CAPE TOWN – Financial services group Sanlam on Tuesday announced the appointment of Sydney Mbhele as its chief executive: Brand, with effect from April 1.
Mbhele, a chartered marketer with experience in sectors including financial services and fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) in local and international blue chip companies, will be a member of the Sanlam group executive committee.
His portfolio will include the group’s brand, communications and sustainability functions as well as the Sanlam Foundation.
Sanlam group chief executive officer, Ian Kirk said: “We welcome Sydney to the Wealthsmiths family. We look forward to his contribution as we grow our brand in South Africa and the rest of the African continent as well as in all the territories in which Sanlam has a presence. This is one of a few key appointments we have been working on to strengthen our leadership in line with our transformation priorities and enable us to continue executing on the Group’s strategy.”
Among other qualifications, Mbhele holds a Bachelor of Social Science degree from the University of Cape Town and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Pretoria’s Gordon Institute of Business Science.
Until recently, Mbhele was the chief marketing and communications officer for the Liberty Group.
Previously he held positions as executive head of group marketing at Nedbank, head of global brands for the then SABMiller, and global marketing director: deodorants for Unilever, among others.