Executive Head: Glacier International

What will you do?

Job Purpose  

The Executive Head of Glacier International is a key member of the Glacier Executive Committee and will be responsible for managing the Glacier International business as a whole, the Bermuda Branch of Sanlam Life Ltd, as well as any other structures that form part of the Glacier international investment offering (for example, the Glacier International component of the Jersey business of Sanlam). In conjunction with this, as part of the executive team, the role is expected to contribute significantly to the growing and driving of the broader Glacier’s business development, portfolio growth and organasational growth strategies.

As it is currently established, the international business is structurally separate from the rest of the Glacier business in many respects and is managed with separation in certain directly managed areas, on a different IT system and with various services outsourced to third party administrators. The role is expected to manage direct teams of business development, operations and client services, to manage and drive outsourced third party administration relationships, and to source, manage and influence services provided by other parts of Glacier and the wider Sanlam Group. These functions include identifying growth opportunities, whether these be on a stand-alone basis or in collaboration with other Glacier departments, and to strategically drive and position Glacier’s international proposition for future relevance.

Ultimately, the current purpose of the role is to ensure that Glacier has a relevant and profitable international business that contributes to the broader Glacier businesses strategy in a manner that is in keeping with the values and culture of the company.

Key Outcomes

The following outcomes will be expected from the executive:

• Formulate and communicate Glacier International’s vision and strategy.
• Responsible for business planning, budgeting and resourcing the GI client servicing, business solutions, investment administration and product sales teams. Also responsible for sourcing and managing services that can be provided more effectively by the wider business.
• Responsible for the management of outsourced third-party administration services and providers.
• Managing the Sanlam Life Bermuda Branch, including the relationships with service providers in Bermuda.
• To manage the relationship with the regulator Bermuda Monetary Authority, including the submission of annual reports.
• Responsible for the achievement of annual sales, profit and VNB targets.
• Plan targets and goals in line with the business strategies. 
• To build a media profile for the international business and position as a market / thought leader.
• Build and maintain mutually beneficial internal relationships with key stakeholders within Glacier and the wider Sanlam.

..

• Create and maintain a culture in line with the values of Glacier.
• Ensure that all staff have up to date Performance Objectives, Personal Development and Training Plans.
• Encourage open and constructive relationships and mentor others to build effective internal and external relationships.
• Play an active role in the industry to ensure that the dynamics are the market are comprehensively understood.
• Responsible for a competitive and sustainable Glacier International value proposition available to the intermediaries and retail clients.
• Develop and strengthen internal and external relationships that will lead to increased market share.
• Foster long-term partnership with the Glacier Business Development team to ensure the effective and efficient “intermediated go to market” strategy for sustainable growth. 
• Continue to explore alternative models to increase the asset base.
• Lead relationship building with industry players and develop strategies to leverage network for business opportunities and partnerships that will successfully achieve the various business objectives. 
• Lead a senior management team by aligning Glacier vision, strategy and business key performance indicators with distribution, client experience delivery, business solutions and investment administration teams.
• Create opportunities to influence key role players to ensure alignment between decision makers.
• Drive productivity via the investment channel (footprint and cross-sell) in collaboration with Glacier Business Development. 
• Enhance and increase the use of technology in the intermediary and client channels.
• Provide nationwide high quality consistent technical support (for investment solutions / products) to intermediaries. 
• Grow the international businesses key differentiator offering in the corporate financial advisory and network space.
• Active commitment to drive the right people behaviour, competencies, and values to support the company strategy.
• Responsible for various operational best practices which include:
  
  • Risk management.
  • Compliance & Regulatory Up-dates.
  • Business development initiatives.
  • Finance – reporting, cost management and MIS.
  • Product Development.
  • IT Solutions (internal and outsourced).

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, marketing, or related field.
• MBA, advantageous qualification.
• At least 5 to 10 years’ experience at senior management level.
• Strong communication, numeracy and literacy skills.
• International investment knowledge and experience is a key requirement.
• Proven track record in managing teams/business/division in a high-performance environment that consistently achieve targets.
• Experience of developing and implementing strategic priorities designed to improve competitive advantage and profit margins.
• Ability to anticipate client needs and industry trends in order to achieve success.

Competencies

• Performance Driven
• Leadership / Strong People Skills
• Ability to Network Effectively – Internally and Externally
• Effective Communication
• Innovative thinking and problem-solving ability
• Initiative
• Resilience
• Results Driven
• Conceptual & Strategic Thinking
• Collaboration 
• Customer Focus 
• Negotiation skills and ability to influence

Attributes

• Positive, enthusiastic attitude.
• Ability to work under pressure.
• Honesty, integrity and respect.
• Manage well across all levels of the organization and with staff at remote locations.
• Dependable with a strong sense of urgency and results-orientation.

What will make you successful in this role?

Qualification and Experience

Knowledge and Skills

Personal Attributes

Build a successful career with us

We’re all about building strong, lasting relationships with our employees. We know that you have hopes for your future – your career, your personal development and of achieving great things. We pride ourselves in helping  our employees to realise their worth. Through its five business clusters – Sanlam Fintech, Sanlam Life and Savings, Sanlam Investment Group, Sanlam Allianz, Santam, as well as MiWay and the Group Office – the group provides many opportunities for growth and development.

Core Competencies

Turnaround time

The shortlisting process will only start once the application due date has been reached. The time taken to complete this process will depend on how far you progress and the availability of managers. 

Our commitment to transformation