iWYZE: Managing Director

Let's Write Africa's Story Together!

Old Mutual is a firm believer in the African opportunity and our diverse talent reflects this.

Job Description

The iWYZE Managing Director is accountable for the strategic direction, financial performance and overall leadership of iWYZE.

The role carries full profit-and-loss accountability and provides end-to-end leadership across the insurance value chain. The MD will position iWYZE for sustainable, profitable growth by strengthening its market proposition, advancing its digital capabilities, delivering excellent customer outcomes and maintaining disciplined insurance fundamentals.

As a member of the Old Mutual Insure Executive Committee, the iWYZE MD will also contribute to the strategic direction and performance of the broader Group.

Responsibilities

Strategic leadership and Business Transformation

• Develop, define and execute the iWYZE business strategy in alignment with the strategic objectives, risk appetite and value creation ambitions of Old Mutual Insure.

• Drive sustainable growth, profitability and long-term performance of the business through effective strategic planning, execution and resource allocation.

• Assume overall accountability for the financial, customer, operational, people and risk outcomes of the business.

• Translate strategic priorities into measurable objectives, performance outcomes and actionable business plans that ensure disciplined execution.

• Anticipate and respond to market, customer, competitive, regulatory and technological developments to position the business for sustained success.

Insurance and Commercial Leadership

• Drive sustainable growth, profitability and customer value through the integrated leadership of key commercial, insurance and operational performance drivers.

• Optimize portfolio performance by balancing profitable growth, customer value, risk management and market competitiveness.

Customer, Growth and Innovation

• Lead the development and execution of customer, product and distribution strategies to drive growth, competitiveness and customer value.

• Oversee the delivery of customer-centric experiences across the end-to-end customer lifecycle.

• Build and maintain strategic partnerships that support business performance, market expansion and long-term value creation.

• Leverage technology, data and artificial intelligence to enhance customer experience, inform strategic decision-making, and improve business performance.

Operational excellence, governance and risk

• Lead a scalable, efficient and digitally enabled operating model that drives operational excellence, productivity and sustainable growth.

• Foster a high-performance culture through clear accountability, disciplined execution and effective performance management.

• Assume First Line accountability for financial, insurance, operational, conduct, technology and regulatory risks, ensuring compliance with approved governance frameworks, delegated authority and risk appetite.

• Maintain a robust control environment that promotes prudent risk management and consistently fair customer outcomes

People and organizational leadership

• Lead and develop a high-performing executive team, fostering a culture of accountability, innovation, collaboration and customer focus while building critical organizational capability and succession strength.

• Drive talent, performance and leadership development to ensure sustainable business performance and organizational resilience.

• Contribute to the strategic direction and performance of Old Mutual Insure as a member of the Executive Committee, fostering enterprise-wide collaboration and value creation across the Group.

• Represent iWYZE with regulators, governance bodies, strategic partners and industry stakeholders, strengthening the reputation, influence and market standing of iWYZE and Old Mutual Insure.

Board Relationship

• Develop and improve relationships with board members, identifying priorities, issues, and strategic challenges and preparing them for discussion. Work is focused on a significant function or equivalent area of the business.

 

Minimum Experience / Qualifications (Required for the Job)

• Post Graduate Qualification (NQF 9).

• 10+ years senior leadership experience, with full profit & loss accountability within the short-term industry, preferably in personal lines insurance.

• Proven experience leading and integrating core insurance functions, including underwriting, pricing, claims, sales and distribution, customer retention, and overall operational performance

• Demonstrated success in direct, digital, or multi-channel insurance environments, with a strong understanding of evolving customer and market dynamics.

• A track record of driving business growth, transformation, and performance improvement within an insurance business, including the successful execution of strategic change initiatives

• Strong commercial acumen with experience managing key value drivers such as customer acquisition cost (CAC), conversion rates, customer retention, lifetime value (LTV), and channel profitability.

• Experience leading technology, data, and AI-enabled transformation programmes, with the ability to leverage digital capabilities to drive business outcomes without requiring deep technical specialisation.

• Proven ability to attract, develop, and lead high-performing executive teams across insurance, actuarial, distribution, marketing, digital, data, and operations functions.

• Demonstrated capability to balance strategic leadership with operational execution, delivering sustainable growth, profitability, and customer value in a competitive insurance market.

  10 years’ experience in a leadership role in a Direct Insurance Business that create a differentiated product offering or customer strategy that enables a unique customer journey

Skills

Action Planning, Adaptive Thinking, Business Case Development, Business Requirements Analysis, Change Management, Current State Assessment, Customer Value Management, Executing Plans, Negotiation, Oral Communications, Policies & Procedures, Presenting Solutions, Strategic Planning

Competencies

Balances Stakeholders

Builds Effective Teams

Builds Networks

Collaborates

Communicates Effectively

Drives Vision and Purpose

Ensures Accountability

Financial Acumen

Education

NQF Level 9 – Masters

Closing Date

13 September 2026 , 23:59

The appointment will be made from the designated group in line with the Employment Equity Plan of Old Mutual South Africa and the specific business unit in question.

The Old Mutual Story!