Liberty launches global operation

Johannesburg - Liberty Holdings has announced the appointment of Ian Van Schoor to head the newly established Marketing and Distribution (MaD) Global, to support the group's growth and diversification drive.

Van Schoor, the current CEO of marketing and distribution will now assume the responsibility for extending MaD's operations into Africa and other select emerging markets. Bobby Malabie, the current MD of sales and distribution, assumes responsibility for MaD South Africa.

"Liberty Holdings is in a promising growth phase. We are already seeing strong results from our growth and expansion strategy. This requires us to build the capacity to support our integrated growth model into new territories.

"MaD Global's operational model is designed to ensure that the group remains a focused, first-rate advice-driven organisation, as Liberty expands. It consolidates our sound business practices, our systematic approach to new business and helps evolve the business to one underpinned by client retention and commercial merits," says Van Schoor.

Under Van Schoor's direction MaD has made an important and rapidly growing contribution to the performance of Liberty Holdings. Liberty's new business has remained strong in a challenging market, increasing by 31% to R174bn. Indexed new business in Liberty's core insurance operations rose 9.9%, although the new business margin was slightly lower at 2.6%.

Malabie joined the group in 2004 as managing director. He has both local and international experience in sales and mkarketing with blue-chip companies. Malabie began in the financial services industry in 2001. His proven leadership competencies in diverse areas of the business made it a logical decision to appoint Malabie as CEO MaD (SA).

The establishment of MaD Global will enable capabilities that will exploit opportunities and synergies in conjunction with Liberty Africa and Standard Bank Group operations in other markets. Van Schoor will be responsible for all Marketing, sales, distribution and bancassurance across the group's various territories.

Liberty's growth strategy has also led to the appointment of Stuart Wenman as head of technical business development; Gert van Rensburg as head of global bancassurance; Andres Meszarich as head of global sales and distribution and; Stuart Porrill as head of practice management and e-commerce.

Both Stuart Wenman and Gert van Rensburg will retain executive line responsibilities in so far as MaD SA is concerned and will report directly to Bobby Malabie in his capacity as CEO of MaD (SA). Stuart Porrill will also retain MaD SA responsibilities.

"We are positive that these appointments will continue to strengthen the business and will be invaluable to Liberty Holdings as we look to become the leading wealth management company in Africa," Van Schoor concluded.

- I-Net Bridge