FRED ROBERTSON

Chairman

A highly respected figure in South African business community. Fred has broad experience in the global business environment with directorship at Remgro, Old Mutual Life Assurance Company SA (OMLACSA), AON SA (Pty) Ltd, AON Re (Pty) Ltd and Arabella. He is the Executive Director and co-founder of Brimstone and currently serves as Chairman of Lion of Africa Life Assurance, Lion Of Africa Insurance, Sea Harvest Holdings (Pty) Ltd and House of Monatic. Fred is also a Trustee of the Business Trust, an initiative focused on job creation and human capacity development.

FAIZEL CARIEM

CEO

Bachelor of Commerce Honours (Accounting) – UKZN

Faizel joined Commlife Holdings as the Group Financial Accountant in 2008 after completing his audit articels at Mazars. He continued in that role until 2013 at which point he was appointed the the board of Commlife Holdings as an Executive Director.

Faizel holds directorship on several of the group’s subsidiaries, including Lion of Africa Life Assurance Company as an CEO.

DARROCH FAUGHT

Non-Executive Director

Darroch joined the board of Lion of Africa Assurance Company in October 2022. He is a qualified actuary with both the South African and American actuarial societies, and has over 25 years of experience in European and South African insurance and reinsurance markets, having worked for Swiss Re since 1993. He has been the Chief Actuary at Swiss Re Africa for over ten years. In 2022 he left Swiss Re to start a consulting career.

A Canadian by birth, Darroch has Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics and Computer Science from McGill University in Montreal and a Doctorate in Mathematics from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. He has lived in Cape Town since 2002.

NISAAR PANGARKER

Non-Executive Director

Nisaar joined Brimstone Investment Corporation Limited in 1995 as a member of the Investment management team, which led the company to its JSE listing in 1998. Nisaar is a Managing Executive of Brimstone Investment Corporation Limited. He joined Commlife Holdings in 2002 when it acquired the APO Burial Society and joined the Board of Lion of Africa Life Assurance Company in 2007. He founded Lion of Africa Fund Managers in 2002. Nisaar is a Non-Executive Director of Commlife Holdings, serving on many of the group’s Boards and committees. He is a board member and member of the investment committee of the Masisizane Fund. He also serves on the boards of African Peoples Investment Company, Die Suidoosterfees and Smile 90.4FM. Nisaar serves as trustee of the Ilima Trust. He holds a BBusSc (Finance Honours) degree from the University of Cape Town and a MBA from the University of Stellenbosch.

LYNN WITTEN

Non-Executive Director

Lynn Witten joined Lion of Africa Life Assurance Company as Non-Executive Director in July 2010, bringing with her over 20 years’ experience in the Life Assurance industry. She has served Metropolitan Odyssey and Metropolitan’s Retail Executive Team in senior management roles and holds an MBA from the Graduate School of Business at the University of Cape Town. In 2007, Lynne launched her private management consultancy specialising in executive coaching.

KARI LAGLER

Independent Non-Executive Director

Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) (Taxation), PGDA, BCom – UCT

Kari joined the board of Lion of Africa Assurance Company in August 2019. She has over 25 years of business experience, with a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Cape Town (UCT). In 1991, she completed a Post-graduate Diploma in Accounting at UCT and joined KPMG where she qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1995.

In 1996 Kari obtained an Honours degree in Taxation and was appointed as a Tax Partner at KPMG in 1999. She moved to Old Mutual Corporate Tax in 2000 where she spent the next five years advising on a wide range of tax-related issues and in 2005 was appointed as General Manager of Old Mutual Corporate. In 2009 she took up independent consulting and is currently serving as an accountant member of the Western Cape Tax Court, as well as practicing as a tax practitioner and professional trustee.

MIKHAIL ROBERTSON

Executive Director

Mikhail joined the board of Lion of Africa Life Assurance Company in June 2018. He has served Lion Life in different management roles since 2006 and holds a BComm degree and MBA from University of Cape Town. He is also the Executive Director of Lion Sports Management.