Who are we?
Sanlam was established as a life insurance company in South Africa but has since transformed into a diversified financial services group that operates across the African continent, India, Malaysia and selected developed markets, with listings on the Johannesburg, A2X and Namibian stock exchanges. In 2018 the Group celebrated its centenary as well as 20 years since demutualisation and listing in South Africa and Namibia. Sanlam is one of the largest internationally active insurance groups in the world with a presence in 30 countries and has the biggest non-banking financial services footprint on the African continent.
The Group’s four business clusters (Sanlam Life and Savings, Sanlam Investment Group, Sanlam Allianz and Santam) house the Group’s business operations. The Group Office provides strategic direction and support to the five clusters, assisting them in realising their strategies and meeting their business objectives. The Group Office is responsible for governance and for the Group’s centralised functions, which include: Finance, Actuarial and Risk Management, Strategy, Human Resources, Market Development and Sustainability.
What will you do?
The Finance Chief Operating Officer (Finance COO) is responsible for enabling an efficient, scalable and future-fit Group Finance function. The role leads the Finance operating model, transformation agenda, technology landscape, data and analytics capability, process excellence and change portfolio, with specific focus on modernising Finance through ERP, cloud-enabled platforms, automation, analytics and responsible AI.
What will make you successful in this role?
Areas of responsibility include:
- Leading the Finance operating model, including organisational design, governance structures, service delivery models, process ownership and accountability frameworks.
- Driving Finance transformation, delivering strategic initiatives across finance modernisation, ERP optimisation, automation, AI adoption, close optimisation and digital innovation.
- Owning the Finance technology strategy, partnering with Technology teams to optimise finance platforms, systems integration, cloud solutions and user adoption.
- Building a data-driven Finance function, strengthening data governance, reporting architecture, analytics capabilities and trusted management information.
- Transforming end-to-end Finance processes, improving efficiency, controls, automation, user experience and operational performance.
- Leading Finance capability development, including talent management, leadership development, digital skills, AI literacy, succession planning and graduate programmes.
- Governing the Finance change portfolio, ensuring effective programme delivery, benefits realisation, prioritisation and sustainable change adoption.
- Providing operational leadership and support, overseeing planning cycles, reporting calendars, governance activities, supplier management and business continuity.
- Identifying emerging technologies and leading practices to ensure Finance remains innovative, agile and future-ready.
What Success Looks Like
You will be accountable for:
- Delivering a modern, scalable and high-performing Finance operating model.
- Accelerating Finance transformation and technology adoption across the organisation.
- Improving process efficiency, automation and reporting cycle times.
- Strengthening data quality, governance and analytical capabilities.
- Building future-fit Finance capability and leadership depth.
- Delivering measurable transformation benefits, productivity gains and cost efficiencies.
- Enhancing stakeholder experience through streamlined, technology-enabled Finance services.
Qualification and Experience
- Bachelor’s Degree in Finance, Commerce, Business Management, Economics, Accounting, Engineering, Information Systems, Operations Management or a related field.
- 10–15 years’ leadership experience in Finance, Operations, Strategy, Transformation, Shared Services or Business Enablement.
- Proven experience leading large-scale transformation, operating model redesign and organisational effectiveness initiatives.
- Strong track record in process optimisation, governance, operational excellence and enterprise-wide change delivery.
- Experience modernising Finance through ERP platforms, cloud solutions, automation, analytics, data and AI-enabled technologies.
Advantageous
- CA(SA), MBA or relevant postgraduate qualification.
- Master’s degree in Finance, Strategy, Leadership, Business Management or related field.
- Experience leading multidisciplinary teams in complex corporate environments.
What We Need
- Strong strategic leadership and business acumen.
- Deep expertise in Finance transformation, operating model design and organisational effectiveness.
- Proven programme and portfolio management capability.
- Strong understanding of ERP platforms, cloud technologies, automation, analytics and AI.
- Ability to translate innovation into practical business value while maintaining governance and control.
- Excellent stakeholder engagement and influencing skills at Executive level.
- Strong people leadership capability with a passion for developing high-performing teams.
- A continuous improvement mindset focused on delivering sustainable operational excellence.
A detailed job profile is available during the recruitment process and will be provided to shortlisted candidates. Should you have any further questions feel free to reach out to Rene.Francis@Sanlam.co.za or Danielle.Houtzamer@Sanlam.co.za
Knowledge and Skills
Execute the required corporate governance and risk management
Drive shareholder value and profitability
Drive business innovation, market growth and change
Ensure leadership in the creation and execution of the Division vision and strategy
Positioning and representation of the company brand for the division in the market
Personal Attributes
Drives vision and purpose – Contributing strategically
Business insight – Contributing strategically
Manages complexity – Contributing strategically
Strategic mindset – Contributing strategically
Build a successful career with us
We’re all about building strong, lasting relationships with our employees. We know that you have hopes for your future – your career, your personal development and of achieving great things. We pride ourselves in helping our employees to realise their worth. Through its five business clusters – Sanlam Fintech, Sanlam Life and Savings, Sanlam Investment Group, Sanlam Allianz, Santam, as well as MiWay and the Group Office – the group provides many opportunities for growth and development.
Core Competencies
Cultivates innovation – Contributing strategically
Customer focus – Contributing strategically
Drives results – Contributing strategically
Collaborates – Contributing strategically
Being resilient – Contributing strategically
Turnaround time
The shortlisting process will only start once the application due date has been reached. The time taken to complete this process will depend on how far you progress and the availability of managers.
The closing date for applications is 10 august 2026.
Our commitment to transformation
The Sanlam Group is committed to achieving transformation and embraces diversity. This commitment is what drives us to achieve a diverse, inclusive and equitable workplace as we believe that these are key components to ensuring a thriving and sustainable business in South Africa. The Group’s Employment Equity plan and targets will be considered as part of the selection process.
