Wikus will be taking over from Heinie Werth until a permanent group FD has been appointed.
On Wednesday 24 July, Sanlam announced the appointment of its executive head of group finance Wikus Olivier as its acting CFO.
Wikus will be replacing Heinie Werth, who will take over a new role as CEO of Sanlam Emerging Markets with effect from 1 August. He will act in the position of interim CFO until the group commences a recruitment process to fill the group FD role permanently.
Sanlam Group CEO Ian Kirk said:
“We will immediately start the process to recruit a new group FD and we will inform the market about our progress in due course. We are confident that Wikus has the requisite skills and is well poised to support the group acting in the CFO role. He has been with Sanlam for 19 years in a variety of roles, including accounting, finance and tax and has worked closely with Heinie and I for many years.”
In a statement, the group said that these executive changes are part of succession planning as Sanlam Pan Africa CEO Junior Ngulube, who will take on the role of vice chairman of SPA from 1 August, is close to retirement.
Heinie will continue in his role as an executive director on the Sanlam board and Ngulube will retain his membership of the group’s executive committee reporting to Ian, and will also remain a director on the board.
“The geographic spread, size and complexity of the SEM cluster as well as the size of the investment we have made to acquire SAHAM Finances is unprecedented within Sanlam and possibly in the industry. I believe that the combined and complementary efforts of Heinie and Junior will assist to take the SEM Cluster, and the Sanlam Group as a whole, to an unparalleled competitive position,” Ian concluded.
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