INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY
Balance and perseverance got me here, says MMI’s Jeanette Marais
The deputy CEO of MMI says she knew she would be needed if she stuck to her guns
The retirement of Maria Ramos as CEO of Absa in February removed the only female CEO in SA’s 40 largest listed companies. Among listed insurers, Santam is the only company headed by a female CEO, Lizé Lambrechts. MMI also brought diversity at group-level of executives when it appointed Jeanette Marais as deputy CEO to Hillie Meyer in 2018 . Business Day spoke with Marais to hear what she thinks of this gender gap. More women are qualifying as actuaries and chartered accountants, but aren't breaking the executive ceiling in the insurance industry or JSE-listed companies in general. Why is this still the case? The financial services industry has traditionally been a man’s world. One’s success to navigate this world depends on their attitude. If you look around you, in executive committee meetings, and invariably only see men, or perhaps just white people — you could feel that it is not the place for you. Or you could see the opportunity, the gap that you could fill. Tell yourself ’the...
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