Strate successfully implemented the SWIFT Standards Release Guide (SRG) 2014 on the
weekend of 15-16 November 2014.
Non-executive Director
BSc Hons (Actuarial Science, Mathematical Statistics, Financial Markets), Associate Fellow of the Actuarial Society
Bhulesh is an actuary who joined the FirstRand group in 2007, holding various roles across group treasury and Rand Merchant Bank’s (RMB) global markets business. His responsibilities have included managing the group’s financial resources capital, funding, liquidity, asset and liability management and foreign exchange risk. He has experience in capital markets execution, structured finance and fixed income portfolio management.
His interests include financial sector policy, market development and aligning the financial system to better support the needs of the real economy.
Independent Non-executive Director
BCom (UL), PGDip (Financial Accounting)(UCT), BCom (Hons) (UND), PGDip (Auditing)(UCT), CA(SA)
Mathukana is a qualified chartered accountant with diverse work experience in corporate finance and financial management. Mathukana serves on various other boards and governance forums, including as an independent non-executive director of Sanlam Limited, City Lodge Hotel Group and STADIO Holdings Limited. She is a member of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) and the Institute of Directors South Africa (IODSA).
Non-executive Director
BCom (Wits), MBA (Gibs)
Rajesh is the Head: Investor Services and Bank Sector for Standard Bank’s Transaction Banking business. With over 28 years’ experience in banking, Rajesh has worked for two local banks and one international bank, predominantly in securities services.
Rajesh has a wealth of experience in the securities services industry in the South African market and across other markets in sub-Saharan Africa. He has held senior leadership positions in various disciplines within the securities service business including Head of Business Development, Head of Product Management, Head of Investor Services in Africa regions, South Africa and Group.
Rajesh gained extensive experience in foreign exchange and money market products across sub-Saharan Africa through a regional leadership role in FX and money market sales at an international bank. He also headed Standard Bank’s Cash Management business in South Africa for two years.
During his banking career, Rajesh participated in and led the delivery of large technology and change programmes, including channel solutions, processing systems, structural and product changes.
Non-executive Director
BCom (Wits), MBA (Gibs)
Rajesh is the Head: Investor Services and Bank Sector for Standard Bank’s Transaction Banking business. With over 28 years’ experience in banking, Rajesh has worked for two local banks and one international bank, predominantly in securities services.
Rajesh has a wealth of experience in the securities services industry in the South African market and across other markets in sub-Saharan Africa. He has held senior leadership positions in various disciplines within the securities service business including Head of Business Development, Head of Product Management, Head of Investor Services in Africa regions, South Africa and Group.
Rajesh gained extensive experience in foreign exchange and money market products across sub-Saharan Africa through a regional leadership role in FX and money market sales at an international bank. He also headed Standard Bank’s Cash Management business in South Africa for two years.
During his banking career, Rajesh participated in and led the delivery of large technology and change programmes, including channel solutions, processing systems, structural and product changes.
Non-executive Director (alternate)
MCom (UJ), MCom (Wits), CA(SA), MBA (Gibs), PhD Finance (in progress) (EDHEC, France)
Hendrik Fourie is an experienced financial professional with extensive expertise in institutional banking. He currently serves as Head of Institutional Client Group at RMB, where he oversees global teams managing client strategy. He has held various roles, including Head of Client Strategy and Head of Invest, responsible for managing investment strategies across Africa, the UK and the US, and co-Head of Global Securities Services, where he led strategic expansion and product innovations.
Independent Non-executive Director
BSc Mathematics and Applied Mathematics (Hons), MSc Applied Mathematics (cum laude)(SU), CFA charterholder
Helena Conradie is a seasoned business leader and former CEO of Satrix, the leading index-tracking business in South Africa. Helena led the indexation business from 2000, starting with a small quantitative team managing the first exchange traded fund (ETF) in South Africa, to a diversified business offering ETFs, unit trusts and segregated portfolios across the retail and institutional space. Helena co-founded TenFour Partners in 2022.
Independent Non-executive Director
BSc Mathematics and Applied Mathematics (Honours), MSc Applied Mathematics (cum laude)(SU), CFA charter holder
Helena is former CEO of Satrix, the leading provider of index-tracking products in South Africa, wholly owned by the Sanlam Group. Since joining Sanlam Investments in 2000, Helena has built up a highly regarded indexation business, which has over R140 billion in assets under management. Her team also manages the largest equity portfolio of Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) in South Africa. Under her strategic leadership, Satrix has built up a formidable offering of both vanilla, factor and global products, which are available in the retail and institutional markets across ETF, unit trust and segregated portfolios
Independent Non-executive Director
BCom (Wits)
Mark has extensive experience in financial markets, having worked in several roles across the investment banking, capital market and asset management businesses within the Sanlam Group. Mark spent 26 years in the Sanlam Group, serving as the CEO of Sanlam Capital Markets and subsequently as CEO of Sanlam Specialised Finance. He has held several positions as a board member of divisional companies and on governance committees.
Independent Non-executive Director
MBA (Wits Business School) BCom (UKZN)
Kabelo Makwane has more than two decades of experience transforming the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) landscape. As the Country Director of Google South Africa, he leads the company’s presence, acting as its public face and fostering strategic partnerships with businesses, government and consumers. Makwane’s extensive background includes directing Vodacom Business’s Cloud, Hosting and Security division and leading Accenture’s BPO business across Africa and its Cloud/Technology Consulting. He also served as Microsoft’s Nigeria Country Managing Director and held regional leadership roles at Cisco and Unisys Africa, gaining a holistic view of the ICT sector.
Beyond Google, Makwane serves on various boards as a non-executive director in financial services, technology and the public sector.
Independent Non-executive Director
BBusSc (UCT), BCom (Hons)(RAU), CA(SA), CD(SA)
Louisa is a chartered accountant, chartered director and independent trader. She is an experienced independent non-executive director serving a number of listed and unlisted companies. Louisa has experience in investment banking and private equity..
Independent Non-executive Director
BSc Mathematics and Applied Mathematics (Honours), MSc Applied Mathematics (cum laude)(SU), CFA charter holder
Helena is former CEO of Satrix, the leading provider of index-tracking products in South Africa, wholly owned by the Sanlam Group. Since joining Sanlam Investments in 2000, Helena has built up a highly regarded indexation business, which has over R140 billion in assets under management. Her team also manages the largest equity portfolio of Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) in South Africa. Under her strategic leadership, Satrix has built up a formidable offering of both vanilla, factor and global products, which are available in the retail and institutional markets across ETF, unit trust and segregated portfolios
Non-executive Director
BCom (Wits), MBA (Gibs)
Rajesh is the Head: Investor Services and Bank Sector for Standard Bank’s Transaction Banking business. With over 28 years’ experience in banking, Rajesh has worked for two local banks and one international bank, predominantly in securities services.
Rajesh has a wealth of experience in the securities services industry in the South African market and across other markets in sub-Saharan Africa. He has held senior leadership positions in various disciplines within the securities service business including Head of Business Development, Head of Product Management, Head of Investor Services in Africa regions, South Africa and Group.
Rajesh gained extensive experience in foreign exchange and money market products across sub-Saharan Africa through a regional leadership role in FX and money market sales at an international bank. He also headed Standard Bank’s Cash Management business in South Africa for two years.
During his banking career, Rajesh participated in and led the delivery of large technology and change programmes, including channel solutions, processing systems, structural and product changes.
Sameera Dada is Strate’s Chief Financial Officer. Previously, she held the position of chief risk officer at Ashburton Investments. Prior to that she held numerous roles including heading risk management at MMI Investments and Savings and serving as a financial and investment risk manager at Momentum Asset Management.
André Nortjé is Strate’s Chief Executive Officer. He has over 20 years of executive management experience across multiple financial services disciplines and across multiple jurisdictions with a deep understanding of financial markets from both the buy and sell side. Before joining Strate, André held numerous executive roles ranging from treasurer of a commercial bank to chief operating officer positions for several investment management businesses in South Africa and the United Kingdom.
Strate Charity Shares
Strate Charity Shares (SCS) is an independent non-profit organisation, and joint market initiative from Strate, the JSE, ComputerShare and PSG who provide their services for free to realise the value locked up in odd lots of unwanted securities that could be used to support charitable causes.
It started with David Cobbett, a stockbroker, who had the idea of mobilising the millions of rands locked up in odd lots of shares in listed companies and using the funds for good causes. In 2001, he asked Tom Wixley, recently retired Ernst & Young chairman at the time, to help him make this dream a reality.
Market-wide engagement followed including with the Department of Social Welfare and the South African Revenue Service (SARS) who agreed that the value of any shares donated may be deducted from taxable income, as the scheme is registered under section 18A of the Income Tax Act.
Since its formation, Strate Charity Shares has given over R10 million to worthy causes that would otherwise have remained unused.
To view the Strate Charity Shares funding and reporting guidelines, click here
Strate Charity Shares
Strate Charity Shares (SCS) is an independent non-profit organisation, and joint market initiative from Strate, the JSE, ComputerShare and PSG who provide their services for free to realise the value locked up in odd lots of unwanted securities that could be used to support charitable causes.
It started with David Cobbett, a stockbroker, who had the idea of mobilising the millions of rands locked up in odd lots of shares in listed companies and using the funds for good causes. In 2001, he asked Tom Wixley, recently retired Ernst & Young chairman at the time, to help him make this dream a reality.
Market-wide engagement followed including with the Department of Social Welfare and the South African Revenue Service (SARS) who agreed that the value of any shares donated may be deducted from taxable income, as the scheme is registered under section 18A of the Income Tax Act.
Since its formation, Strate Charity Shares has given worthy causes over R10 million that would otherwise have remained unused.
To view the Strate Charity Shares funding and reporting guidelines, click here
Chief Executive Officer
BCom (Hons) Financial Management (UP), MCom Finance (cum laude)(Unisa)
André has over 30 years’ industry experience, most recently as the chief operating officer at Momentum Investments. Former roles include chief operating officers of Momentum Asset Management and the fixed income, equity and solutions businesses at Ignis Asset Management in London.
Samantha Cooper is Head of Human Capital and Transformation. She has extensive experience in Human Capital Management. Samantha is a registered psychometrist and an accredited life coach. Before joining Strate, Samantha held a number of senior roles within the South African financial services sector.
Pheona Härtel is Head of Risk, Legal and Compliance. She is experienced in overseeing risk disciplines and has worked for several blue-chip financial organisations in South Africa where, among other things, she has led operational process re-engineering; implemented, and expanded upon, compliance and governance principles; championed Treating Customers Fairly objectives; and provided strategic risk and governance inputs to CEOs and executives.
Beverley Furman is Head of Operations, responsible for operationalising Strate’s key services in a world-class manner. Bev, who has over 20 years’ experience in the financial markets, partners with Strate’s service heads to ensure operational delivery in an efficient, risk-aware and future-proof manner. She is also responsible for Strate’s change management capability. Previously, Bev was the Head of Strate Supervision, which she created in 2001 to supervise and monitor compliance by CSD Participants with South Africa’s securities legislation and the Financial Markets Act.
Rudi Steenkamp is Head of Technology and Data Management. He oversees the entire IT function of Strate. Since joining the company through Strate’s merger with UNEXcor in 2003, Rudi has worked in the IT space for over 16 years. With one of the most advanced and sophisticated IT infrastructures for a CSD, Strate has achieved 99.995% uptime for the last four years and is one of the top 2% users of the SWIFT Network internationally.
Farzana Khan is Head of Collateral Services and Trade Repository. She most recently headed Rand Merchant Bank’s securities lending division and has over 22 years’ experience in the financial sector. Prior to Rand Merchant Bank, she held posts at Merrill Lynch S.A. and Standard Corporate & Merchant Bank. She is a registered securities trader with the JSE Securities Exchange, holds the designation for the Settlement Officer’s Exam and has the International Capital Markets Qualification from the South African Institute of Financial Markets.
Gregory Naicker is Head of CSD Services. He has built up a career of over 20 years at Strate and has substantial institutional knowledge of the business, stakeholders and the markets, both in South Africa and internationally. His passion for Strate has led him to build credibility with internal and external stakeholders across the market.
Non-executive Director
BSocSci Philosophy, PGDip Management (UCT)
Chris joined Absa in March 2010 where he is a Managing Principal and Head of the Prime Services and Passive Funds businesses. Prior to joining Absa, Chris spent 11 years with Morgan Stanley, based in London and then Hong Kong. During this time, he held a variety of positions, including responsibility for the distribution within the Prime Brokerage & Listed Derivatives businesses. Chris is a Director of Absa Stockbrokers.
Independent Non-executive Chairman
BCom (Hons) (Rhodes) CIA, CA(SA), MBL (Unisa)
Nigel is a specialist in audit and risk matters along with substantial corporate structuring expertise. He serves as a non-executive director on a number of boards and is the Lead Independent Director of BidCorp Limited, the Chairman of Vukile Property Fund Ltd and Mr Price Group Limited and a former member of the King Committee.
Lead Independent Non-executive Director
BProc, LLM (UCT)
Keith is an experienced lawyer in takeovers and mergers, private equity, corporate restructuring, black economic empowerment transactions, exchange control regulations, commercial law contracts and stock exchange listings. He also advises corporate clients nationally and internationally on corporate and commercial matters. Keith is a director of Mr Price Group Limited and Trematon Capital Investments Limited.
Chief Financial Officer
BCom (Hons) Accounting (UKZN), CA(SA), MComm Accounting (Wits), PGDip Business Practice (Henley Business School)
Sameera is Strate’s Chief Financial Officer. She was previously chief risk officer at Ashburton Investments and headed Risk Management at MMI Investments and Savings. She has served as a financial and investment risk manager at Momentum Asset Management, among other roles.
Chief Executive Officer
BCom (Hons) Financial Management (UP), MCom Finance (cum laude)(Unisa)
André has over 30 years’ industry experience, most recently as the chief operating officer at Momentum Investments. Former roles include chief operating officers of Momentum Asset Management and the fixed income, equity and solutions businesses at Ignis Asset Management in London.
Non-executive Director (alternate)
BCom (Wits) BCom Hons (Unisa) CA(SA)
Christine Clark has over 30 years’ experience within the financial markets sector, and specifically in corporate and investment banking. Currently, she holds the position of Global Markets Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Rand Merchant Bank. She was at Absa (formerly Barclays Bank) for eight years, serving in a number of roles in the Corporate and Investment Bank division including Managing Director: Global Markets COO as well as Director: Group Treasury COO of Banking – Group Treasury. Previously, she has worked at Citigroup, Gensec Bank (now Sanlam Capital). Riskworx and African Merchant Bank. Christine has extensive experience in financial markets, fixed income, regulatory change and compliance and risk management.
Company Secretary
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Non-executive Director
BSc (Hons) Computer Science (Edinburgh, Scotland), Fellow (South African Institute of Financial Markets)
Stuart Yates held a long-established career in financial markets, having first joined the industry through specialised bond trading in 1979. He has held multiple roles in the financial sector including as the Banking Association’s member on the Bond Market Association and a member of the design team for SAFEX. After joining Rand Merchant Bank in 1992, he developed a treasury outsourcing business, headed HR during the FNB merger and was the bank’s representative on Strate’s board for six years. He is currently an independent non-executive director serving on a number of boards.
Non-executive Director (alternate)
BCom (Hons) (Unisa)
As CIB Client Service and Digital: Executive Client Delivery at Nedbank, Louise Currie focuses on enhancing the client experience through transforming the operating juristic model by steering digitisation at employee and client level.
Louise has over 25 years’ experience in the investment and custodial world, locally and internationally. She began her career in the financial industry in project management focusing on productivity studies in the commercial banking environment. She has been involved in the establishment of the bond market for South Africa and getting South Africa and the local banks ready for the dematerialisation of equities. She went on to take leadership roles in client and operations management on the investment side.
Financial Derivatives & Regulations, Securities Institute Certificate (UK)
Independent non-executive Director
Marilyn Ramplin has international experience as a trader and investment banker, with expertise in, among others, over-the-counter derivatives, collateral management, risk management, credit counterparty risk, collective investments and hedge funds. She is the founder of the Hedge Fund Academy in South Africa, serves as an independent non-executive member of the JSE Clear Risk Committee and is an independent executive director of several companies including RMB CIS Manco, Ashburton Investments, Investment Solutions and JSE Clear.
CA(SA), University of Pretoria
Non-executive Director
Charl Bruyns is the Head Financial Institutions and Investor Services for Standard Bank, where he has worked for 12 years in the investment management and banking business, serving as head of the quantitative analytics team and headed the fund valuations team. During his career at Standard Bank, he has fulfilled the role of chief financial officer (CFO) of the Corporate and Investment Bank business in Africa, CFO and chief operating officer for the Transactional Products and Services business, and treasurer for the African business.
Non-executive Director
BCom Accounting (Wits) CA(SA)
Fawzia Suliman, JSE Group Chief Financial Officer, has a wealth of experience spanning over 25 years in the financial services industry in varying senior positions.
She joined the JSE in January 2023, where she leads the finance division and serves as a member of the group executive committee. Fawzia is responsible for group strategy and mergers and acquisitions. She serves on the board of the JSE and as joint executive director of JSE Limited with the JSE Group CEO, Leila Fourie.
Fawzia was previously an executive for special projects at Stanlib and held management roles at Credit Suisse, Macquarie First South and Mazi Macquarie Securities. She was nominated as CEO of the Year 2018 by the Association of Black Securities Investment Professionals (ABSIP).
MCom (Tax), University of Natal, CA(SA)
Independent Non-Executive director
Daisy Naidoo serves as an independent non-executive director on the boards of, among others, Anglo American Platinum, ABSA Group Limited, ABSA Financial Services Limited, Mr Price Group Limited, Hudaco Industries, Omnia Holdings and Redefine Properties Limited. Prior to this, she spent nine years with Santam Capital Markets. She is a member of the Tax Court of South Africa and a trustee of the Discovery Health Medical Scheme. She also provides risk advisory services and serves on the investment and credit committees of numerous funds.
Independent Non-executive Director
BASocSci (Swaziland), MSc Economic Policy and Analysis (Addis Ababa), Professional Certificates (Harvard)
Elias has extensive experience across a number of industries. He served as the commissioner of the 1st & 2nd National Planning Commission and was the chairman of the V&A Waterfront until end January 2020. He is current Chairman of Capital Harvest, Impact Investing South Africa and Sanlam. He serves as a member of the boards of Multichoice Group, Multichoice SA, Alternative Prosperity Holdings, Future Planet Capital in London and Strate. He was also a member of the boards of the South African Reserve Bank, the Government Employee Pension Fund, Airports Company SA, Economic Research Southern Africa and the UN Global Compact Board and chairman of the (UNGC) SA Local Network..
Non-executive Director
BSc (Mathematics, Chemistry), PhD (Chemistry)(UCT)
Alicia is the CEO of JSE Clear and the Director of Post Trade Services at JSE Limited (since 2016). She is experienced in strategy, risk and capital management and financial services through various roles at JSE, Standard Bank, Discovery, Accenture and AECI.
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