Company Secretary at Sasol

Purpose of Job

• To provide strategic company secretarial and governance support to an allocated portfolio of South African and international subsidiaries, joint ventures and governance structures within the Mining, Energy and International Subsidiaries portfolio. The role is responsible for ensuring effective governance practices, compliance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements, implementation of Sasol governance standards, and the efficient functioning of boards and committees. The role serves as a trusted governance adviser to directors, management and stakeholders and contributes to the enhancement of governance effectiveness across the Group's subsidiary portfolio.

Key Accountabilities

Subsidiary Governance Leadership

• Lead the delivery of company secretarial and governance services for an allocated portfolio of South African and international subsidiaries, joint ventures and governance structures.
• Ensure the consistent application of Sasol governance frameworks, policies, standards and delegated authority structures.
• Advise directors and management on governance, fiduciary duties, statutory obligations and governance best practice.
• Support sound decision-making through the provision of timely governance advice and recommendations.
• Maintain an accurate understanding of governance developments affecting the allocated portfolio.

Board and Committee Governance

• Act as secretary to allocated boards and committees.
• Manage annual board and committee workplans and meeting calendars.
• Coordinate the preparation and quality review of agendas, meeting packs, resolutions and governance documentation.
• Attend meetings and ensure the accurate recording of proceedings, decisions and action items.
• Monitor implementation of board and committee resolutions and agreed actions.
• Support director induction, governance education and ongoing board development initiatives.
• Promote governance best practice and continuous improvement in governance processes

International Subsidiary Governance

• Coordinate governance activities across multiple jurisdictions through engagement with local directors, service providers and external legal advisers.
• Monitor compliance with local statutory requirements and regulatory obligations applicable to foreign entities.
• Ensure that international entities remain aligned with Sasol governance standards and reporting requirements.
• Oversee governance activities performed by external company secretarial service providers and monitor performance against agreed service standards.
• Escalate material governance, compliance or regulatory matters where appropriate.

Governance Assurance and Risk Management

• Support the implementation and continuous enhancement of subsidiary governance frameworks.
• Apply risk-based governance principles to determine appropriate governance oversight for entities within the portfolio.
• Contribute to governance assurance activities and governance maturity assessments across subsidiaries.
• Identify governance risks, compliance risks and emerging regulatory developments and recommend mitigation actions.
• Monitor and report on governance compliance and governance effectiveness within the allocated portfolio.

Corporate Transactions and Structural Governance

• Support mergers, acquisitions, disposals, restructurings, financings and other corporate actions from a governance and statutory compliance perspective.
• Facilitate the establishment, amendment and closure of legal entities in accordance with applicable legal and governance requirements.
• Lead governance aspects of entity rationalisation, deregistration and liquidation projects.
• Coordinate governance approvals, resolutions and filings associated with corporate transactions

Oversight of Outsourced Governance and Trust Administration Services

• Manage relationships with external governance and trust administration service providers.
• Monitor service delivery and compliance with contractual and governance requirements.
• Maintain oversight of trust governance structures administered by external service providers.
• Keep abreast of developments, governance matters and emerging risks relating to trust structures within the portfolio.
• Coordinate reporting, governance reviews and escalation of significant matters impacting outsourced governance arrangements

Stakeholder Management

• Build and maintain effective relationships with directors, executives, legal teams, finance teams, external advisers and regulators.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for governance matters across the allocated portfolio.
• Facilitate effective communication between boards, committees, management and external stakeholders.
• Influence and support a culture of ethical leadership and sound governance practices.

Continuous Improvement

• Identify opportunities to simplify, standardise and strengthen governance processes.
• Promote the adoption of technology and digital governance solutions to enhance governance effectiveness.
• Contribute to governance transformation initiatives and strategic projects within Company Secretarial Services.
• Share governance knowledge and best practices across the function.

Formal Education

Minimum

• Bachelor's Degree in Law, Commerce, Corporate Governance or a related field.
• Relevant postgraduate qualification.

Preferred

• Chartered Governance Professional (CGISA/CGI) qualification.
• Postgraduate qualification in Corporate Law, Governance or Business Administration

Min Experience

• 12 years' experience in company secretarial, corporate governance, legal or related roles.
• Significant experience supporting boards and committees.
• Experience in corporate governance, statutory compliance and regulatory affairs.

Competencies
Technical Competencies

• Corporate Governance – King V
• Companies Act and Corporate Law
• Regulatory Compliance
• Board and Committee Governance
• Governance Assurance and Risk Management
• Corporate Transactions
• Drafting and Minute Taking

Behavioural Competencies

• Strategic Thinking
• Influencing and Advisory Skills
• Stakeholder Management
• Commercial Awareness
• Sound Judgement
• Attention to Detail
• Resilience
• Collaboration
• Communication Skills
• Integrity and Professionalism