The Future of Finance 2023 – Cape Town

Saumya Aggarwal

EMEA Digital Strategy Lead

Bloomberg

Kartik Ghia

Strategy Researcher - Systematic & Index Solutions

Bloomberg

Kartik Ghia is a senior quantitative researcher at Bloomberg, with a focus on benchmark development and index-based solutions. His areas of research include emerging markets, asset allocation, currencies, commodities, and risk premia strategies; with publications ranging from thematic studies to shorter market commentaries. Previous work includes dynamic asset allocation for policy portfolios, long/short risk premia benchmarks, the role of currencies in international portfolios and ESG integration in commodities. Prior to Bloomberg, Kartik worked as a systematic strategies researcher at Barclays and was a currency quant researcher at JP Morgan. He received his PhD in Statistics from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania and his MPhil in Economics & MA in History & Economics from the University of Oxford.

Sergi Martinez Fontrodona

AIM Product Specialist, South Africa

Bloomberg

Ghazi Saadi

Account Manager

Bloomberg

Harry Waters

Emerging Markets Trading Product Manager

Bloomberg

Harry Waters is responsible for developing Bloomberg's Emerging Markets electronic trading business specifically looking at both local markets and primary markets. Prior to this role, Harry spent over 8 years working in Bloomberg's Fixed Income Trading business in various positions across support, technical and sales.

Cinzia Chiriac

Head of ESG Regulatory Affairs

Bloomberg

Cinzia is Head of ESG Regulatory Strategy in Bloomberg’s EMEA Government Relations team where she is responsible for analysing and responding to key ESG regulatory initiatives impacting Bloomberg and its clients. She particularly focuses on EU Taxonomy, SFDR, the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, climate risk management, and the implementation of the UK’s TCFD and Sustainability Disclosure Requirements regime. Cinzia is also a member of the Dubai Financial Services Authority policy taskforce on sustainable finance. She holds a Masters degree in International Affairs from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, and a Bachelors degree in Political Science from the University of Delaware.

Tim O’Brien

Executive Editor

Bloomberg Opinion

Tim O’Brien is an award-winning editor, author and journalist with nearly 30 years of traditional and digital news experience at leading media enterprises, including Bloomberg, the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and HuffPost. Tim is the executive editor and a columnist with Bloomberg Opinion, a global commentary platform exploring the most compelling issues of the day. He has received several awards for his columns, including recognition from SABEW, the Society of Professional Journalists, and the Deadline Club. Tim has been a political analyst for NBC/MSNBC since 2017, and he appears regularly on the network’s news and commentary programs. Prior to joining Bloomberg, Tim was the Executive Editor of the HuffPost. Tim edited a series about wounded war veterans, Beyond the Battlefield, for which the site’s military correspondent, David Wood, received a Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting. Prior to joining the HuffPost in early 2011, Tim was an editor and reporter at the New York Times. Tim helped oversee a team of Times reporters that was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize in Public Service in 2009 for coverage of the financial crisis. The Times series that emerged from that work, “The Reckoning,” was a winner of a 2009 Loeb Award for Distinguished Business Journalism. Prior to becoming Sunday Business editor at the Times in 2006, Tim was a staff writer and part of a Times team that won a Loeb Award in 1999. Tim is the author of a novel, 'The Lincoln Conspiracy,' and two non-fiction books -- 'TrumpNation: The Art of Being the Donald' and 'Bad Bet: The Inside Story of the Glamour, Glitz and Danger of America's Gambling Industry.' Tim has a B.A. cum laude in literature from Georgetown University, as well as an M.A. in U.S. History, an M.S. in Journalism and an MBA, all from Columbia University. He has lived and worked in Europe, South America and Asia.

Jennifer Zabasajja

Correspondent & Anchor

Bloomberg Africa

Jennifer Zabasajja is a correspondent and anchor for Bloomberg TV and Quicktake. She focuses on live and pre-recorded video content on the African region across Bloomberg media platforms, from culture to business to media and more. She previously anchored and reported on Bloomberg Quicktake’s daily streaming morning shows. Her notable interviews include entrepreneurs and public sector leaders both domestically in the United States and abroad. Jennifer joined Bloomberg in New York in 2017 after years of producing and reporting at various networks including CBS News, NBC News, and the previously named CNNMoney platform. She holds a bachelor’s degree from New York University with a double major in broadcast journalism and sociology.

Vukile Davidson

Chief-Director of Financial Sector Policy

South African National Treasury

Having begun his career in financial markets within Standard Bank’s Investment Banking Division, Vukile subsequently moved to the National Treasury. While at National Treasury, Vukile has worked on various key financial sector legislative reforms, including South Africa’s resolution framework, as well as on policy issues as diverse as climate change and financial innovation. Vukile’s current responsibilities include financial stability, prudential regulation, market integrity and capital flows management. Vukile has also worked at the Financial Stability Board in Basel, Switzerland, where he focused on topics including ‘Challenges facing SMEs’ and work to address ‘The decline in correspondent banking services’, with a specific focus on the Americas, Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and Asia.

Nadia Humphreys

Business Manager, Sustainable Regulatory and Finance Solutions

Bloomberg

Nadia’s role is to inform Bloomberg’s sustainable finance business on ESG regulatory requirements for the financial industry in Europe and the UK. She also serves as a co-rapporteur on the European Commission’s Technical Expert Group for Sustainable Finance and a member of the Green Technical Advisory Group for HMT UK. Nadia also supported the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission’s Technical Expert Group for climate related product disclosure and sits on the International Regulatory Strategy Group’s ESG workstream. Nadia was previously the Global Head of Entity Services, supporting regulatory product development for Bloomberg’s Entity Exchange platform. She is a keen advocate for Women in FinTech and sat on Bloomberg’s EMEA Diversity Council. Nadia is also an ICMA mentor and coach under the 10,000 small businesses initiative. Prior to Bloomberg, Nadia worked at both JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs, in a number of senior positions. Nadia is on the advisory board of Blockchain & Climate Institute. She holds a Bachelors degree, with honours, in Business from Bath University, a Licentiate in Homeopathy and is a Fellow of the Victoria College of Drama.

Phuthi Mahanyele-Dabengwa

South Africa CEO

Naspers

Phuthi Mahanyele-Dabengwa joined Naspers as South Africa CEO, in July 2019. Before joining Naspers, she was the co-founder and Executive Chairperson of Sigma Capital, an investment holding company formed in 2015. She held the position of CEO at Shanduka Group, an investment holding company from 2004 to 2015. Prior, she was the Head of the Project Finance South Africa business unit at the Development Bank of Southern Africa. Phuthi holds a BA Economics from Rutgers University, USA, and an MBA from De Montfort University in the UK. She also completed the Kennedy School of Government Executive Education programme “Global Leadership and Public Policy f or the 21st Century” at Harvard University in 2008. She sits on the board of the Cyril Ramaphosa Foundation and was Chair of the Kagiso Shanduka Trust (KST) Audit and Risk Committee in 2016. In 2017, she was appointed to the KST Board of Trustees. (KST is a joint organisation between the Cyril Ramaphosa Foundation and Kagiso Trust that focuses its resources on “whole school development”.) Phuthi is an independent director of Vodacom and previously served on the boards of Discovery Insure and Gold Fields. She serves on the advisory board of Stellenbosch University’s business school.

Derrick Msibi

CEO

STANLIB

As head of one of SA’s iconic asset management companies, Derrick has a deep commitment to ensuring STANLIB makes a positive contribution to society’s developmental goals, while helping investors to protect and grow their financial futures and dreams. Since his appointment as STANLIB Asset Management’s Chief Executive Officer in May 2017, Derrick has spearheaded a new direction for the business, focused on implementing technology to improve investment and back-office efficiencies, forging links with international partners to extend the group’s offering to its clients, and rationalising the suite of funds to appeal to a changing market. Under his leadership, STANLIB is aiming to become the most progressive asset manager. This is setting the scene for long-term growth. Derrick started his career in the asset management industry at Old Mutual Investment Group. In the course of his career, he has held senior positions including Executive Director: Marketing and Distribution, Executive Director: Alternative Investments, Corporate Finance Analyst and Portfolio Manager, and Head: Alternative Investments. His broad experience has given him a deep understanding of investment management, corporate finance and general management in the financial services sector. As part of his contribution to nation-building, Derrick is involved in non-profit entities, mainly focused on education and social housing. He has served as a director of various companies in financial services, food, toll roads and diversified investment holdings, and as a member and chair of various investment committees dealing with mainly non-public investments. Derrick is an avid road runner who has completed 19 Comrades marathons, 19 Two Oceans ultramarathons and over 40 standard marathons. He owns a substantial jazz music collection and enjoys reading financial, religious and leadership literature. He is a fan of Orlando Pirates and Arsenal football clubs and values the time he spends with his wife and four children.

Carl Roothman

Chief Executive Officer

Sanlam Investment Group

Mr Roothman was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Sanlam Investment Group on 01 January 2022. Prior to this appointment, he held various senior rolls at Sanlam including CEO of Sanlam Private Wealth, CEO of Sanlam Multi Manager and CEO of Sanlam Investment Retail. Mr Roothman joined the Sanlam Investment Group in November 2013 from Absa Wealth where he was the head of Coverage for Absa Wealth and acting CEO for two years. His previous senior leadership and deal making roles were at Barclays Capital and Absa Capital, Citibank, Investec and RMB Private Banking. Mr Roothman has a strong financial services background and highly experienced in the wealth management and investment banking spaces. Mr Roothman holds a Master of Law (LLM) degree in International Banking and Financial Law from Boston University in the USA, Bachelor of Law (LLB) and a BCom (Law) degrees from the University of Pretoria.

Sonja Saunderson

Chief Investment Officer

Eskom Pension and Provident Fund

Ms Sonja Saunderson joined the EPPF on 1 November 2022. She has more than 20 years’ experience in investment management, including shaping investment philosophy and processes. She joined the EPPF from Momentum Metropolitan Holdings, where she served as the Group’s Chief Investment Officer. Throughout her career, Ms Saunderson played various roles as a lecturer in Mathematics and Statistics, a Quantitative Analyst, Head of Research and Product Development as well as Chief Investment Officer.

Kershia Singh

Head of Policy Support

Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA)

Kershia Singh is currently the head of the Policy Support department at the Financial Sector Conduct Authority, within the Regulatory Policy division. Her portfolio involves, amongst others, driving the FSCA’s objectives of supporting financial inclusion and transformation of the South African financial sector, and the development of the FSCA’s approach to sustainable finance. In addition to policy development, the department is also responsible for deepening the FSCA’s customer and market insights to better inform regulatory and supervisory policy and approaches.

Fatima Vawda

Group Executive and Head of Public Markets

27FOUR

Fatima has over two decades of experience as a practitioner in South African and international capital markets. She has gained significant expertise in servicing some of the largest retirement funds in South Africa, along with an in-depth understanding of the functioning of the South African financial markets and regulatory framework. Before embarking on her corporate career in 1997, Fatima dedicated two years to lecturing in applied mathematics at the University of the Witwatersrand. Fatima is a Director of the Association of Savings and Investments South Africa.

Iain Williamson

Chief Executive Officer

Old Mutual

Iain was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Company in July 2020, after serving as the Interim Chief Executive Officer from May 2019. He joined the Group in 1993 and following various roles across employee benefits and personal finance, he relocated to London in a Corporate Development role at Old Mutual plc. Iain returned to South Africa in 2003, serving in a number of roles across distribution, technology and finance before being promoted to CFO Retail Affluent and then Managing Director of the Retail Affluent segment. He was appointed as Old Mutual Emerging Markets’ Finance Director in 2015, as Chief Operating Officer in 2017 and has also previously been the Interim Chief Executive Officer in 2017. Qualifications: Bachelor of Business Science (Actuarial Science), General Management Programme (Harvard), Fellow of the Actuarial Society of South Africa Board Committees: Responsible Business; Technology and Platforms