How do you approach managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crises, and how does your legal strategy align with the broader business strategy to ensure the organisation’s resilience?  

I adopt a risk-based approach to managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crises. My legal strategy encompasses the following critical elements, which are closely aligned with the broader business strategy. I prioritize the rapid on-the-go identification of potential legal or regulatory risks that may arise during a crisis, ensuring that we are aware of any emerging issues as they develop. Once risks are identified, I assess and prioritize them according to their potential impact on the organisation, and the likelihood that they will occur, considering the organisation’s Risk management framework. This allows us to focus our resources on the most critical issues first. I implement practical and efficient measures to mitigate identified risks quickly, ensuring that our responses are pragmatic and proportionate to the seriousness and probability of the risks involved, considering the organisation’s Risk management framework. 

Our organization has an embedded agile culture, and my legal strategy reflects this agility, which is built on a foundation of trust. Our organisation’s manifesto is “we drive fast, but safe” and we ensure we can pivot quickly in alignment with business strategies and decisions. However, all of this is only possible if the legal function embeds itself in the business environment, which is why I prioritise fostering relationships of trust, clear lines of communication and a “physical” presence, even in this digital age. I ensure that the legal function is involved in the business strategy discussions and decision-making process, so our legal strategy is always closely aligned with the business strategy. 

What are the main cases or transactions you have been involved in recently ?  

Recently, I have been involved in several key transactions. These include the acquisition of all the issued share capital of a licensed collective investment scheme manager and the establishment and approval of three actively managed exchange-traded funds under the Collective Investment Schemes Control Act of 2002. Additionally, I worked on the listing of one of these exchange-traded funds on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). 

I also played a significant role in the first-ever amalgamation of two traditional unit trust collective investment scheme portfolios with two actively managed exchange-traded funds. Furthermore, I was involved in the winding-up of two passive exchange-traded funds. 

Another notable project I worked on was the launch of a retail securities-backed lending product, which included negotiating and executing the funding and security agreements with a large third-party funder. Additionally, I contributed to the launch of a first-of-its-kind asset-aware term life insurance policy, developed as a joint venture with one of the largest insurers in South Africa.