Cycling deaths shock Old Mutual

Johannesburg - Old Mutual (OML) said on Wednesday it is deeply shocked and saddened by the cycling accident in the Southern Cape on Tuesday that claimed the lives of two of its senior leaders, husband-and-wife Stan and Julie Leslie.

"Both Stan and Julie had long, varied and brilliant careers at Old Mutual with a combined service record of almost fifty years to our organisation," the international wealth savings group said.

"In their individual fields of expertise, they were dynamic senior managers who made an invaluable contribution to our business. Stan was a well-respected and talented actuary who held numerous senior positions in Old Mutual and Julie was an exceptional Human Resources (HR) manager who played a leadership role in our people development area."

"Stan and Julie were energetic people who shared a love for sport and the outdoors. They will be sorely missed in our business and our heartfelt condolences go to their families," said Old Mutual Chief Executive Officer Kuseni Dlamini.

Stan obtained a BSc degree from Rhodes University and was a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries. He joined Old Mutual in 1981 and was an executive leader in most of Old Mutual's divisions. With his in-depth knowledge of the financial services industry he provided valuable leadership in various roles - ranging from being the General Manager of Finance, Actuarial and Product Development in Old Mutual's tied distribution area to driving Old Mutual's Bancassurance joint ventures. More recently, Stan was an executive leader in the Retail Affluent segment.

Julie graduated from the University of Cape Town with a Masters degree in Psychology (Cum Laude). She joined Old Mutual in 1987 and during her tenure received the Old Mutual Human Resources' 'Top Performer' award. She served as the HR manager in many business areas, including Employee Benefits and Personal Financial Advice. More recently, Julie was a senior leader within Old Mutual Investment Group (South Africa).

Commenting on the tragic accident that involved the Leslies on Tuesday, Dlamini added: "The high number of fatal road accidents in our country is a cause of great concern. To save lives, we want to urge South Africans to be aware of all aspects of road safety when travelling over the festive season.

"The Leslies were very popular with their Old Mutual colleagues and we share in the immense loss suffered by their families, particularly their children. Our thoughts and prayers are with them during this very difficult time of bereavement," Dlamini concluded.

- I-Net Bridge