Renowned and accomplished industry specialist Jurie Strydom has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of Old Mutual, a premium African financial services group, subject to the requisite regulatory approvals. The appointment follows a rigorous and expedited process by the Old Mutual Board. On 17 February, it was announced that current CEO Iain Williamson would retire as CEO and executive director on 31 August 2025.

Strydom (49) is currently an Independent non-executive director on the Old Mutual Board.  

“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,” said Old Mutual Board of Directors Chairperson, Trevor Manuel.

“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. 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.”  

“It gives me great pleasure to make this announcement in the milestone month that we celebrate Old Mutual’s 180th birthday. This great organisation has been led by many exceptional individuals over the decades, now we pass that baton from one of those leaders, to the next.”

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. A highly experienced leader with decades of top management and board experience in financial services and insurance, he has served as CEO of Sanlam Life and Savings, Regent Insurance Group, Alexander Forbes Life, and was Executive Director at Imperial Holdings.

“It is a great privilege to be appointed as the CEO of Old Mutual at an exciting time in the company’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.

To ensure a smooth transition, he will begin working closely with Williamson until Old Mutual’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) concludes on 30 May 2025, and he will officially assume the CEO role on 1 June 2025. Williamson will continue as board director until the conclusion of the AGM; and then remain available to advise and support the CEO and Board until his retirement.

Manuel thanked Williamson for his outstanding leadership, dedication and resilience. Williamson has spent 32 years with the Old Mutual Group, the last five as CEO.

“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”.

“Jurie has shared his deep commitment to building on this strong foundation, driving operational excellence and ensuring that Old Mutual remains at the forefront of financial services innovation. As he steps into his new role, I have no doubt that he will inspire confidence and lead our organisation to greater heights,” concluded Manuel.