Executive Head: Group Corporate Finance at Sanlam Group

Who are we?

Sanlam was established as a life insurance company in South Africa but has since transformed into a diversified financial services group that operates across the African continent, India, Malaysia and selected developed markets, with listings on the Johannesburg, A2X and Namibian stock exchanges. In 2018 the Group celebrated its centenary as well as 20 years since demutualisation and listing in South Africa and Namibia. Sanlam is one of the 50 largest internationally active insurance groups in the world with a presence in 44 countries and has the biggest non-banking financial services footprint on the African continent.

The five business clusters (Personal Finance, Investments, Emerging Markets, Corporate, and Short-term insurance) house the Group’s business operations. The Group Office serves as the ‘glue’ that keeps the Group together by providing strategic direction and support to the five clusters to assist them in meeting their business objectives. The Group Office is responsible for the Group’s centralised functions, which include: Finance, Actuarial and Risk Management, Information Technology, Human Resources, Market Development and Brand Services.

What will you do?

• This role supports the execution of the Sanlam Group strategy through value-enhancing corporate activity. This includes identifying, evaluating, negotiating and, if approved, executing equity-related transactions. These would include multi and single asset acquisitions, mergers, disposals or other investments or engagements with minority shareholders to enhance the portfolio of strategic investments/businesses. The role provides a service to the Group Office (Sanlam Group managed transactions), as well as the business clusters in support of the cluster-level corporate activity.

What will make you successful in this role?
These Are The Key Outcomes Expected From This Role

• Identify and pursue potential transactions in support of the Sanlam corporate strategy.
• Screen proposals for initial review and prepare or oversee the preparation of preliminary review with a key focus on overall value assessment.
• Analyses and evaluates opportunities, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, start-ups, restructurings and disposals, internally generated or presented to the Sanlam Group against the Sanlam strategy and risk/return targets. The analysis will include:
  • Detailed assessments of strategic rationale;
  • Financial impact and shareholder value creation potential;
  • Transaction and implementation risks;
  • Funding alternatives; and
  • The impact on existing operations.
• Structuring, negotiating and closing of transactions.
• Leading the due diligence process for approved transactions.
• Makes recommendation to Exco for sign-off on the transaction, within the corporate governance framework, for further recommendation to Sanlam Board.
• Manage the coordination and implementation of transactions and projects, including:
  • Liason with business heads;
  • Liason with regulatory bodies; and
  • Managing and evaluating the financial and legal advisors output.
• Establish a network, both externally and internally, with key stakeholders.
• Provides a Corporate Finance advisory service to the business clusters.

Qualification And Experience

• CA, CMA with at least 10 years related experience
• Project management principles
• Advanced valuation skills
• Excellent working knowledge of SA Companies Act
• Excellent working knowledge of SA Competition Act and Comesa
• Excellent working knowledge of JSE Listing Requirements and SARB regulations
• Good working knowledge of regulatory environment, including SA Insurance Act, Financial Sector Code, Insider trading regulations across various jurisdictions

Knowledge And Skills
Strategic level knowledge and experience in the following core areas:

• Financial and Economic Analysis
• Project future revenues and expenses
• Financial Risk Management
• Reporting