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Chief Executive Officer at Hollard Insurance
Hollard Insurance
October 1, 2026
Full-time
On-site
JOB SPECIFICATION
The Chief Executive Officer will have overall accountability for the strategy, commercial performance, profitability, growth and market positioning of the Hollard Group Risk business unit.
The role will lead the business across the full Group Risk value chain, including distribution, broker relationships, client management, product, underwriting, pricing, claims, reinsurance and service delivery, working closely with the Group's actuarial, finance, risk, compliance, technology and other enabling functions. The CEO will also ensure that the business unit's systems and technology capabilities are scalable, integrated and aligned to commercial, operational and customer priorities.
KEY DELIVERABLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Business Unit Strategy
Develop and execute the Hollard Group Risk business unit strategy within the broader Group strategy.
Define the business unit's growth, profitability and market positioning objectives.
Identify opportunities across Group Life, Disability, Critical Illness, Funeral and related employee-risk solutions.
Develop strategies for new business growth, retention and portfolio optimisation.
Anticipate changes in the South African Group Risk and employee-benefits market and translate these into business opportunities.
Develop competitive differentiation through proposition, service, technology, data and execution.
P&L and Commercial Performance
Own the business unit P&L and deliver agreed financial and strategic targets.
Drive sustainable premium and earnings growth.
Manage profitability across products, clients, brokers and portfolios.
Ensure disciplined pricing and underwriting including optimising expense and operating efficiency.
Monitor claims experience, persistency, new business strain and other key portfolio metrics.
Identify underperforming portfolios and implement appropriate corrective action.
Provide regular performance reporting and insight to Group executives and the Board including all appropriate governance structures.
Broker and Distribution Leadership
Build trusted, long-term relationships with major brokers and intermediaries.
Establish a clear "easy to do business with" proposition.
Understand broker requirements across pricing, underwriting, service, claims, technology and implementation.
Develop relationships at senior leadership level within major broker organisations.
Monitor broker satisfaction, retention and business flows.
Work closely with sales and distribution teams to grow targeted broker relationships.
Reinsurance Strategy and Relationships
Develop strong strategic relationships with key reinsurers.
Participate in negotiations on treaty structures, pricing, terms and capacity.
Ensure reinsurance arrangements support the business unit's growth and risk appetite.
Ensure emerging portfolio risks are appropriately considered in the reinsurance strategy.
Work with the Group's actuarial and risk functions to optimise the use of reinsurance and capital.
Maintain effective relationships with both local and international reinsurance partners.
Underwriting, Pricing and Portfolio Management
Set the commercial direction and appetite for the Hollard Group Risk portfolio within approved Group risk parameters.
Work closely with the Chief Actuary / Actuarial function on portfolio performance and pricing adequacy.
Oversee major and complex underwriting decisions.
Monitor portfolio concentration, accumulation and emerging risks.
Balance competitiveness with long-term portfolio sustainability.
Product and Proposition
Lead the development of a differentiated Hollard Group Risk proposition.
Ensure products respond to changing employer and employee needs.
Identify opportunities for innovation across Group Risk and adjacent employee-benefit propositions.
Explore opportunities to integrate risk benefits with health, wellness and retirement solutions.
Use data, technology and AI to improve underwriting, pricing, claims and customer experience.
Ensure propositions are commercially attractive while remaining operationally viable.
Client and Employer Leadership
Maintain executive relationships with major corporate clients and employer groups.
Act as executive sponsor for strategically important clients.
Participate in significant tenders, renewals and client negotiations.
Ensure client requirements are reflected in the business unit's proposition and service model.
Lead executive-level resolution of material client issues.
Claims and Customer Experience
Ensure claims capability supports the strategic positioning of the business.
Monitor claims trends and identify emerging portfolio risks.
Ensure appropriate service standards for brokers, employers and members.
Use claims insights to inform underwriting, pricing and product strategy.
Operational Excellence and Transformation
Ensure the business unit has an efficient, scalable operating model.
Partner with Group technology and operations functions to deliver business-unit priorities.
Drive appropriate digitisation, automation, analytics and AI adoption.
Ensure technology investment is aligned to measurable commercial and customer outcomes.
Governance, Risk and Regulatory Management
Operate the business unit within the Group's approved governance and risk frameworks.
Ensure compliance with applicable South African insurance and financial-services legislation and Group policies.
Ensure material risks and issues are escalated appropriately.
Participate in relevant Board and executive governance forums.
Maintain appropriate relationships with regulatory and industry stakeholders.
Promote a culture of responsible risk-taking and strong governance.
Leadership and Organisation
Lead and develop a high-performing Hollard Group Risk leadership team.
Attract and retain high-quality insurance, actuarial, underwriting, claims and commercial talent.
Develop succession plans for critical positions.
Build a culture of:
customer and broker centricity, commercial discipline, technical excellence, accountability, innovation, collaboration and continuous improvement.
Required Knowledge and Experience
Minimum 10 years' experience within the Group Risk, Life Insurance, Employee Benefits or broader Financial Services sector.
A minimum of 5 years' experience in a senior leadership capacity, including at least 3 years in an executive-level role with accountability for strategic execution, financial performance and people leadership.
Proven track record of managing a significant P&L/business portfolio and delivering sustainable growth and profitability.
Extensive experience working with brokers and employee-benefit consultants.
Strong understanding of reinsurance.
Experience across underwriting, pricing, claims and portfolio management.
Strong commercial and financial acumen.
Experience operating within a regulated financial-services environment.
Experience engaging with senior executives and Boards.
Advantageous
Experience across Group Life, Disability and Critical Illness.
Experience with large corporate schemes and tenders.
Experience managing strategic broker relationships.
Experience negotiating with reinsurers.
Experience in employee benefits, health or retirement ecosystems.
Experience leading digital, data or AI-enabled transformation.
CRITICAL LEADERSHIP CAPABILITIES
Commercial leadership
Ability to translate market opportunities into profitable growth and sustainable shareholder value.
Broker leadership
Ability to build deep relationships with brokers and create a genuinely differentiated ease-of-doing-business proposition.
Insurance expertise
Strong understanding of Group Risk economics, underwriting, pricing, claims, actuarial principles and reinsurance.
Strategic leadership
Ability to anticipate market changes and position the business unit ahead of them.
Reinsurance capability
Ability to engage credibly with sophisticated reinsurers and translate reinsurance capacity and economics into commercial opportunities.
Customer leadership
Ability to understand employer and employee needs and convert these into compelling propositions.
Transformation leadership
Ability to use technology, data and AI to improve the economics and experience of the business.
Governance
Ability to operate within Group governance while retaining sufficient entrepreneurial freedom to grow the business.
People leadership
Ability to create a high-performing organisation with strong technical and commercial capability.
Educational Requirements
Relevant tertiary qualification in business, finance, actuarial science, economics, insurance or a related discipline.
Deadline:2nd October,2026
The Chief Executive Officer will have overall accountability for the strategy, commercial performance, profitability, growth and market positioning of the Hollard Group Risk business unit.
The role will lead the business across the full Group Risk value chain, including distribution, broker relationships, client management, product, underwriting, pricing, claims, reinsurance and service delivery, working closely with the Group's actuarial, finance, risk, compliance, technology and other enabling functions. The CEO will also ensure that the business unit's systems and technology capabilities are scalable, integrated and aligned to commercial, operational and customer priorities.
KEY DELIVERABLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Business Unit Strategy
Develop and execute the Hollard Group Risk business unit strategy within the broader Group strategy.
Define the business unit's growth, profitability and market positioning objectives.
Identify opportunities across Group Life, Disability, Critical Illness, Funeral and related employee-risk solutions.
Develop strategies for new business growth, retention and portfolio optimisation.
Anticipate changes in the South African Group Risk and employee-benefits market and translate these into business opportunities.
Develop competitive differentiation through proposition, service, technology, data and execution.
P&L and Commercial Performance
Own the business unit P&L and deliver agreed financial and strategic targets.
Drive sustainable premium and earnings growth.
Manage profitability across products, clients, brokers and portfolios.
Ensure disciplined pricing and underwriting including optimising expense and operating efficiency.
Monitor claims experience, persistency, new business strain and other key portfolio metrics.
Identify underperforming portfolios and implement appropriate corrective action.
Provide regular performance reporting and insight to Group executives and the Board including all appropriate governance structures.
Broker and Distribution Leadership
Build trusted, long-term relationships with major brokers and intermediaries.
Establish a clear "easy to do business with" proposition.
Understand broker requirements across pricing, underwriting, service, claims, technology and implementation.
Develop relationships at senior leadership level within major broker organisations.
Monitor broker satisfaction, retention and business flows.
Work closely with sales and distribution teams to grow targeted broker relationships.
Reinsurance Strategy and Relationships
Develop strong strategic relationships with key reinsurers.
Participate in negotiations on treaty structures, pricing, terms and capacity.
Ensure reinsurance arrangements support the business unit's growth and risk appetite.
Ensure emerging portfolio risks are appropriately considered in the reinsurance strategy.
Work with the Group's actuarial and risk functions to optimise the use of reinsurance and capital.
Maintain effective relationships with both local and international reinsurance partners.
Underwriting, Pricing and Portfolio Management
Set the commercial direction and appetite for the Hollard Group Risk portfolio within approved Group risk parameters.
Work closely with the Chief Actuary / Actuarial function on portfolio performance and pricing adequacy.
Oversee major and complex underwriting decisions.
Monitor portfolio concentration, accumulation and emerging risks.
Balance competitiveness with long-term portfolio sustainability.
Product and Proposition
Lead the development of a differentiated Hollard Group Risk proposition.
Ensure products respond to changing employer and employee needs.
Identify opportunities for innovation across Group Risk and adjacent employee-benefit propositions.
Explore opportunities to integrate risk benefits with health, wellness and retirement solutions.
Use data, technology and AI to improve underwriting, pricing, claims and customer experience.
Ensure propositions are commercially attractive while remaining operationally viable.
Client and Employer Leadership
Maintain executive relationships with major corporate clients and employer groups.
Act as executive sponsor for strategically important clients.
Participate in significant tenders, renewals and client negotiations.
Ensure client requirements are reflected in the business unit's proposition and service model.
Lead executive-level resolution of material client issues.
Claims and Customer Experience
Ensure claims capability supports the strategic positioning of the business.
Monitor claims trends and identify emerging portfolio risks.
Ensure appropriate service standards for brokers, employers and members.
Use claims insights to inform underwriting, pricing and product strategy.
Operational Excellence and Transformation
Ensure the business unit has an efficient, scalable operating model.
Partner with Group technology and operations functions to deliver business-unit priorities.
Drive appropriate digitisation, automation, analytics and AI adoption.
Ensure technology investment is aligned to measurable commercial and customer outcomes.
Governance, Risk and Regulatory Management
Operate the business unit within the Group's approved governance and risk frameworks.
Ensure compliance with applicable South African insurance and financial-services legislation and Group policies.
Ensure material risks and issues are escalated appropriately.
Participate in relevant Board and executive governance forums.
Maintain appropriate relationships with regulatory and industry stakeholders.
Promote a culture of responsible risk-taking and strong governance.
Leadership and Organisation
Lead and develop a high-performing Hollard Group Risk leadership team.
Attract and retain high-quality insurance, actuarial, underwriting, claims and commercial talent.
Develop succession plans for critical positions.
Build a culture of:
customer and broker centricity, commercial discipline, technical excellence, accountability, innovation, collaboration and continuous improvement.
Required Knowledge and Experience
Minimum 10 years' experience within the Group Risk, Life Insurance, Employee Benefits or broader Financial Services sector.
A minimum of 5 years' experience in a senior leadership capacity, including at least 3 years in an executive-level role with accountability for strategic execution, financial performance and people leadership.
Proven track record of managing a significant P&L/business portfolio and delivering sustainable growth and profitability.
Extensive experience working with brokers and employee-benefit consultants.
Strong understanding of reinsurance.
Experience across underwriting, pricing, claims and portfolio management.
Strong commercial and financial acumen.
Experience operating within a regulated financial-services environment.
Experience engaging with senior executives and Boards.
Advantageous
Experience across Group Life, Disability and Critical Illness.
Experience with large corporate schemes and tenders.
Experience managing strategic broker relationships.
Experience negotiating with reinsurers.
Experience in employee benefits, health or retirement ecosystems.
Experience leading digital, data or AI-enabled transformation.
CRITICAL LEADERSHIP CAPABILITIES
Commercial leadership
Ability to translate market opportunities into profitable growth and sustainable shareholder value.
Broker leadership
Ability to build deep relationships with brokers and create a genuinely differentiated ease-of-doing-business proposition.
Insurance expertise
Strong understanding of Group Risk economics, underwriting, pricing, claims, actuarial principles and reinsurance.
Strategic leadership
Ability to anticipate market changes and position the business unit ahead of them.
Reinsurance capability
Ability to engage credibly with sophisticated reinsurers and translate reinsurance capacity and economics into commercial opportunities.
Customer leadership
Ability to understand employer and employee needs and convert these into compelling propositions.
Transformation leadership
Ability to use technology, data and AI to improve the economics and experience of the business.
Governance
Ability to operate within Group governance while retaining sufficient entrepreneurial freedom to grow the business.
People leadership
Ability to create a high-performing organisation with strong technical and commercial capability.
Educational Requirements
Relevant tertiary qualification in business, finance, actuarial science, economics, insurance or a related discipline.
Deadline:2nd October,2026