Nicholas Dempsey, Executive, Old Mutual Insure

Old Mutual Insure is pleased to announce the appointment of Tandiwe Cimela as Executive: Elite, effective 1 April 2026.

Tandiwe brings nearly two decades of experience across the short-term insurance value chain. Her career, which began in Marine and Liability in 2007, spans bancassurance, broker environments, insurer operations, cell captives, and regulatory and business engagements across the Rest of Africa. This extensive experience positions her strongly to lead Elite in the high-net-worth market.

Since joining Old Mutual Insure in 2022, Tandiwe has played an instrumental role in strengthening Elite’s operational backbone, elevating governance, and enhancing service delivery and broker experience. As Chief Operations Officer, she has helped to reinforce Elite’s leadership position in the high-net-worth space and drive operational excellence.

Tandiwe succeeds Tarina Vlok, co-founder and Managing Director of Elite, who retires at the end of March 2026.

Tarina leaves an exceptional legacy. As one of the architects of Elite’s original value proposition, she has been central to establishing Elite as a trusted, specialist offering in the high-net-worth segment. Her deep industry insight, unwavering commitment to clients, and strong partnerships with brokers have been fundamental to Elite’s distinctive reputation. Under her leadership, Elite successfully navigated a period of significant market and climate volatility, whilst preserving the brand’s hallmark quality and customer focus.

So, as we pause and reflect, please join me in expressing our sincere gratitude to Tarina for her outstanding leadership, commitment, and vision. We wish her all the very best in her well-earned retirement.

Additionally, I would like to acknowledge and congratulate Tandiwe on her appointment, and we are confident that, under her leadership, Elite will continue to strengthen its position and deliver innovative, client-centred solutions.

Wishing you both all the success.