Jurie Strydom (pictured) is the chief executive designate of Old Mutual, replacing Iain Williamson, who will step down after five years at the helm of the financial services group.
The board’s decision follows the announcement in February that Williamson would retire as CEO and executive director on 31 August 2025 – ending a 32-year career with the group.
Strydom (49) is currently an independent non-executive director on the Old Mutual board. His appointment is subject to regulatory approval.
Old Mutual’s directors conducted “a rigorous and expedited process” to appoint a CEO to lead the company through its next phase of growth and innovation, the company said in a SENS announcement on Friday.
“The board’s Corporate Governance and Nominations Committee considered numerous excellent internal and external candidates and was supported by a leading executive search firm.”
Trevor Manuel, the chairperson of Old Mutual, said: “The board was looking for an experienced financial services CEO with strategic grip, an exceptional operational track record, and who had led diverse teams, driven successful transformation, and understood financial technology – and we found someone who ticked these boxes.”
A qualified actuary and graduate of the University of Cape Town, Strydom also holds an MBA from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and qualified as a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) from the CFA Institute in the United States.
Old Mutual described Strydom as a highly experienced leader with decades of top management and board experience in financial services and insurance. He has served as chief executive of Sanlam Life and Savings, Regent Insurance Group, and Alexander Forbes Life, and he was executive director at Imperial Holdings.
Strydom is a fintech entrepreneur and is the chairperson and majority shareholder of FSPHub, a practice management platform for financial services providers. Old Mutual said FSPHub does not currently conduct business with Old Mutual, and Strydom intends to step down from its board to focus on his new role.
To ensure a smooth transition, Strydom will immediately begin working with Williamson until Old Mutual’s annual general meeting concludes on 30 May, and he will officially assume the CEO role on 1 June.
Williamson will continue as a director until the conclusion of the AGM, and he will remain available to advise and support Strydom and the board until his retirement, Old Mutual said.
“Jurie is a proven leader with outstanding experience of building and leading diverse teams at large and complex insurance and financial services companies. As a board member, Jurie has demonstrated exceptional strategic vision and has a clear focus on the critical business levers necessary to implement the company’s strategic priorities, enhance our market position, and achieve growing profitability,” Manuel said.
“He is highly regarded in the industry as a leader who can deliver operational efficiencies, disciplined capital allocation, and continue implementing the financial technology and product innovations that serve our clients and business partners. As CEO, his well-established network of strategic relationships will continue to benefit Old Mutual.”
Strydom said it was “a great privilege” to be appointed as chief executive “at an exciting time” in Old Mutual’s history.
“The company has a strong foundation, exceptional, and diverse talent, a proud history, and a promising future as a provider of innovative insurance, banking, and financial services products that create value for our customers and contribute to our country’s shared prosperity. I look forward to working with my colleagues and engaging with the diverse range of partners and stakeholders who work with us to drive strategic implementation, innovation, operational resilience, and financial performance,” said Strydom.
Manuel thanked Williamson for his leadership, dedication, and resilience.
“Iain has been a true leader, consistently stepping up to provide calm and firm direction whenever the company faced challenges or while the country was in crisis, as happened during the Covid-19 pandemic. Under his leadership, Old Mutual has become a strong, resilient, and innovative company that embraces new technology and is expanding into new areas of financial services and banking. We thank and recognise Iain for his leadership over many years, and for his continued support for Old Mutual,” he said.
