Chief Information Officer Retail

Let's Write Africa's Story Together!

Old Mutual is a firm believer in the African opportunity and our diverse talent reflects this.

Job Description

Reporting to the Chief Executive Retail at Old Mutual Insure Cluster, this role is accountable for leading the technology, digital, data and cybersecurity agenda for Old Mutual Insure's Retail and Distribution businesses.

The role is responsible for enabling broker, intermediary and digital distribution capabilities, modernizing technology platforms, driving innovation, and ensuring alignment with Old Mutual Group technology, architecture, security and governance standards. The CIO will play a critical role in delivering a seamless broker experience, supporting business growth, operational excellence and digital transformation across the insurance value chain.

Responsibilities

Corporate Strategy Shaping

Participate in the development of corporate strategy for a small local organization, applying functional expertise to test the viability of the strategy and contributing creative ideas and insights to support the strategy formation process.

Functional Strategy Formation

Lead the development and implementation of strategy for a significant area of responsibility, anticipating complex issues, challenges, and opportunities and ensuring integration with wider corporate strategy.

Strategy Formation and Implementation

Develop the strategy for a significant area of responsibility, such as a function, anticipating complex issues, challenges, and opportunities. Ensure the strategy is successfully implemented and meets medium-term business needs.

Board Relationship

Develop and improve relationships with board members, identifying priorities, issues, and strategic challenges and preparing them for discussion. Work is focused on a significant function or equivalent area of the business.

Corporate Representation

Represent the organization or institution in a variety of industry, institutional, and/or professional forums, boards, and committees, in order to promote the company or institution brand or efforts. Represent the organization in external relations with investors, clients, industry, partners, the public, and others. Focus is on a specific area of the organization, such as a function or department. May involve preparation of presentations and materials for professional partnering meetings, seminars, and conferences.

Leadership and Direction

Communicate the function's strategy and its relationship to the organization's mission, vision, and values; clarify the actions needed to implement this strategy within the area of responsibility; motivate people to commit to the mission, vision, and values and do extraordinary things to achieve the organization's business goals.

Information and Business Advice

Provide authoritative specialist advice to the leadership team of a small or nationally based organization or subsidiary to guide the implementation of policy and the design and implementation of projects and change initiatives.

Business Planning

Develop and gain agreement to annual business plans for a function or substantial business area, ensuring alignment with strategy; quantify business outcomes, i.e., revenues or other key performance indicators (KPIs); detail expense and headcount budgets; and develop business cases for key projects, ensuring cross-functional integration.

Budgeting

Take responsibility for setting and managing area budgets so they align with organizational strategy.

Performance Management

Manage and report on the performance of the function/business area; set appropriate performance objectives for direct reports and hold individuals accountable for achieving them; take appropriate corrective action where necessary to ensure the achievement of annual business objectives.

Organization Structure

Define the detailed organization structure for a business area to align with corporate principles, define the relationship between elements of the organization, and define the responsibilities of senior managers, to enable the organization to achieve its business objectives.

Organizational Capability Building

Identify the capabilities needed to meet the current and emerging business needs of a significant business area. Evaluate current capabilities, identify gaps, and prioritize development activities. Motivate others to develop their capabilities and fulfill their personal potential. Build capabilities elsewhere in the organization through mentoring and other informal methods.

Stakeholder Engagement

Identify and manage stakeholders up to and including top management level, finding out their needs, issues, and concerns and reacting to them by leading and coordinating the development of stakeholder engagement plans to support the communication of business information and decisions.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and execute the technology strategy supporting Old Mutual Insure's broker, intermediary and distribution channels.
• Develop and implement the IT and digital transformation strategy aligned to business objectives.
• Lead enterprise technology operations, infrastructure, applications, and service delivery.
• Drive innovation, automation, and digital enablement initiatives.
• Oversee cybersecurity, information security, and business continuity frameworks.
• Ensure effective data governance, reporting, and analytics capabilities.
• Manage IT budgets, technology investments, and vendor relationships.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory, governance, and risk management requirements.
• Lead, develop, and retain high-performing technology teams.

Minimum Requirements

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Information Systems, or related field.
• Relevant postgraduate qualification (MBA or Master's Degree) NQF 9 is advantageous.

Experience

• 15+ years technology leadership experience within financial services, insurance or a highly regulated industry.
• 8+ years in executive or senior technology leadership positions.
• Demonstrated experience leading broker, intermediary, distribution, customer-facing digital platforms or complex ecosystem platforms.
• Proven experience delivering large-scale technology modernisation, cloud transformation and digital enablement initiatives.
• Strong understanding of short-term insurance operating models, broker distribution and customer servicing ecosystems.
• Experience operating within a large listed corporate environment and aligning business technology strategies to enterprise/group technology frameworks

Key Competencies

• Strategic Leadership
• Digital Transformation
• Technology & Innovation Management
• Cybersecurity & Risk Management
• Data & Analytics
• Financial and Vendor Management
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Change Leadership
• Business Acumen

Success Measures

• Delivery of business-aligned technology strategy.
• Growth in broker adoption and satisfaction.
• Increased digital distribution capability and platform utilisation.
• Improved speed-to-market for technology-enabled business initiatives.
• Successful execution of OMI technology strategy aligned to Old Mutual Group standards.
• Secure, resilient and scalable technology platforms supporting business growth.

Skills

Action Planning, Adaptive Thinking, Change Management, Current State Assessment, Customer Value Management, Executing Plans, Negotiation, Oral Communications, Policy Development, Presenting Solutions, Professional Presentation, Strategic Planning

Competencies

Balances StakeholdersBuilds Effective TeamsBuilds NetworksBusiness InsightCollaboratesCommunicates EffectivelyDrives Vision and PurposeEnsures Accountability

Education

NQF Level 9 - Masters

Closing Date

15 September 2026 , 23:59

The appointment will be made from the designated group in line with the Employment Equity Plan of Old Mutual South Africa and the specific business unit in question.

The Old Mutual Story!