Emile Wessels
Emile Wessels
Director and legal advisor
Qualifications: BA LL.B, PG Dip Tax, Dip Inv Man (cum laude), LL.M in International Trade Law (cum laude)
Emile is a lawyer turned businessman, with significant experience in strategy development and implementation in the financial services industry.
BRIEF HISTORY: After lecturing at the University of Stellenbosch Emile joined Sanlam where he specialised in taxation. Highlights included being responsible for the legal and tax aspects of Sanlam´s international activities, and serving as the life industry representative on the business panel advising the government during South Africa´s GATS submission to the WTO. During Sanlam´s demutualisation he coordinated the legal work, served on the steering committee and was a member of the executive team consulting with Cosatu, consumer bodies, etc. After Sanlam´s demutualisation he was appointed as CEO of Sanlam Personal Portfolios. During his three years as CEO funds under administration more than quadrupled and the business went from loss-making to a significant profit contributor. When this company merged with Innofin, a joint venture between Sanlam and Macquarie Bank of Australia, he became Divisional Director responsible for Product Development and Business Solutions. In this role he drafted the Sanlam Group strategy for the penetration of the affluent market, which culminated in the launch of Glacier by Sanlam. Glacier´s business retention strategy was so successful that it became an International Insurance Advisory Board case study. He also served as Chairman of Lispa, the industry association of linked investment service providers during an exciting time which included negotiations with the regulator and SARB on the implementation of FAIS, FICA and new exchange control requirements. He was a director of Finswitch, an industry transaction switching facility linking bulk investors and collective investment scheme managers.
After taking a sabbatical in 2008, he started his own business consulting firm and has been working with Acorn since September 2009.