FIA Board
The FIA Board of Directors is elected by members. We operate nationally in four regions through 25 branches.
LEADERSHIP
The FIA is a non-profit organisation founded and funded by members
Lizelle van der Merwe
Chief Executive Officer
Butsi
Tladi
President
Theo-Niel
McDonald
Vice President
Nicola Iozzo
Regional Director: Rand Region
Mercia van der Walt
Regional Director: Northern Region
Philip Faure
Regional Director: Coastal Region
Wayne Axford
Regional Director: Central Region
Leon Swart
Director
Peter Olyott
Director
Prabashni Naidoo
Director
Ronald King
Director
Anton Swanepoel
Chair: Financial Planning Exco
Barry Taylor
Chair: Non-Life Exco
Dicky Pillay
Chair: Transformation Exco
George Dell
Chair: Discretionary Investment Management Exco
Greg Setzkorn
Chair: Healthcare Exco
Phil Britz
Chair: Employee Benefits Exco
Riaan Geldenhuys
Chair: Advisory Council
STRUCTURE
Secretariat
The FIA is supported by a team of full-time employees with the main office in Centurion and representation throughout the country.
National Advisory Council
The national advisory council is made up of the FIA’s branch chairs and vice chairs. The council is the advisory representative body of the members.
Executive committees
There are six executive portfolio committees – representing short-term insurance, financial planning, healthcare, employee benefits, transformation and investments. The additional sub-committees include membership and training and education.
These committees consist of industry experts who meet quarterly to address legislative and regulatory matters governing their respective insurance disciplines, as well as any other issues or opportunities that can impact on our members.
Healthcare Committee
The healthcare committee focuses on medical schemes and related health insurance matters, mainly on the provision of advice on funding benefits.
The committee has extensive interaction with various regulatory bodies – an especially important role considering that dual control is exercised by regulators in both the medical and financial arenas. It also liaises with administrators and risk cover providers. The healthcare committee participates in the Joint Broker Forum with several other bodies.
Financial Planning Committee
The financial planning committee oversees long-term insurance, collective investment schemes, retirement funds, assistance business and related long-term investments.
Tax, retirement and estate planning and business insurance are represented along with basic forms of risk cover. This committee frequently interacts with the Financial Planning Institute on matters of common interest.
Employee Benefits Committee
The employee benefits committee represents corporate and individual administrators. It also maintains close contact with retirement benefit bodies and is represented on several committees of the Institute of Retirement Funds and The Pension Lawyers Association.
Interaction with the Principal Officers Association and the Financial Planning Institute facilitates the promotion of common interests. A Joint Management Forum broadens representation to various authorities.
Short-term Insurance Committee
The short-term insurance committee addresses personal lines, corporate and commercial matters. The committee often works closely with the South African Insurance Association and its subsidiaries, the Insurance Institute of South Africa including the South African Crime Bureau and Fraudline.
Discretionary Investment Committee
The objective of this committee is to set professional standards for discretionary investment managers, to develop and introduce a Code of Conduct for DIM’s and to be the voice of DIM’s in South Africa.
This committee will play an integral part in the architecture of the financial services industry of the future in light of several proposals of the Retail Distribution Review which specifically refers to the Investment field.
Transformation Committee
The Transformation Executive Committee of the FIA has been established to assist the FIA to progress its transformation plan, which is a critical part of the FIA strategy.
The objective of the Committee is to assist the FIA and its members to discharge their transformation responsibilities with respect to the goals and purposes of the following:
- Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) Act;
- Employment Equity Act;
- Skills Development Act;
- The Financial Sector Code; and
- Socio-Economic Development.