our-people Our People

Cobus Kruger

Cobus founded Sanlam Global Investment Solutions (SGIS) in 2012 and has been instrumental in developing it into a business that provides progressive solutions that are targeted at solving fundamental investment problems. In a little over 3 years the business is now administrating over US$ 1.4 billion. The solutions include Sanlam Managed Risk, an investment strategy designed to manage the risk of investing in equities; the Sanlam Global Investment Plan, an open architecture investment wrapper and a suite of passive equity funds.

Cobus has 16 years’ experience in financial services, primarily focused on the international investment market. Before joining SGIS, he was the Head of Product & Investments at Glacier International. His previous roles have been largely concentrated on developing products and distribution for multi-national investment houses including, Old Mutual International, New Star Asset Management, TriAlpha Investment Advisors Limited & the Stonehage Group.

Cobus has a B.Com (Law) from the University of Johannesburg, an MBA from Thames Valley University and the Investment Management Certificate. He is also a member of STEP (Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners).

David Itzkovits

David Itzkovits is an Executive Committee Member of Sanlam Global Investment Solutions (SGIS). As Head of Investments he is responsible for all investments worldwide.

David has been in the financial services industry for 15 years working with Top Tier Financial Institutions, their advisors and clients. Prior to joining SGIS, David worked as Regional Director of Europe and Canada for Old Mutual (Bermuda) Ltd. and was responsible for all business development in these areas. Prior to joining Old Mutual, he was Vice President at HSBC Private Bank in New York. He co-managed 75 relationships and a $635 million portfolio of investment, credit and insurance solutions for high net worth clients.

David is a CFA Charterholder, and has an MBA from the in Ivey School of Business in Canada. He also has a Bachelor of Science from McGill University.

Gideon Nell

Gideon joined Sanlam in June 2014 to manage business development of the international investments businesses. His primary role is global head of business development of Sanlam Global Investment Solutions with additional responsibility of establishing an institutional business.

Prior to joining Sanlam, Gideon spent 5 years as partner at Armstrong Investment Managers LLP, focussing on research, corporate strategy and business development. He previously worked at Insight Investment as director - European offshore centers. Before moving to Europe in 2002, Gideon was a private client portfolio manager at PPM Stockbrokers and Appleton Partners in South Africa.

Gideon did an IMM at the Global School of Business in South Africa, International Capital Markets certificate with the Securities Institute (UK), has an FPC from the Chartered Insurance Institute (UK) and the IMC from the CFA Society of the UK.

Rosemary Lang

Rosemary is responsible for developing, implementing and monitoring Sanlam Global Investment Solutions’ (SGIS) compliance program and risk management framework. She previously served as VP, Risk and Compliance, for SGIS with responsibilities of coordinating and establishing the P2Platform Trust structure.

Prior to joining SGIS, Rosemary was Chief Risk and Compliance Officer for Old Mutual (Bermuda) Ltd. whose responsibilities included establishing and integrating a risk management program across the organization in alignment with Old Mutual Group standards. Prior to that, she held various positions over a 15-year career at Citicorp Insurance Group, Citigroup’s insurance consumer business. Responsibilities included managing the compliance program for its five member companies. One of the member companies was Citicorp International Insurance Company, Ltd., a Bermuda insurer through which Citicorp conducted its offshore business. Prior to Citigroup, Rosemary worked at an insurance company licensed to do business in 50 states with responsibilities that included compliance and insurance department product filings.

Piers Fox

Piers joined Sanlam in November 2011, to develop the marketing of the international investments businesses. He now heads up Sanlam Global Investment Solutions’ (SGIS) marketing. He is also Executive Committee Member of SGIS.

Prior to joining Sanlam, Piers spent 4 years at ACPI as a director of marketing, with a focus on launching new products, driving strategy, rebranding and PR. He started his career at Pictet Asset Management in 2000 in a junior marketing role and has developed his career through roles at AIG, GAM and BlueBay Asset Management.

Piers has a Bachelor’s of Science in Marketing from the University of Surrey.

James van Zyl

James joined Sanlam Global Investment Solutions (SGIS) in July 2014. He is responsible for the financial reporting and forecasting of SGIS.

Prior to joining Sanlam, James worked as operational financial manager in the mining industry where he was responsible for implementing operational reporting. Preceding this, he worked in the agriculture industry as financial manager where he was responsible for building a financial department to support a rapidly growing business. His career started as audit clerk in Stellenbosch.

James is a CA(SA) and completed his BAcc and BAcc (Hons) degrees through Stellenbosch University.

Brendan Gallagher

Brendan joined Sanlam in August 2015 as a global relationship manager. He has since moved into his current role focusing on the development, enhancement and smooth operational running of SGIS’s products and solutions.

Prior to joining Sanlam, Brendan spent 2 years as an independent consultant; setting up various offshore life, pension, advisory and distribution businesses, with primary focus on the Asian, Middle East and Europe ex UK markets. He was previously a Partner at Armstrong Investment Managers LLP focusing on investment operations, and business development.

Prior to Armstrong, Brendan worked as a European Business Development Associate at Insight Investment in the UK. Brendan arrived in the UK in 2003, and started his career as a client associate at Fidelity Investments, and then took the position of investment trader, at The Bank of New York Mellon.

Brendan did an Economics and Corporate Finance Degree at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal (South Africa), obtained the Investment Management Certificate from the CFA Society of the UK.

Jason Winderbaum

Jason was a founding team member of Sanlam’s managed risk strategies in Australia, which commenced in 2011. Prior to joining Sanlam, Jason commenced his career as a Chartered Accountant with Ernst & Young, before moving onto roles within ultra-high net worth family offices at two of Australia’s richest families – the Packer’s & the Lowy’s. Jason also spent 4 years working as the General Manager of a highly respected private client advice business and has a well-developed understanding of advisers and the Australian financial services landscape.

Jason has earned an Advanced Diploma in Business Administration, a Bachelor’s of Accounting, including being a registered Chartered Accountant. Lastly, he has a Master’s in Applied Finance with a triple major in Investment Management, Wealth Management & Corporate Finance, which saw him achieve the joint-top mark in Australia for Investment Management.

Mark Kaplan

Mark has been primarily involved in the global distribution and marketing of International financial service products for the past 15 years in the Americas, Middle East, Asia and Africa. He has been Head of Sales and Marketing with numerous companies and was a former ATP tennis professional ranked #117 in the world. He resides in Stamford, CT with his wife and 3 children.

Dennis Burger

Dennis has 30 years’ experience in the global financial services industry covering Insurance, Asset Management and Private Banking. He has been Head of various businesses in South Africa and the United Kingdom growing assets globally. He is a low handicap golfer and is married with 2 children residing in Naples, Florida.

Jorge Gutierrez

Jorge has over 20 years of investment sales experience in retail and wholesale U.S. offshore and Latin American markets. He served as head of offshore distribution for a U.S. asset manager for about for 10 years. He also worked for a UK private banking institution serving HNW Latin American clients from Argentina and Chile. Jorge resides in Miami, Florida with his wife Rebecca and two children. In his spare time, Jorge enjoys traveling with his family to see their son compete at regional and national optimist sailing regattas.

Jenny Ching

Jenny has 30 years’ experience in the financial services industry. She started at Cathay Bank and then moved to Sanwa Bank (now called Bank of the West) where she was an International Marketing Manager mainly marketing offshore mutual funds and deposits to NRA (non-USA) clients. In 1999, with her Partners, Jenny opened an investment firm named Intrust Financial Services, Inc. until it was sold to Wells Fargo Bank. Since then she has been working as an Independent Financial Advisor.

During her spare time, she makes custom jewelries as a hobby, and loves gemstones.