2019.
The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) has appointed Dr Leila Fourie as group CEO with effect from 1 October 2019. She will be replacing retiring Nicky Newton-King, who has been the JSE CEO for the past eight years.
About her appointment, Fourie said:
"I am thrilled to be returning to the JSE and look forward to working with the JSE team to continue building the JSE's position as a leading emerging market exchange.”
In a statement, JSE chairman Nonkululeko Nyembezi said that Fourie has extensive and diverse experience in local and multinational companies, including Commonwealth Bank of Australia, the Australian Payments Network, Accenture and Standard Bank. “Leila brings a wealth of experience in capital market products and technology to the JSE and so it is a particular pleasure to welcome her back to the JSE and South Africa.”
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Fourie has previously served as an executive director of the JSE. Through the course of her career, Fourie has held senior executive positions and directorships of global portfolios and local and US boards.
She holds a PhD in economic and financial sciences and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Newton-King will be available to the JSE and to Fourie until the end of 2019.
About her retirement Newton-King said:
"It has been the privilege of a lifetime to lead the JSE. Having led and been involved in so many of the JSE's key strategic initiatives over the last 23 years my fingerprints are on much of the DNA of the JSE today. But, after eight years as deputy CEO and eight years as CEO, I feel it is appropriate to step down – there is a time at which a CEO needs to step back and allow an institution to be led by a new energy and that time, for me, is now."
Nyembezi said that during 2018, Newton-King indicated to the board a desire to step down, both for reasons of good governance and after such a long career at the JSE, so that the next stage of the stock exchange’s journey could be led by someone new.
“The board has, with great regret, accepted her decision,” Nyembezi said. “The board joins me in thanking Nicky for putting her heart and soul into the JSE over the past 23 years. She leaves the JSE stronger, more diverse, more technologically advanced, commercially savvy and client focused; well positioned to continue building on its successes in the current landscape.”
