Alexander Forbes in bold shift with sale of insurance business
Move signals scaling back on retail operations
In a dramatic shift in strategy that further distances SA’s largest pension fund administrator from the CEO it sacked six months ago, Alexander Forbes said it planned to offload its insurance business, which generates about 40% of the group’s revenue. The proposed sale signals that the group is scaling back on retail operations that serve individual customers to focus predominantly on institutions such as pension funds. This is in stark contrast to a strategy the board approved three years ago during former CEO Andrew Darfoor’s tenure which sought to grow the retail business serving individuals. To that end, Alexander Forbes approved a R1bn project to overhaul its IT infrastructure so that it could serve retail customers. However, Alexander Forbes said when it released its interim results in December that the project failed and that it was forced to write off R340m. New CEO Dawie de Villiers said at the time the IT project developed into something the company could no longer use. Th...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.