At the 15^th Annual FISA Conference sponsored by Hollard Court Bonds, held at the Sandton Convention Centre on 10 September, the annual FISA Chairperson’s Award was handed to Mr Aaron Roup, in recognition of his significant and major contribution to the fiduciary profession.

Mr Roup has 27 years of experience in the fiduciary industry, specialising in trusts. He held the position of Secretary of the Association of Trust Companies from January 1998 until the formation of FISA in June 2008, where he continued in the capacity of Secretary until June 2024. He served on the FISA Council from 2012 to 2025.

FISA Chairperson Mr Chris Murphy said: “Aaron was a linchpin in operationalising FISA, helping grow it to the successful professional body it is today. He went over and above the role generally performed by a secretariat.

His involvement included many aspects which included organising meetings, the AGM, Councillor elections, annual membership registrations/fees payment, conference matters, dealing with queries and complaints from the public, and other important administrative functions.

Aaron’s network of contacts is extensive and he used this to FISA’s benefit, ensuring that FISA was aligned operationally with various stakeholders. Most of all, many FISA members will attest to Aaron’s enthusiasm and “can-do” attitude. No matter how difficult the task he would always approach it with a positive frame of mind and assist with any query raised,” said Mr Murphy.

Outgoing FISA CEO, Mr Louis van Vuren, said: “Aaron’s relationships with members and his memory about who fits in where in the different corporates and where members worked before and how and where they moved and what their maiden names were, was encyclopaedic.”

Mr Roup is an FPSA^® and is a Fellow of the Chartered Governance Institute of Southern Africa.

More about the FISA Chairperson’s Award

The award is given annually to the person who, in the estimation of the FISA Chairperson and the FISA Council, has made a remarkable and significant contribution to the fiduciary profession. Nominations are called for in the months leading up to the FISA Conference. No sitting FISA Councilor or any employee of or contractor to FISA is eligible. See past winners here.